2018 so far has been the year of change for Social - Dont get left behind!

There is so much going on in the world of Social this week and its gonna mean big changes for how businesses use their favourite platforms! The backlash against 'Social Influencers', Facebook's Algorithm change which will eliminante fake content and the crackdown on spam, should mean we should start to see more engaging content from trusted connections. As Zuckerberg said he wants..."The time we spend on Facebook to be time well spent"

This comes hot on the heels of Facebooks recent announcement that they will be cracking down on what they call 'engagement baiting' in a bid to build more meaningful connections by delivering more relevant and authentic content on the world's biggets Social Media platform.

What is Engagement Baiting?

Image Source Facebook Newsroom

We've all seen those posts with Like, Share if you want to find True Love or Share and Tag 3 friends for your chance to Win some (mostly mediocre) prize. This previously may have gained your Page temporary exposure but now you are at risk of having your Page demoted for spamming and if you continue offending you could have your page blocked all together! You do know that its against Facebooks Terms to run a contest that requires people to Share as a means to enter right?

While all of this is very tempting given the potential engagement, look at it from a users point of view - nobody wants their Newsfeed being spammed with content that is not relevant. In the past your business page may temporarily gain a boost in numbers during a Like & Share type post but Facebook is tackling these posts as they are not seen as providing any real value to its users and their Newsfeed. Just as they are cracking down on clickbaiting & fake news posts, Facebook feels that this type of content is turning users off and Facebook wants happy users that keep coming back for more.

With so much content being consumed daily there is a danger that we are missing the stuff that really matters in the midst of these contests and fake news. This is why Zuckerberg and co are going back to their original principle - Facebook is about people and connections. Of course they will continue to serve businesses, but these pages will see their organic reach continue to fall and unless you are generating really fantastic content that engages genuine fans regularly it will become a case of you having to pay to play in order to be seen.

So what does this mean for marketers?

Its early days and it remains to be seen how severe these changes will impact businesses, but the bottom line, continue to provide meaningful, authentic, compelling content and you have nothing to worry about.

There are lots of ways to really engage and connect with your fans - Product Reviews, Tips, Behind the Scenes, Previews etc. We know the hot topic right now is Video (I wont bore you with the details, but as part of their bid into the TV streaming space Facebook want users to spend more quality time on the platform and have found that users passively scrolling through spammy posts is not delivering that - new post coming soon). Businesses and personalities that produce quality content that illicits genuine engagement through Comments, Reactions, Tags and Shares will see the biggest return and acheive more exposure in the Newsfeed.

So what are you waiting for? If you don't want to lose all those 1000's of followers you have spent years building up, its time to get creative. You wont know until you try but whatever you do always measure results to find out what works. Stop with the lazy Like & Share contests, they could be fatal for your business and let your followers get to know the real people behind the brand, share your expertise and provide value for your customers.

It's time to think of new ways to tell your story or if you need a little inspiration, find yourself an agency that will help you unlock your brand's personality and steer your business towards success in 2018!