Once again Facebook has updated its algorithm in the hopes of streamlining the News Feed for users – but how will it impact current content marketing strategies? Opting for more emphasis on high quality content, the latest algorithm will attempt to remove obvious ‘click-bait’ such as memes from appearing in the newsfeeds. Here’s how to fully take advantage of the latest change.
The Rise of Buzzfeed & Someecards
The rising trend of visual content is at fault for the flood of memes in the average user’s Facebook News Feed. In 2012 businesses were told that posting photos on Facebook generated 53% more likes than the average status update. Naturally, businesses that wanted to increase their customer interactions began posting and sharing images on a regular basis.
Companies such as Buzzfeed & Someecards boomed while Facebook interactions climbed and the News Feed became focussed on easily digested memes rather than quality content. Although these items receive great interaction in terms of likes, they provide little else in the way of content.
Memes vs. Articles
In recent studies, Facebook found that people actually prefer high quality content about current events or shared interests rather than the latest memes. On December 2nd, Facebook announced they had updated their algorithm in an effort to adapt the News Feed to place a higher value on content from trusted websites. While it is still unclear how Facebook will determine if a certain site is producing quality content, it is important to recognize the shift and incorporate more articles with unique content that encourage comments and interaction.
Another reason to continuously post great content is because this update will also change how people are exposed to other articles. Once someone has clicked on an article link they may be shown up to three other related articles – including content from other websites. That means the potential reach and lifespan of an article may be increased by the new update.
The rankings in the News Feed will also depend heavily on the number of comments. Facebook hopes to encourage more conversations between people and is doing so by bumping articles with responses. While it is unlikely that many people will return to the original post they made a comment on, Facebook anticipates that by bumping the post and highlighting new comments left by friends it may inspire more communication.
As businesses start to notice shifts in their Facebook Analytics there will be more information about how this new algorithm will actually impact content marketing strategies. Until then, keep an eye on the analytics and focus on always posting high quality, unique content.