Photo credit: Facebook
Marketers are hoping a new update to Facebook’s news feed gives them a new route to customers.
The news feed update allows Facebook users to select which friends and Pages they would like to see at their top of their feeds. Users will see new stories that those preferred friends have shared at the top of their feed, with a star in the top right of the post.
They’ll then be able to scroll down to see the rest of their feed normally.
A previous Facebook algorithm change decreased the number of times brand pages appeared in followers’ news feeds. Marketers complained that their organic reach plummeted and they could not reach customers without advertising on the network. Some companies paid for advertising to increase their likes. They found the expense difficult to justify if users who liked their pages still didn’t see their posts.
At least a few businesses, accusing the network of bait-and-switch tactics, severely curtailed or terminated Facebook marketing in favor of other channels.
A Path to the Top of the List?
Marketers might think the latest update at least partially reverses the previous algorithm update and offers them a potential path to consumers on the world’s largest social media network. Many will probably strive to persuade consumers to name them to their “see first” list, especially since many have invested heavily into developing a Facebook presence.
Experts caution marketers not to become too jubilant. Brands are shooting at a moving target when attempting to market through Facebook and its ever-changing algorithm. Don’t be surprised if Facebook changes the rules again, possibly in its favor.
Convincing consumers to add a business page to their “Who to See First” (WTSF) list may not be easy. To add a brand or person to their preferred list, mobile device users need to go through four steps, first tapping on the “more” button at the bottom of the app and finally scrolling past all their friends to get to reach a brand’s page, points out Shift Communications Vice President of Marketing Technology Christopher Penn. That could be a lot of friends: Facebook users have an average of 338 friends; 20 percent have between 251 and 500, according to Pew Research.
Although the process is easier on desktop, 86% of users access Facebook from a mobile device at least some time and 40 percent use only a mobile device. The cumbersome process is not an oversight. Facebook has clearly stated it wants to convert free brand pages to advertisers.
Will They Use the Option?
With those facts in mind, Penn questions if typical Facebook users will bother adding brands to their “who to see list.”
“WTSF is a false hope for most Brand Page managers, a way for Facebook to legitimately say, “‘We gave consumers a choice, a way to ensure they hear from you and no one chose to hear from you, so pay up,’” he asserts.
Marketers should still urge followers to add them to their preferred lists, since the effort will do no harm, he advises. But have low expectations and plan to advertise.
Bottom Line: Facebook’s latest news feed option may offer new hope for brands attempting to reach consumers organically on the network. But marketers should limit their expectations, experts warn. Persuading followers to add brands to their preferred lists may be difficult, and Facebook may again change its news feed algorithm.
William J. Comcowich founded and served as CEO of CyberAlert LLC, the predecessor of Glean.info. He is currently serving as Interim CEO and member of the Board of Directors. Glean.info provides customized media monitoring, media measurement and analytics solutions across all types of traditional and social media.
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