Change your marketing strategy to reach customers
Things have changed in the world of tech, social media, and marketing. A few days ago, Facebook head, Mark Zuckerberg made a startling, yet inspiring announcement:
“Facebook will be moving toward sharing and prioritizing users’ friends and family posts over branded and company advertisements.”
The reason for all this…user experience. Over the years, Facebook has shifted from being a place for people to connect to a billboard for news outlets and businesses to market to consumers in a central location. One major motivator was money. Paid advertising and post boosts helped Facebook corner the market share in social media marketing, but unfortunately, it came with an expense to users. These days, if a user wants to see a picture of their new niece or nephew, they’ll have to wade through mounds of political propaganda and several ads about food delivery, planners, etc. But things are changing for all Facebook users, including companies and businesses who still want to capture the Facebook marketplace for marketing.
What will this mean for Facebook Marketing?
Zuckerberg’s intentions to shift the company’s focus to user-generated content will impact businesses and companies who brand heavily on Facebook. First potential area of impact: organic reach and ad budgets. Currently, if you have a healthy following, your organic reach may be significant enough to save you money on paid advertising. However, in the months to come, Facebook may limit your organic reach which will increase the amount of money you put into ads. Here’s a silver lining: even if you have to spend more to get better reach, Facebook’s cost per click may still be lower than what you’d pay on Google.
Small Businesses: Adjusting Your Approach
Facebook’s new direction will change advertising for sure, but that doesn’t mean you should abandon the platform for “greener pastures.” What Zuckerberg is asking for is simple…make the content personal and delightful for others. Facebook Users, and your customers, are interested in doing business with companies and businesses that have a relationship focus. This is huge! If you read any book on marketing these days, you’ll find that the main objective is to connect with your customers based on a personal interaction verses hard selling. For Facebook users, they won’t mind hearing from you as long as your content adds value to their lives. So, what would it take for you to upgrade your customers from “Follower” to “Friend” status? Adding clients and customers as Friends will allow you to get to know them and find better solutions to their needs.
Large Businesses: Shifting Your Marketing Budget
If your company has outgrown “personal page” status, friending clients and customers may not be an option. But there is still hope. Facebook hasn’t mentioned exactly how they plan on shifting their marketing platform, so there’s no reason to stress out yet. One possible change you’ll see is an increase in the amount of money business pages (not personal profiles) will have to pay to get in front of users. So, until the determination is made, it may be in your company’s best interest to start adjusting your marketing budget to accommodate the additional costs.
For Now, Don’t Wait and See!
Facebook had the foresight to see a dangerous trend before it was too late. Even though ads and news content keeps users on longer, the company has made a bold move to elevate its users’ quality of life. As a business owner, it’s time for you to evolve your messaging now to reflect that change.
