When it comes to planning your social media strategy, including Facebook is a no-brainer; it’s an essential element of most businesses’ digital marketing strategy. Where there is less certainty, however, is in just how to use it. Facebook policies and algorithms change often, which means what worked well last year – or even last month – might not pay off so handsomely now. So how do you make sure you get maximum bang for your buck out of your digital marketing activity? Here are some things to consider.
You no doubt know that earlier this year Facebook implemented changes to its News Feed, with the aim of emphasizing “person-to-person engagement” rather than page interaction. Well, one of the most powerful tools when it comes to engaging with people on the platform is Facebook Live.
It’s a fact: people love live video. Adam Mosseri, Facebook’s News Feed chief, has said: “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. Many creators who post videos on Facebook prompt discussion among their followers, as do posts from celebrities.”
The caveat is that not everyone can create and live-stream the kind of high-quality content that gets the big results. However, video – preferably live video – should ideally be an element of your social media strategy going forward, regardless of how big or small your brand is, and Facebook Live is the perfect medium to deliver that content.
Another important element of a successful social media strategy is to make sure you aren’t too heavily reliant on any one platform; diversification is important. With so many people globally using Facebook it’s easy to think that this platform should be the sole focus of any marketing strategy. Focusing only on Facebook means you may fail to connect with some potential customers, particularly those in demographics that lean toward other social media platforms. Data analytics and profiling your customers can be useful in ensuring that you target the right spread of platforms.
Also consider: What if Facebook changes its News Feed algorithms again and the great results you were getting disappear overnight? Clue: Facebook willchange them again at some point; you can file that alongside death and taxes as things of which you can be certain.
So, make sure Facebook is a key element of your marketing strategy – two billion users cannot be ignored. Branch out and explore what works and doesn’t work for your brand on the social media platform.