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Rob Eagar

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Nov 24 2014

Facebook Says: Show Me The Money

At the beginning of this year, Facebook made a change to their algorithm that significantly decreased the reach of a typical post.  For instance, if you had 1,000 fans, less than 200 would actually see your posts.

Last week, Facebook announced that they will kick off 2015 with an even tighter squeeze on promotional posts that marketers send to their fans. In other words, if you want a promotional post to reach all of your fans, you’ve got to buy a Facebook ad in order to reach them. What was highway robbery has now turned to brash money-grabbing. Yet, Facebook can dictate the rules because they’ve amassed over 1 billion users and their stock price is at a high point.

Facebook’s reasoning behind this change is that users were complaining about seeing too many irrelevant promotional posts, such as advertisements for a mobile app or a television show. Facebook says, “According to people we surveyed, there are some consistent traits that make organic posts feel too promotional:

  • Posts that solely push people to buy a product or install an app
  • Posts that push people to enter promotions and sweepstakes with no real context
  • Posts that reuse the exact same content from ads

An article in the New York Times said this:

“Facebook is saying, ‘We’re in charge. You’re renting from us,’ said Debra Aho Williamson, a social media analyst at the research firm eMarketer. “But businesses continue to spend more money on advertising on Facebook, and users continue to spend more time and share more information on it.”

“The change to the news feed is the latest blow to businesses that try to reach customers through their Facebook pages.”

“Now, when a brand publishes something to Facebook, 2 to 8 percent of its fans see it, according to outside estimates.”

What does this change mean for you?

1. If you’ve viewed Facebook as a free source of advertising for your message or products, get prepared to get out your wallet. Facebook may have started out as social platform that was free for everyone to use, but it is no longer free if you want to reach a wide audience.

2. If you’re an individual, such as an author or a speaker, the short-term effect may not be substantial. As long as you post quality content that fans enjoy, such as pictures, videos, free articles, and personal updates, your overall reach should stay the same as you currently experience.

On the other hand, if you’re a company or a non-profit organization, you may get backed into a corner. You could be forced to buy more advertisements or pay to promote your posts in order to reach your intended audience of fans.

The long-term effect in the next 12 – 18 months could get worse. If Facebook continues to watch their advertising revenue increase, they’ll continue to see how much the market can bear.

My advice is this: Focus on maximizing other marketing channels where you control the platform, such as email, print newsletters, event appearances, teleconferences, webcasts, etc.  The danger with Facebook is that they constantly change their algorithm, and they are driven by their own best interests. Currently, their interest is in getting more of your money.

 

Written by Rob Eagar · Categorized: Monday Morning Marketing Tips

About Rob Eagar

Rob Eagar is the founder of WildFire Marketing, a consulting practice that helps authors and publishers sell more books and spread their message like wildfire. He is one of the rare consultants to help both fiction and nonfiction books hit The New York Times bestsellers list. Rob has consulted with numerous publishers and trained over 1,000 authors. He is the creator of The Author's Guide Series, a comprehensive collection of resources that teaches authors how to sell more books. Find out more at: WildFire Marketing and follow Rob on Twitter.

Comments

  1. Rachel B says

    November 24, 2014 at 10:21 am

    Hi Rob –

    Do you know how this wiill this also impact events? One of the authors I work with hosts a free monthly event and he sends an invitation from his brand’s Facebook page. Will all of his followers see the invitation to the events?

    Thanks!

    • Rob Eagar says

      November 25, 2014 at 1:15 pm

      Hi Rachel,

      No, your author’s invitation will not be seen be all of his followers, especially if they don’t comment or share the post. The percentage of recipients will vary. But, he will probably have to pay Facebook to promote the post to his entire audience. Facebook is going to limit the spread of promotional posts that aren’t paid.

      Thanks,

      Rob

Publishing Predictions for 2023

January 1, 2023 Posted by Rob Eagar

As we enter 2023, let’s look ahead to the major issues that will affect authors and publishers. Here are five predictions that deserve your attention…

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