Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg made his New Year’s resolutions very public social media users and social media marketing pros this year. On January 4, the multi-billionaire posted a lengthy statement stressing that Facebook “has a lot of work to do — whether it’s protecting our community from abuse and hate, defending against interference by nation states, or making sure that time spent on Facebook is time well spent.”
“This will be a serious year of self-improvement and I’m looking forward to learning from working to fix our issues together,” the message concludes.
Almost immediately, Facebook introduced significant changes to its News Feed intended “to maximize the amount of content with “meaningful interaction” that people consume on Facebook,” the New York Times reported.
That means that over the next several weeks, Facebook users can expect to see fewer viral videos and articles from media companies, and more from friends and family.
Though the intent behind these changes appears admirable, they could force small businesses to address and tweak their social media marketing strategies. “Publishers, nonprofits, small business and many other groups rely on the social network to reach people, so deemphasizing their posts will likely hurt them,” says the Times.
However, marketing on Facebook can still be effective. The company’s Head of News Feed, Adam Mosseri, has already published an article recommending that businesses continue to post content that promotes conversations and engagement. He emphasized that video posts often spark discussion, and that local businesses should “connect with their communities by posting relevant updates and creating events.”
As a Premier Google Partner All-Star Agency with access to valuable insights on Google’s preferred practices, GrowthEngine Media proudly offers a full suite of digital marketing services, including paid social media marketing and social media management. Though Facebook’s new approach to the News Feed will present challenges, we pride ourselves on distributing meaningful and interesting content that users are eager to consume and engage with.
Image credit: Brian Solis, www.briansolis.com and bub.blicio.us
