I talk to many people about social media everyday – mostly about Facebook. One of the topics that always comes up – and we end up discussing longer – is Organic Reach on Facebook and how much it has fallen in the last two years or so. Some people even think that “Organic Reach is dead”. No it is not.
In previous articles we have explained to people what they need to be doing in times like these – to take advantage of these changes. Yet, many still seem bitter about them, partly because they haven’t realised why Facebook changed its algorithm in the first place.
Also Read: Why It’s Time To Stop Worrying About Your Facebook Reach
Falling Organic Reach is a quality mechanism. Facebook is trying to make the platform as user-friendly as possible for ordinary users and at the same time as successful as possible for advertisers. So, you either pay Facebook to be seen, or you think more creatively. Or both. That’s the deal. I am here to tell you that you can use a little creativity, to increase your Organic Reach.
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Organic Reach is not “dead”. It’s “dormant”. In order to activate it you will need to first start limiting your “promotional” content, as well as not repeating the same content over and over again. Sure, you can repeat posts, but you must offer something new for users. This way you can also test different words, sentences or creatives in your posts.
Have you ever thought about using Facebook Groups? Well, at least for your most engaged fans a Facebook Group would be a great idea to try out. Groups provide more engagement overall than Pages, and this is not surprise. If people join a closed group that they are invited to very exclusively, they will pay much more attention to its content. Of course, you fully control how big the group gets, it’s not there for you to carry out mass-branding activities but rather create a controlled environment for customised digital storytelling. This is your opportunity to create a close-knit community and conversations around your brand – not to advertise. Of course you will be weaving in promotional content in a much more controlled way. You can for example offer members special discounts and exclusive content!
You will also need to work on creating great content that people will love! This is obvious, and I know we repeat this again and again, but I don’t think brands are really taking full advantage of it. You are supposed to draw attention to your content – with great visuals. Using inspirational visuals will draw people’s attentions and capture their imaginations. Would YOU click on an image that doesn’t “tell you a story”? If it doesn’t “mean” anything to you, does it draw your attention? If not, it’s useless. If you are sharing blog posts or other content from your brand’s site, make sure the content matches the visuals. People remember being “duped” into clicking on something they didn’t enjoy in the end. Serving mediocre content wrapped in flashy visuals is not the way to go! Clickbaiting might seem like a good idea, but it’s NOT. Tricking people into clicking on something they are not interested in will not get you anywhere.
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To sum it all up… Facebook is not part of some major conspiracy to drain you of your money. The company gives us all the opportunity to create a presence on social media, and whether you like it or not it controls that presence. You will have to remember that Facebook could simply pull the plug at any given moment if it wanted to. You are therefore given the tools, and you have to use them right. Simple. Now, start thinking of different ways to engage your audience!
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