What the Upcoming Facebook Changes Mean to You – Industry Experts Weigh In

Many companies believe that social media marketing means maintaining an active and engaged presence on Facebook, Twitter, SnapChat, etc. However, in my opinion, social media is not about having a presence on specific platforms that may or not be around 50 years from now. Social media is about engaging people, regardless of platform. This isn’t done through promotional posting, such as, “We’re running free shipping,” or “Check out our new products.” Engagement is accomplished by creating such a positive experience that consumers are inspired to spread the word. If a company is impacted by Facebook’s new algorithm limiting “promotional posts,” then their social media priorities are misplaced.

From an affiliate marketing point of view, Facebook’s decision looks to be a beneficial one. Companies will have to rely on their affiliates to relay promotional messages.

Ever since Facebook’s ending of the EdgeRank algorithm in 2013, changes began to be put in place that started to limit the value of building an external community on a Facebook page. This is especially apparent in the recent changes to the organic syndication of page content into newsfeeds without the use of ad dollars. For social marketers who have no only spent countless hours curating those groups, but working in a social strategy into an overall larger marketing plan, the fact that these communities can no longer reach their participant’s main news feed is discouraging to say the least.

To me, it undermines the value of including robust public representation of a company/brand’s presence on Facebook. Why encourage your website visitors to join you on Facebook when they essentially become unreachable without paying the price?

This move feels the same as Google’s withholding of referral search terms in Analytics, replacing it with “Not Provided”…except for paid ad searches.

This is a fantastic change. That seems odd for me to say, as a social media marketer who uses Facebook more than any other social platform, but it’s true. I always think of Facebook algorithm updates as an opportunity for skillful marketers to shine.

Bottom line: don’t worry. If you’re doing things right, you won’t be affected. If you’re doing things wrong, you won’t be affected (because people have already been ignoring you). If you are affected, it won’t cost you a lot to fix the issue.

Use this announcement to revisit your Facebook strategy and make your content interesting, or use ads for your existing successful promotional content.

For more information on why you will or will not be affected, click here. http://ashleybcoombe.com/will-your-posts-be-penalized-by-facebooks-recent-announcement-2/

From a merchant perspective with a number of affiliates who primarily drive traffic and sales through their Facebook groups, pages, and posts, this new change limiting promotional posts will be rough for a number of those affiliates. Many of them took a hit with other recent Facebook updates but this one will probably be the most painful. The affiliate industry will once again need to become smarter with how they use social media and will have to improve on creating engaging content that isn’t necessarily promotional. The affiliates that can do that will be the ones who will succeed with Facebook.