Who knew that we would be living in a world where becoming friends with someone only takes a click of a button. OK, it’s not that simple in the real world, but it can be — through Facebook. It isn’t asking for someone’s home phone number anymore and hoping his or her mom doesn’t pick up when you decide to call. It’s showing your phone to the person and saying, “Is this you?” followed by a friend request and a possible click on “Accept.”
The same goes with how we receive and perceive news. It only used to be found in newspapers and on the television news. Now, it’s a simple opening of the Facebook app. You can see what is happening in the world and how people feel about it within seconds.
Unlike a home phone number, Facebook wants to stay relevant. That is why it is continuously making changes and updates to its system.
On Jan. 11, Facebook unveiled its biggest News Feed algorithm change to date, favoring content from friends and family over posts from companies. This means that organic reach is out and paid media is even more in.
Facebook stated the new algorithm wouldn’t affect paid posts on the platform, although CPM rates for Facebook ads may eventually increase, according to DigiDay. The new Facebook algorithm will filter out clickbait-style promotions (“Like our product if you think this dog is cute”), which will pressure brands to create more-meaningful content over the long term.
This isn’t the first time Facebook made changes to its algorithm:
In October 2017, Facebook rolled out its alternative News Feed, Explore. It created an ad-free News Feed containing content from publishers from both Pages followed and not followed by users, but publishers worried about whether people would opt to leave their traditional News Feeds and take the extra step to seek out their content.
Later that month, Facebook confirmed that it was testing a split of its News Feed into two different feeds — one containing posts from friends and family, and the other made up of content from Pages.
Overall, Facebook is no stranger to big News Feed changes. This algorithm, though, certainly calls for more-meaningful content and puts an emphasis on paid media. That is where Kazoo comes in to help your social campaign. We have a lot of experience creating successful paid Facebook strategies. We are always watching for new updates and ways to utilize the social network’s many advertising tools. Contact us today to help your brand stay up with the times!
Sources:
https://digiday.com/marketing/advertisers-see-merits-facebook-algorithm-change/
http://www.adweek.com/digital/the-ad-communitys-reaction-to-facebooks-news-feed-algorithm-change/
http://www.adweek.com/digital/facebook-news-feed-algorithm-change-background/
