Facebook recently made a public statement on the upcoming changes to its algorithm through a post by Mark Zuckerberg saying, “We built Facebook to help people stay connected and bring us closer together with the people that matter to us. That’s why we’ve always put friends and family at the core of the experience.” This statement pretty much means Facebook’s new algorithm will make it even harder for advertisers to stay top-of-mind in the fast-paced and competitive News Feeds of their target audiences.

As an agency that depends on the Facebook News Feed as a core channel for customer engagement, our Social Media Department identified a few ways to optimize platform usage and stay on top in the upcoming months.

Pay-Up Butter Cup

Industries have become aware of the benefits of Facebook’s finely targeted users based on the demographic and behavioral data available. Facebook is no longer recognized solely for a social platform but also a sophisticated advertising platform in the business world. So, what happens when you mix an influx of advertisers and Facebook’s algorithm change? A spike in the cost to compete on the platform. Not only will marketers on Facebook compete against each other, but the friends and family of their target audiences will as well. This year will challenge businesses and advertisers to properly allocate budgets to accommodate these recent changes.

Bye-Bye Engagement Bait

Facebook has been developing a machine-learning algorithm that scrubs the Newsfeed for engagement bait content. The algorithm was created around the thousands upon thousands of posts that Facebook users were reporting or flagging in their feeds. Facebook believes machine learning will enhance the user experience by prioritizing higher quality content. This change is very important for advertisers with engagement bait involved in their social strategy. Going forward, any promoted content resembling engagement bait will be flagged and disapproved almost immediately.

New Algorithm, New Requirements

Throughout last year, Facebook has been fighting back against fraudulent advertisers. In efforts to fight fraud, all advertisements now must be connected to an active page. Facebook has also been testing a new feature in Canada where all of an advertisements a page runs can be viewed in one centralized location within the page itself. Facebook has publicly stated they will be rolling out this feature in the US this year.

Where to Go from Here

Evaluate your current social strategy because what worked last year may not work this year. Brainstorm some new, creative ways to stay on top of your audience’s newsfeed. Familiarize yourself with the changing Facebook updates and be prepared to adopt new tactics as they come.