The
Facebook algorithm is constantly evolving in order to provide a better
experience for users.
But few changes to the algorithm have
sparked as much interest and conversation as the recent ‘meaningful
interactions’ update, in which Facebook said it would be
prioritizing posts that create meaningful conversations, especially those from
family and friends.
The reaction to this update was one of
curiosity and worry from brands, publishers, and Facebook Page managers,
wondering whether or not their organic reach would once again take a hit, causing
them to reach an even smaller percentage of their audience on Facebook.
We were lucky enough to get an inside look at the brand new Facebook algorithm for 2018, directly
from an exclusive News Feed webinar for publishers (thanks to Matt
Navarra and Ned Berke).
Here’s
everything we know about how the Facebook algorithm works and what marketers
and brands can do to thrive on Facebook in 2018.
Let’s
dive in!
How the Facebook
algorithm and News Feed works (2018)
When a user visits Facebook, there are
thousands of potential posts that might be displayed in their News Feed. The
sophisticated algorithm takes these posts and arranges them according to how
likely the user would be to interact with the content.
That’s
the basic theory, at least. Let’s take an even deeper look.
In the recent Facebook News Feed webinar,
their team broke the algorithm down into four, very simple components:
·
Inventory (content available)
·
Signals (considerations about content)
·
Predictions (considerations about
person)
·
Overall Score
These
four key algorithm factors serve the sole purpose of providing Facebook users
with a better overall experience.
Signals are
what we as brands and marketers can focus on in order to have our content seen
by more users on the Facebook News Feed.
Previously, Facebook used all sorts
of signals to determine which posts would be shown to
users:
Now, the algorithm will use signals that
heavily favor “active” interactions such as comments and shares:
One
reason why Facebook will be prioritizing posts from family and friends over
public content from Pages is that they believe a person-to-person
connection is more valuable than a person-to-page connection.
In
other words, content from friends and family tends to spark more “active”
engagement from users.
As Alaura Weaver writes in her Medium article on
the importance of story-driven content, “Instead of focusing on what
makes content popular and attention-grabbing, we need to focus on
what makes content personal and conversation-worthy.”
Understanding each of the top signals
and ranking factors in the Facebook algorithm is the first step in creating
content that ranks well.
Top ranking factors in
the Facebook algorithm
When
considering the types of content that Facebook will favor in the News Feed
moving forward, it’s important to distinguish between “active” and “passive”
interactions.
Active interactions such as sharing, commenting, and
reacting will hold much more weight than “passive” interactions
such as clicking, viewing, or hovering.
Let’s take a look at each active interaction in a bit more detail.
1. Commenting
The signal at the very top of the new
Facebook algorithm in 2018 is comments.
As Adam Mosseri, Head of News Feed,
wrote in a January press release:
“Page posts that generate conversation between people will show higher
in News Feed. For example, live videos often lead to discussion among viewers
on Facebook–in fact, live videos on average get six times as many interactions
as regular videos”
However, it’s important to clarify that
using “engagement bait” to
goad people into commenting will actually result in a demotion of your posts in
the News Feed.
Facebook Page admins should
continue to focus on posting relevant and meaningful stories that do not use
engagement bait tactics. More on that later in the post!
2. Sharing
Directly behind commenting in the new
Facebook algorithm for 2018 is sharing.
In
the graphic above on “signals” you might have noticed that Facebook mentions
two types of sharing:
·
People sharing links
or content within Messenger
·
Engagement with a publisher post shared by a friend
In
other words, Facebook is placing a great deal of emphasis on posts that are
shared publicly as well as privately.
The other key thing to notice here is
that it’s no longer enough just to have
someone share your post. Facebook will now favor shared
posts that spark conversations among friends.
For example, if I share a post
from Buffer’s Facebook Page and my friends start to
comment on my shared post within the feed, then that post will continue to be
shown to other people, increasing the post’s reach.
But
if I share a post from Buffer’s Page and it receives no comments (or reactions)
from my friends, then Buffer’s post will begin to be demoted in the News Feed.
Keep
a close eye on those shares moving forward!
3. Reacting
The third main signal that Facebook will
factor into their algorithm moving forward is reactions.
While not as strong as comments or
shares, reactions remain a form of “active engagement” that will help brands’
posts reach more people within
the News Feed.
We
can’t expect everyone to share or comment on posts and so reactions are a great
tertiary way for Facebook to judge the quality of the content. And according to
Mark Zuckerberg in a recent Facebook post, quality is a crucial piece moving
forward:
“The research shows that when we use social
media to connect with people we care about, it can be good for our
well-being. We can feel more connected and less lonely, and that
correlates with long term measures of happiness and health. On the other hand,
passively reading articles or watching videos — even if they’re entertaining or
informative — may not be as good”
Here’s a quick recap of what we know so
far:
Let’s
dive into a few actionable takeaways for brands!
What brands can do to
succeed on Facebook
We know that, as brands, we need to
focus on meaningful interactions. But what does that look like
in action? Here are a few ways to ensure that your Page finds success in 2018.
1. Focus on content that connects people
Focusing on content that connects people
through meaningful interactions may look and feel similar to your current Facebook strategy,
but it’s a fundamental shift in how we might approach content moving forward.
Instead of creating content, for your brand, that people interact with, we need
to start creating content, for the people, that
will spark enough emotion to generate a comment or share.
Creating content for the people requires
us to truly understand our audience on a deep level:
·
What are your audience’s challenges?
·
What are your audience’s motivations?
·
What does your audience love to interact
with?
·
What does your audience care about?
2. Post content that naturally creates
meaningful interactions
There are some types of content that
naturally spark more meaningful interactions among users. Video is one of
those types of content, and it can have a powerful impact on
your Facebook success.
In the recent Facebook News Feed update, Adam Mosseri
provided an eye-opening stat:
“Live videos often lead to discussion
among viewers on Facebook–in fact, live videos on average get six times as many
interactions as regular videos. Many creators who post videos on Facebook
prompt discussion among their followers, as do posts from celebrities”
Produced videos already perform better than both links and images in terms
of engagement on Facebook, and now Facebook
Live videos perform better than everything!
Check out this awesome example of Facebook Live video from
Kohl’s where they teamed up with Tone It Up to bring viewers an interactive
workout:
This video sparked more than 36,000 views, 115 comments, and 80 shares all
while providing their audience with a memorable experience.
3. Activate niche communities through
Facebook Groups
More than one billion people around
the world use Facebook Groups. And
more than 100 million people see Groups as the most important part of their
experience on Facebook.
Groups
are the perfect way to build an active and engaged community around topics,
issues, and causes that they care about. Whether it’s social media marketing,
traveling, fashion, or anything else, there’s a huge group of people out there
waiting to connect with like-minded people.
The real secret to Facebook Groups is
the fact that they generate conversations among
your audience and connect people from all over
the world.
That’s why we’ve seen such a dramatic
rise in the usage of groups and messaging apps over the past several years. In the
sea of News Feed content, groups and message apps offer people a more private
and personal way to share their thoughts, ideas, and opinions.
By creating a Facebook Group for your community, you
are providing an open space where people can collaborate.
Over to you
It
sure is an exciting time in the world of Facebook!
I truly believe that the recent changes
to the Facebook algorithm are a good thing for both users and
brands in the long run.
Now is a perfect time to hone in on
your Facebook strategy and
work to develop meaningful content and an engaged community. With time and
patience, I am sure you will continue to find success with your Page.
I’d love to hear any thoughts or questions
you might have, too!
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