Facebook recently announced that they have made changes to their Newsfeed Algorithm—once again! This latest update prioritizes showing users posts that they want to see, when they want to see them. Whether it’s a devastating college football loss or an uplifting news story, Facebook is taking a cue from Twitter by testing a more “real-time” user experience. Facebook’s latest algorithm update presents an opportunity for brands to better interact and engage with consumers on trending topics.
The first part of Facebook’s algorithm update prioritizes posts that mention a trending topic. Facebook now ranks posts that are related to a current event or hot topic higher than a post topic that isn’t trending. For example, a post that mentions a college football game is more likely to be highlighted if that football game is currently on TV. This, however, could be applied to any trending topic, and is not limited to an event. The new Facebook rule of thumb is: the more popular the topic, the more likely it is that a post will be exposed to your broader social network.
What does this mean for you? Real-time marketing is becoming more achievable, and when done right can have powerful results. Take note from companies like Oreo, by aiming to post relevant information at the most relevant time. Pay attention to posts in your newsfeed that are getting high engagement to help guide your content strategy.
The second algorithm update relates to the timing of a post’s comments and likes. If a post receives a high rate of engagement very quickly after it is published, then that story will jump to the top of users’ newsfeeds. However, if the engagement tapers after several hours, Facebook will assume that that post’s content is no longer relevant and rank the post lower in users’ newsfeeds.
What does this mean for you? Continuous engagement is necessary to keep posts relevant and higher on the news feed. Consistently respond to comments and encourage activity and keep the conversation going!
In today’s era of insta-everything, social networks such as Facebook are racing to satisfy consumers’ fast-paced demands. Facebook’s latest algorithm update enables marketers to begin leveraging the power of real-time marketing. Remember, consumers prefer quality over quickness, so be sure your brand is always adding value to real-time social conversations.
If your company is in need of a real-time marketing strategy, contact us!
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