The Facebook Freakout

How can your small business Facebook page succeed in the wake of new algorithms

Last week’s news of Facebook’s changes to it’s algorithms and news feed have many business owners experiencing panic attacks. Posts have popped up on business groups, articles are running in all the entrepreneur and business digital magazines, and everyone is asking “What do I do now??”

What others are saying about the new Facebook News Feed and how it will affect your small business?

Some of the articles published, like this one called Goodbye, Facebook News Feed: 9 Things Publishers Need to Know About the News Feed Armageddon and this one called Will This Facebook News Feed Update Kill Struggling Businesses?, both from Inc.com, are causing mass hysteria. Writing things like “Armageddon!” Or “The effect on Post Engagement will be devastating” or “Time spent on Facebook will plummet” will certainly scare any business-owner. My advice to you: read between the lines. The headlines are meant to get you to click! But there’s useful information if you read further.

What will the new Facebook news feed ACTUALLY mean for my small business page?

Notably, the message that you can take away from all this is simple: If you’ve been using Facebook Business Pages properly, this may not be the end of the world for you after all. Facebook’s changes recognize a few facts that, in our opinion, social media experts have understood for a long time. Consumers want to feel like their engagement with businesses is personal, useful, and enhancing their daily lives.

Think about the types of posts that go viral to begin with. They aren’t ads, they aren’t offers, and they aren’t automated posts. They are transparent, they are unique, and they don’t feel promotional. If your strategy has been to create engaging content, and you’ve been successful at this, then this may not be the “Armageddon” that others claim it is.

If, however, you’ve struggled on Facebook, if you’ve resorted to using an automated service, if you aren’t engaging with your customers already, now is the time to up your game and find new tactics to keep your Facebook page relevant. Check out these “antidotes” from Convince and Convert to the Facebook news feed changes.

What does the new Facebook News Feed mean for my business’ bottom line?

We’ve long believed that a business should not only have a Facebook page. You don’t own Facebook, and therefore, as last week’s news proves, you do not control what happens there. If you are currently only operating your digital presence on Facebook, now is the time to invest in a website.

If you already have a website, take a look at your overall digital marketing strategy. Make sure you aren’t just focusing on your social media. Make sure your website is up-to-date, that the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) on your site is in good shape and constantly being considered. Make sure you are updating content regularly, that you have profiles on other sites where your customers may be (LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, to name a few possibilities). You DO control your website, and you have the power to change your reach there, and in search results.

Editor’s Note: This article was published on January 15, 2018