Facebook plays a critical marketing role for most lodging operations (particularly independent ones), and they’ve recently announced some pretty significant changes that you should be ready for. In an attempt focus on meaningful interactions between people, the algorithm used to prioritize news feed content is being revamped (see their video here). It’s an adjustment that could profoundly influence your exposure on the platform, and one you should start preparing for.
What’s the change?
Previously, posts that inspired reactions (likes, comments and shares) were prioritized by the algorithm. But the updates announced last month will be a big departure from that model with the focus switching to posts that spark conversations and inspire meaningful interactions. What does that mean? In addition to selecting for posts that result in back and forth discussions and long, thoughtful comments, the feed will prioritize content from family and friends and show users posts they will likely want to respond to (think a friend asking for advice or a recommendation).
What does this mean for public pages?
Public content will not be removed from news feeds entirely, but there will likely be a vast reduction of it in favor of posts from friends and family. This means businesses will likely see their marketing reach diminish in some capacity, with the extent depending largely on how customers are interacting with content.
What can you do?
For businesses that rely heavily on Facebook for exposure, it will be essential to adapt your marketing strategy to these changes. While it’s still uncertain exactly how dramatic the change will be, it’ll likely be good practice to:
Encourage followers to update their preferences >> Your followers probably won’t realize the changes to their newsfeed. To ensure your content is still reaching users, encourage them to include your page in the “See First” section of their News Feed Preferences. You can do this during in-person interactions as well as including a call-to-action on marketing collateral.
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