18 May Facebook Page Reach Plummets, Again.
For years now, Facebook has been a great ‘free’ way to advertise your business and connect with clients. When Facebook first started you could post something on your profile and it would be seen by almost all your connections. These days it’s a little different. Posts on Facebook are now reaching on average a shade over 8% of your pages likes unless there is interaction or boosting involved. This means on a page with 1000 likes, only 80 people are likely to see your post. Ouch. It gets worse, since January 2017, post engagement has dropped off by over 20% according to a research study done by BuzzSumo. So, why has Facebook ‘organic’ reach dipped so low?
- In mid 2016, Facebook announced an update which would tailor the Facebook news feed more specifically to each person. This means more relevant posts were being shown at a higher rate rather than random posts. For example, if you put up a status about having a cracked screen on your Laptop, you’re more likely to see results closely linked to that.
- Earlier this year, there was another update that focused on authentic content. Facebook has followed the trend of Google and started rating posts on how authentic they are and give them a larger share of news feed distribution.
- In the past clickbait posts were heavily used to get people to click through to a website. While at the end of the day, that is the main goal of most business page owners, the clickbait algorithm it trying to stamp out the ‘junky’ clickbait posts.
- Again, following in the footsteps of Google, mobile integration is now a key factor in search results. Facebook wants posts to look great on mobile as some people now believe Facebook is used more on mobile or tablet than a PC.
- The sheer number of pages on Facebook now means that there is more content posted each day than ever before. It’s an issue that going to get even worse every day. While a business might be working hard to get organic reach, there are many pages out there that puch through 50 posts a day, just to be seen. They like to share high engagement posts. When you interact with these posts, Facebook notices and show your more ‘junky’ posts. Clean up your ‘page likes’ to more relevant pages and streamline your own profile. The sheer number of page likes of your fanbase can affect your organic reach.
- Money talks. It’s no secret that theres massive money in online advertising. Nearly every website you visit has an ad on it. Facebook is no different. Facebook Ads are now almost necessary to reach your target client. Although Facebook deny it, they want you spending money on your page to get it out there to the masses. Our advice, is to make sure if you do use Facebook Ads… target your target market very specifically for best result.
There is no magic bullet in the Social Media world. Each page is different, each target audience is different. A post that works well on a computer repair page will certainly be different to a post put up by a plumber. Your Facebook page represents your business as much as your website does. It needs the same kind of love, care and commitment for best results.
If you’d like a hand with your Social Media strategy, let us know. Western Tech Solutions can help you with your online presence to take the next step. Give us a call on 1800 234 124 to arrange an onsite, obligation free appointment to discuss your businesses online requirements.