For individual Facebook users, an algorithm change goes largely unnoticed. Ideally, a smarter feed of relevant content simply appears beneath your fingertips.
But for marketers, each adjustment to the News Feed algorithm is typically met with a collective groan. And that’s understandable; marketers inevitably face a learning curve with each algorithm adjustment.
In order to pivot accordingly to algorithm changes, it is worthwhile to invest the time to understand how the News Feed works and how each adjustment affects the reach of your posts.
The Repercussions of News Feed Overcrowding
The News Feed has become indigenous to our online social experience. We know it as that central column of scrollable content from our network of friends and brand Pages. As Facebook puts it, the News Feed is “a constantly updating list of stories from people and Pages that you follow on Facebook.”
Over time, that list of content has become so enumerated that posts from a single brand Page don’t have the reach they once had. And that has left many marketers feeling jilted.
But rather than going full Miss Havisham, let’s take a moment to remember that the decline in organic reach stems from an equally organic cause: the increase in Facebook connections and content creators.
According to research conducted by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, half of all adult Facebook users have over 200 Facebook friends.
Unsurprisingly, the average number of friends is higher among younger, tech-native demographics; the average number of friends for users between the ages of 18-34 is over 300.
Pew Research also found little sign of “Facebook fatigue” in their February 2012 analysis of Facebook user behavior:
“On the contrary, the more time that has passed since a user started using Facebook, the more frequently he/she makes status updates, uses the ‘like’ button, comments on friends’ content, and tags friends in photos.”
Consequently, there are upwards of 1,500 possible stories that can be displayed on a typical user’s News Feed on any day. That makes the role of content prioritization in the News Feed all the more important.
Common News Feed Misconceptions
Many novice brand managers have fallen prey to the fallacy that the number of Likes a Facebook Page has is equal to the number of individuals who will see every piece of content posted. While that would be nice… it’s simply impossible.
For an individual user to see every post from each and every one of their Facebook connections, the News Feed would have to scroll at Matrix speed to move that volume of content through the News Feed pipeline.
No one wants that to happen. Engagement would drop, and users would likely flee the network, thereby devaluing all the work you did to earn Page Likes in the first place.
It’s equally naive to expect a user to exert the effort to regularly visit your brand’s Page. According to comScore, users spend up to 40% of their Facebook time in the News Feed, compared with only 12% spent on profiles and brand pages.
Hence the necessity for the News Feed algorithm as an arbiter of content discovery on Facebook.
Navigating News Feed Dynamism
Adjusting to changes to the News Feed algorithm can feel like a never-ending dance for marketers. But keep in mind that — as is often said about another omnipotent power — when Facebook closes a door, it often opens a window.
Facebook’s December 2013 algorithm adjustment, for example, sent a shudder through social media marketers everywhere. The announcement highlighted the role of the News Feed as a news discovery site, and prioritized content from major media companies and publishers over promotional content and brand updates.
Facebook announced this news-oriented pivot in a December 2013 blog post:
“People use Facebook to share and connect, including staying current on the latest news, whether it’s about their favorite celebrity or what’s happening in the world. We’ve noticed that people enjoy seeing articles on Facebook, and so we’re now paying closer attention to what makes for high quality content, and how often articles are clicked on from News Feed on mobile. What this means is that you may start to notice links to articles a little more often (particularly on mobile).”
However, in January 2014, Facebook unveiled another tweak to the algorithm, noting that “page admins can expect a decrease in the distribution of their text status updates, but they may see some increases in engagement and distribution for other story types.”
ShopIgniter conducted a study in the period before, during, and after the January 2014 algorithm change, and found that the “may” in Facebook’s statement was more optimistic than it originally sounded.
ShopIgniter found that while pure text posts from brand pages did sustain a significant hit in organic reach, posts with photos and videos maintained their reach, while posts with links actually saw a 30% increase in reach.
Proactive marketers understand that each adjustment is an endeavor to deliver better content to the right users at the right time. Every strategic decision by Facebook to offer an improved user experience via an algorithm change is mutually beneficial to the brand managers who have worked to build a following on the network, a point Facebook has been wont to make:
“Ultimately, what’s good for people on Facebook is good for the businesses that use Facebook to reach and engage them. One of the ways we maintain a good balance between the two is by making sure News Feed is as interesting and timely as possible.”
So what’s a marketer to do? Stay up to date on your Facebook algorithm news, yes, but also simply focus on producing quality content. Approach and appreciate the News Feed algorithm as a social media tastemaker — which is something we can all be grateful for amidst today’s content overload.
Yes, you probably will have to throw some budget behind posts as needed. But if you’re already in the habit of creating high-quality content, then you’re primed to reap a greater return on that investment.
If you liked this post, you might like THE MARKETING MAVEN’S GUIDE TO FACEBOOK for insights into the best times to post and best practices for word count, Calls-to-Action, punctuation, and more.