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There Really Is A Difference In Doing Social And Being Social
June 23, 2015
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In a move to ensure the Facebook experience stays fun and fresh for his 890 million daily active users, Mark Zuckerberg recently talked about how they have made even more changes to his algorithm - the code that dictates what people see in their News Feeds.
To drill it down, they will start balancing more friends and family status updates into our News Feeds, and that means fewer messages from "Like" pages. In the Facebook developer's blog they state:
"The impact of these changes on your page's distribution will vary considerably. In some cases, post reach and referral traffic could potentially decline. [So] overall, pages should continue to post things that your audience finds meaningful."
And on the heels of that change, Josh Constine, tech writer for TechCrunch, stumbled on a potential new feature Facebook may roll out called, "See First." When turned on from a friend's profile or "Like" Page, you'll see their recent posts at the top of your News Feed.
This could make it even harder to be seen as a brand.
But what this constant change to Facebook's News Feed speaks to is Zuckerberg protecting the Facebook user experience first.
And rightfully so.
Facebook has two million active advertisers. They don't necessarily need squatters, the brands setting up shop on Facebook with no intention to pay, like they may have in the early days of public consumption. They also don't need the complaints that come in daily from "Like" pages spamming users News Feeds.
When people liked your page initially -- the trust given wasn't to be sold on a Jiffy Lube remote you're doing this Saturday. It was also not about promoting Katy Perry tickets at 2:15.
When they 'like' you socially, it's your opportunity to showcase your brand's culture, prove its importance in your fans' "social lives," and serve the audience, one person at a time.
Facebook is a public company with investors to answer to. It shouldn't shock us that Facebook demands quality from brands in order to stand out.
And one way to do that is hack our way to success.
Hacking is a word Mark Zuckerberg uses often but his reference is a positive one.
It's about fighting for your product and doing what needs to be done in the face of today's disruption and modernization, a never-ending quest to keep brands in the hands of consumers.
And if you're serious about being a social brand, you should be putting this practice to use every day; following the fundamentals that make you unforgettable.
- Helping fans have access to what they love
- Discovering together things they will love
- Distributing the emotion of the moment
- Offering personalized acknowledgment
- Creating unexpected "holy crap" moments
There's a culture that every brand in the social space needs. And if your station lacks social principles and a strategy, you will continue to struggle with why social even matters.
Because it's not your strategy that keeps fans coming back for more - it's what you are known for - how you make your fans feel.
There really is a difference in doing social and being social.
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