Facebook Business Posts

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According to a Facebook post in the Facebook for Business news feed new restrictions are being added to any business post.  Starting in January 2015 business posts that have these traits will see less distribution:

  1. Posts that solely push people to buy a product or install an app
  2. Posts that push people to enter promotions and sweepstakes with no real context
  3. Posts that reuse the exact same content from ad

Facebook will decide which posts meet this criteria. This will mean every business post made on Facebook will need to be crafted well to reach the 2% of the market that will see the content. The value of a business post to Facebook users continues to erode.  Is advertising in the classified section of the local newspaper now a better way to reach customers? If the word “sale” appears in the post this may be true.

Communication is always key to everyone’s business.  Being clear and concise in social media posts makes your information “likeable”.  Even in personal interactions with your clients efficiently passing information makes you a trusted resource. Giving away free information to anyone liking my Facebook for Business page should continue to be posted in news feeds.  Leading new clients and keeping current clients connected via a Facebook post is the challenge.

Facebook’s ongoing survey of users prompted this policy change.  The post states “Our goal with News Feed has always been to show people the things they want to see. When people see content that’s relevant to them, they’re more likely to be engaged with News Feed, including stories from businesses”. Any business post should contain relevant information that your client base would like, but now sales or promotional posts will not be added to users’ news feeds. The key phrase in the Facebook post is “pages users care about”.  This is the new focus for business post in Facebook.

People go to Facebook for a good laugh, to find out what friends are doing or what they can add to their life.  Facebook has not yet become the world or local news feed. But is is the best personal news feed that is available.  Personal connections tied to your business or community are the best fit for Facebook posts.  Tracking what topics resonate with your clients can help guide you to create responsive posts to get more exposure. For more business professionals that means more time invested in social media.

But with the changes is the time worth spending on a business Facebook page? According to Facebook in October 2014 over 1 billion visits were made to business pages. Sheer numbers are always a good thing, but finding the right people to like your page is still a key component of success for your Facebook business page. Having a core group that want to read and comment on your posted information is better than hundreds of likes from all over the globe. The adage of dominate locally and expand globally is very apparent in Facebook for business posts.  Analyzing who reads or comments on your posts now can help you build a profile of the perfect person to like your business page.

You have until January 2015 to perfect your posts and your audience.  Then new user surveys may change your plan again.