Earlier this month, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that big changes are coming to your Facebook News Feed in early 2018. To kickoff his announcement Zuckerberg stated, “I’m changing the goal I give our product teams from focusing on helping you find relevant content to helping you have more meaningful social interactions.” He continued, “recently we’ve gotten feedback from our community that public content — posts from businesses, brands and media — is crowding out the personal moments that lead us to connect more with each other.”
Wondering where that leaves you and how these changes will impact your event marketing?
To create more meaningful social interactions, Facebook is going to adjust it’s News Feed algorithm to limit posts from businesses, brands and media, and prioritize posts that promote discussions, conversations, and human interaction. As a side effect, your event may have a harder time breaking onto the News Feed if you don’t adapt to the changing scene.
So, how do you stay relevant in the new Facebook world? Here are 3 ways to make sure your event gets noticed on the giant social media platform.
Create Facebook Event Pages. Over the past year, Facebook has made tweaks to it’s algorithm to feature Facebook Event listings. If you have an event, but aren’t taking advantage of this free tool, there has never been a better time to start using it. Events promote real life socializing, and I assume Facebook will take that into account as it adjusts it’s News Feed algorithm.
Pro tip 1: Invite your Facebook friends to attend your event. The more people that are interested in attending an event, the more it will show up on News Feeds.
Pro tip 2: Post frequently on your Facebook event page. This won’t directly impact how often you show up on the News Feed, but it does have an indirect impact. When you leave a post on your Facebook event page, all the people who have shown interest in your event will get a notification on their account. This can remind them that your event is coming up soon, and they can invite their friends to attend.
Create organic posts that spur conversation. Instead of using clickbait tactics to try and make your posts go viral, focus on writing posts that will get your followers to comment. Ask intriguing questions. Some people might try to find a loophole by asking attendees to “Tag a friend you want to take to the event with you.” But be warned! These are the type of posts that Facebook is looking to demote. If you follow this strategy, you may find yourself getting dinged repeatedly by Facebook and falling into social media oblivion.
Pro tip: Share memories or ask for recommendations in your organic posts. Facebook finds that both memories and recommendations spark more conversations and contribute to Facebook’s new goal.
Use paid Facebook advertising to ensure your event gets noticed. If your organic efforts aren’t getting you the results you are looking for, paid advertising will ensure your event gets seen on Facebook. While Facebook is demoting organic posts from businesses, don’t expect them to limit how many ads you see on your News Feed.
Pro tip 1: Boosting your event posts is great, but it isn’t enough. Boosting your posts usually limits your ads to be seen by people who follow your Facebook page. Use Facebook Ads Manager to reach people outside of your current network.
Pro tip 2: If you don’t know how to do Facebook advertising effectively, SpinGo can promote your event for you.