Mastering the Facebook Algorithm: Strategic Approaches to Maximise Organic Reach in 2025

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In today's digital landscape, achieving meaningful organic reach on Facebook requires more than just posting regularly — it demands a strategic approach that aligns with the platform's ever-evolving algorithm.

The Algorithm Evolution: From Followers to Recommendation-Based Feed

Facebook has undergone a significant algorithmic transformation, shifting away from its traditional focus on connecting users primarily with content from pages and people they follow. Instead, it now embraces a recommendation-based model similar to TikTok's "For You" page approach, which prioritises content based on relevance and engagement potential regardless of connection status.

This fundamental change means businesses no longer need to focus exclusively on building follower counts. The new algorithm presents an exciting opportunity to reach audiences far beyond your existing followers. If your content resonates strongly enough, Facebook will distribute it to users who have never encountered your brand before but share interests that match your content.

This recommendation-based approach rewards content that generates genuine interest and meaningful engagement over content that checks the box of regular posting to an established audience. At Cre8ive, we've adapted our strategies to leverage this algorithm shift, helping your content appear on News Feeds and genuinely connect with existing and entirely new audiences.

Strategic Timing Makes All the Difference

The "when" matters just as much as the "what" when it comes to Facebook success:

  • Audience Activity Windows: Leverage Facebook Insights to identify exactly when your specific audience is most engaged and schedule your most important content accordingly.
  • Strategic Spacing: Maintain a 48-72 hour buffer between significant posts to prevent them from competing with each other for algorithmic attention.
  • Counter-Intuitive Timing: Consider testing posts during slightly off-peak hours—this can sometimes result in higher initial engagement rates as there's less competition in the feed.
  • Consistency Signals: Establish a reliable posting cadence that signals to the algorithm your page is consistently active without overwhelming your audience.

Video Content: Facebook's Algorithmic Favourite

Facebook's algorithm heavily favours video content that keeps users on the platform:

  • Native Uploads: Always upload videos directly to Facebook rather than sharing links from YouTube or other platforms—the algorithm significantly rewards native content.
  • Mobile-Optimised Formats: Create square (1:1) or vertical (9:16) videos that dominate more screen real estate on mobile devices where most Facebook browsing occurs.
  • Accessibility Prioritisation: Include captions on all video content—not only does this make your content more accessible but Facebook specifically prioritises videos that all users can consume.
  • Strategic Duration: While the algorithm rewards longer watch times (3+ minutes), design your videos with the understanding that most users will only watch for 15-30 seconds. Front-load key messages while still creating content that rewards complete viewing.

avoid engagement baiting on social media

Engineering Meaningful Conversations

The algorithm prioritises content that generates authentic interactions:

  • Conversation Design: Craft posts specifically designed to generate meaningful comments and extended discussion, not just quick reactions.
  • Thoughtful Questions: Include specific, open-ended questions that naturally encourage responses beyond simple one-word answers.
  • Conversation Threading: When responding to comments, include follow-up questions that create deeper conversation threads, which signals high-value content to the algorithm.
  • Authentic Engagement: Carefully avoid "engagement bait" phrases like "comment below" or "share if you agree"—Facebook actively penalises these tactics with reduced reach.

Content Variety: Signalling Dimensional Value

Diversification in your content approach demonstrates the versatility to the algorithm:

  • Format Rotation: Regularly alternate between different post formats, including text on coloured backgrounds, single images, carousels, polls and Reels.
  • Cross-Feature Visibility: Use Facebook Stories alongside regular feed posts to increase page visibility and engagement touchpoints.
  • Content Ecosystem: Create interconnected content that references your other posts, encouraging deeper exploration of your page.

Strategic Hashtag Implementation

Unlike Instagram, Facebook requires a more restrained hashtag approach:

  • Quality Over Quantity: Limit usage to 2-3 highly relevant hashtags per post that genuinely connect to search intent.
  • Branded Consistency: Develop and consistently use your branded hashtag (#ENGAGE) to build a recognisable content collection.
  • Relevance Filtering: Avoid generic, oversaturated hashtags that dilute your content's relevance and can actually reduce algorithmic visibility.

The Critical First Hour

The initial engagement period heavily influences a post's long-term reach:

  • Team Coordination: Mobilise team members to authentically engage with new posts within the crucial first 60 minutes after publishing.
  • Strategic Amplification: For particularly important content, consider micro-boosting ($2-5) during the first 24 hours to generate the momentum that triggers organic algorithm amplification.
  • Cross-Platform Promotion: When appropriate, share relevant content across your organisation's ecosystem (such as Cre8ive's main page) to expand initial visibility.
reply to comments and add questions to encourage another comment

Comments: The Currency of Algorithm Value

How you handle comments significantly impacts algorithmic perception:

  • Universal Acknowledgment: At a minimum, like EVERY comment received to acknowledge engagement and signal active page management.
  • Timely Responses: Reply to comments within 24 hours using your consistent brand voice to maintain conversation momentum.
  • Conversation Extension: End responses with open-ended questions that encourage continued dialogue (e.g., "Have you implemented something similar? What results did you see?").
  • Issue Management: Establish clear protocols for addressing negative or concerning comments to maintain positive community signals.

