Quite a bit has been said, including an article on our own blog, about making sure your brand’s posts on Facebook get seen. Earlier in November, Facebook even addressed the concerns over EdgeRank and what has been claimed by some as negatively impacting their reach as a direct result of EdgeRank implementation.
What is EdgeRank?
At the most basic level, EdgeRank is the algorithm used by Facebook to determine what posts will make up your News Feed. The argument made by some who claim they want an “unfiltered” News Feed is countered by Facebook who believes that this is a more efficient way of keeping you coming back to the platform. This way, you have a News Feed that best represents what you, as a consumer, want to read about.
EdgeRank looks at previous interactions to determine what appears in your News Feed. If a consumer interacts with a post (liking, commenting, or sharing), there is a much greater chance that consumer will see your future posts. Plain and simple.
What makes a consumer interact with your content?
The more engaging your content, the better chance you have of repeat consumer interaction -- and the better chance of staying in front of that consumer’s eyes. The “spammier” the content, the more likely it is to be ignored -- and potentially even complained about to Facebook. And the more users that ignore or complain, the lower your EdgeRank score, the less your reach, and it simply snowballs from there.
What does engaging content mean?
What is engaging to me might not be engaging to you. The reason I believe EdgeRank is a good thing is because it forces brands to figure out what is is *I* care about -- not necessarily what they care about. The biggest thing to remember about social media is that its not about your brand: its about your consumers and what matters most to them.
If I find photos more engaging than videos, based on my interactions and EdgeRank algorithms, I’m more likely to see photos from your brand. If my wife enjoys videos more, and interacts with your videos more, then she’s more likely to see videos than photos.
Where to go from here?
Social media is an ever evolving entity. There are many different ways to go from here, but ultimately the Insight Report is going to be your best friend in determining what is effective on Facebook. For a extremely basic example, if quoting a story from CBS is less effective than quoting form NBC -- then don’t keep quoting CBS. Speak to what matters most to the fans of your pages. Change things up. Post your content directly on Facebook -- not from a third party platform. Pictures and videos are more engaging than simple text only updates.
Give me a call
Need help figuring out how to speak to your audience? NOW Marketing offers many different options, including simple training sessions to complete marketing packages. Our goal is to help you navigate the waters of social media, help your brand be successful with its internet marketing goals, and to have fun while doing it! -- Jeremiah
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