Hello, my name is Jayne Corso and I am the community manager for American Evaluation Association.
In early 2018, Mark Zuckerberg announced that there would be some changes to the Facebook News Feed algorithm that would prioritize meaningful interactions. This is not the first time Facebook updated their News Feed algorithm and each time the algorithm is updated, users need to find best practices for making sure their posts don’t get lost. Here are a few tips for making your posts stand out on Facebook, despite the changes.
What are meaningful interactions?
According to the Hootesuite article referenced below, the platform will now prioritize active interactions, such as sharing, reactions, and commenting. These activities are more engaging then simply liking a post.
Hot Tip: Try Videos
As I’ve shared in the past, posts that feature a photo or a video out preform posts with just a link or text. Now posts that have a video uploaded to Facebook (not linking to another platform) are the highest preforming posts. Videos sound intimating, but they don’t have to be. Facebook offers Facebook Live which allows you to live stream video to your followers. Use this feature to connect with your followers in real time. You can even respond to questions in the comments and start an engaging conversation. Another tip—promote your Facebook Live session to reach the maximum number of followers!
You can also take simple videos with your mobile device and easily upload them to Facebook. Remember, you do not have to create a polished and professional video for your post to be impactful. Social media is meant to be casual and conversational. Simple and quick videos work best!
Hot Tip: Content is Key
One thing that isn’t changing—relevant content is key! Posting thought-provoking and timely content will encourage your followers and other Facebook users to interact with your posts. Understand what your followers want to learn more about, ask them questions, encourage discussions. All of these tactics can help you create more engaging posts.
Hot Tip: Be Aware of Spam
Avoid using spam language and asking for post interactions. Posts like “Like this post if you LOVE conducting focus groups” will not earn you more views, in fact, it might lose views. This is because the algorithm believes these posts are not inspiring meaningful interactions.
I hope these tips help you when developing your posts. Hootsuite has published an article with more tips and insights into changes that will take effect with the new Facebook algorithm.
Do you have questions, concerns, kudos, or content to extend this aea365 contribution? Please add them in the comments section for this post on the aea365 webpage so that we may enrich our community of practice. Would you like to submit an aea365 Tip? Please send a note of interest to aea365@eval.org. aea365 is sponsored by the American Evaluation Association and provides a Tip-a-Day by and for evaluators.