How Facebook's coming changes may decrease your reach online.

[cs_content][cs_element_section _id="1"][cs_element_row _id="2"][cs_element_column _id="3"][cs_text]Did you see this video floating around Facebook this week? *click icon for sound*[/cs_text][x_video_embed no_container="true" type="16:9"][/x_video_embed][cs_text _order="0"]Do you use Facebook to market your business? Well – if you hadn't already gathered, there's good news and bad news.

Bad news first: Facebook is about to pull an overhaul that will make it a lot less business-friendly. This will affect your business if you use a Facebook page to post content and attract new leads, the question is how much.

BUT WAIT! The good news. We've got some inside info that could help you navigate the transition.

First, we'll summarize how Facebook is planning to change. Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg made a public announcement that the company would soon redesign the Newsfeed to align themselves with their original mission: bringing people closer together. It is Facebook's feeling that the amount of businesses, brands, and media is preventing personal interaction between friends.

Here are the 3 main changes that will definitely affect the visibility of your posts:

1. Less video content will make the cut.
2. Links to external pages will get less visibility.
3. Both pages and personal accounts will be affected.

All of this means that it will no longer be enough to post your content on Facebook expecting it to fall before the right cold traffic, no matter how high-quality. Priority will be given to posts that generate positive interaction in the comments section.

So here are our 3 tips for adjusting your social media marketing to account for these changes:

1. Decrease quantity and increase quality. The algorithm will look not only for number of comments, but also length and depth of comments. Facebook purports to know the difference between "comment-bait" (posts that encourage a high number of short comments) and real "meaty" conversations.
2. Shorten your videos and develop a more interesting, fast-paced style. Watching video is generally passive – you aren't commenting or liking other posts while you're watching. Quick how-to videos and exciting attention-grabbing content will stay in the newsfeed, and longer interviews and educational content will be harder to find. Live video will stick around – it typically gets 6 times more interaction than other types of video.
3. Master Facebook Ads. Paid advertising will become the only guaranteed method of getting your content before the eyes of your desired audience. Yeah, we see you Facebook! But, all jokes aside, Facebook Ads are already much more effective than organic posts for social media marketing.

If you're using social media to market your business or organization, you're going to have to change alongside Facebook if you want to stay in the Newsfeed. If you're intimidated by Facebook Ads, contact us!! It's literally what we're here for, and we can help your business get there! Your story is worth telling – don't disappear from the social sphere![/cs_text][/cs_element_column][/cs_element_row][/cs_element_section][/cs_content]