Advanced Algorithm Tactics

Beyond the basics, these additional strategies can further optimise your Facebook presence:

  • Content Segmentation: Use Facebook's organic post-targeting options to deliver specific content to relevant demographic segments of your audience, improving relevance scores.
  • Pattern Interruption: Occasionally break from your standard posting patterns with high-value, unexpected content to recapture algorithm attention.
  • Facebook Live Priority: Schedule regular Facebook Live sessions to leverage the significant reach advantage the algorithm gives to live content compared to all other formats.
  • Link Minimisation: Reduce outbound links in your primary posts, as Facebook's algorithm deprioritises content that takes users off-platform. Instead, use comments to provide additional resources when necessary.
  • Recency Refreshing: Update high-performing older posts with new information to trigger the algorithm to reconsider them for fresh distribution.

By implementing these strategic approaches to working with the Facebook algorithm rather than against it, your content stands the best chance of achieving meaningful organic reach and engagement. Remember that algorithms change frequently—the Cre8ive team stays continuously updated on platform shifts to ensure your social media strategy remains cutting-edge.

Ready to transform your Facebook performance? Contact our team today to discuss how we can help optimise your social media presence.

Avoid Rejection: Words Not to Include in Your Facebook Ads

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If your ads aren't being approved on Facebook or you're not seeing the results you expected, the issue may lie with your ad copy. To reduce spam, create a positive experience for users and prevent the use of profanity or the promotion of illegal activities, Facebook has established strict advertising standards.

Most of these are fairly reasonable but some will make it challenging when it comes to the copy.

Facebook's policies include restrictions on:

  • Prohibited Content: Ads must not promote illegal products or services, adult content, violence, or discriminatory practices. 
  • Misleading or Deceptive Claims: Ads related to products or services should not make false promises or mislead users about the features or benefits of what is being promoted.
  • Non-compliance with Community Standards: Ads that promote hate speech, harassment, or other forms of offensive content will be rejected.

To break these down, here is a list of words and topics you should avoid:

1. Prohibited Content

These may not only cause ad rejection but may also lead to account or page restrictions and suspensions.

2. Identifying People

Facebook's advertising standards discourage ads that identify or call out specific personal attributes of users, such as their age, race, gender, health status or other identifying characteristics. For instance, using phrases like "Students, this is for you" could violate these guidelines because it implies knowledge of personal information about the audience.

Instead, Facebook recommends using more generalised language, such as "Ideal for students" or "Perfect for anyone in school", which speaks to the demographic without directly identifying individuals. This helps avoid privacy concerns and aligns with Facebook's standards.

3. Misleading or Deceptive Claims

Spam-like behaviour - red flags will be raised over excessive use of clickbait or deceptive tactics. "Get Rich Quick Schemes" fall under this category and include words such as: 

  • Money
  • Financial freedom
  • Fortune
  • Wealth
  • Work from home
  • Laptop lifestyle
  • Quit your job/ quit my job
  • Specific numbers (e.g., Earn $200k)
  • Doubled*
  • Easy*
  • Step-by-step*

*These words may be used in other context that is appropriate

Facebook recognises these as deceptive and unrealistic claims. If you’re offering legitimate income opportunities, use wordings that would highlight the realistic benefits of your product/ service.

4. Sales and Deals

These words are not outrightly banned by Facebook, but they can sometimes trigger closer scrutiny from Facebook’s review system, especially if used in a way that could be seen as misleading or spammy.

  • "Free" – Ads offering something for free are allowed, but Facebook reviews these carefully to ensure that the offer is legitimate. Be sure to clearly disclose any terms or conditions associated with the free offer (e.g., "free with purchase"), to avoid being flagged as misleading.
  • "Enter" – This word is often used in contests or sweepstakes, which Facebook allows, but such promotions must follow specific rules. Ads using "enter" should provide clear terms and conditions and avoid encouraging misleading behaviours or actions, like forcing users to share content to win.
  • Contest
  • Giveaway
  • Deal
  • Discount
  • Win

Facebook aims to maintain a balance between promoting products and services and ensuring that ads provide genuine value and engagement for users.

The algorithm may flag or limit reach for ads that seem too pushy or contain excessive promotional language, so it's a good idea to use persuasive language thoughtfully.

5. Time Limitations

  • Today only
  • Closing soon
  • While supplies last
  • Limited offer
  • Only x days left

By restricting these urgency-driven terms, Facebook aims to create a more comfortable and trustworthy advertising environment where users feel less pressured and more inclined to engage with content on their own terms.

6. Brand Names

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Google
  • Third-party trademarks such as iPhone or PlayStation

Some advertisers might use these to imply an affiliation or endorsement by these brands that does not exist. 

If you still want to mention a well-known brand, you'll need to be inventive and focus on the brand's industry or key values, allowing your audience to deduce the brand you're referencing.

7. Sensitive topics

Facebook does not want these topics on people’s feeds:

  • Race
  • Religion
  • Age
  • Diet
  • Weight
  • Weight loss
  • Fat

If you have a product that falls into one of these categories, you will have to reword. For example:

"Ladies, are you ready to get rid of those five extra kilos?" to

"Are you ready to feel fit and fabulous?"

Facebook doesn’t like it when you target a particular group so just leave this out. Think about how you could highlight the benefits and features of your products and services.

8. Profanities

Facebook blocks organic posts with profanities and this extends to ads as well. Facebook is also improving its algorithm to reject attempts of censoring curse words by using other symbols such as #*@%$

All of the above guidelines are fairly understandable however, these are some other words you will need to avoid or use sparingly.

9. Names; You/ Your

It may be confusing why innocent words such as "you" and "your" are on the list. Facebook lends itself to ad personalisation however, the algorithm may be triggered due to ‘over-personalised’ content that can appear invasive, pushy and intrusive. 

10. Incorrect grammar

This may seem harmless but Facebook may reject ad copies with excessive incorrect grammar usage as this may also negatively affect users’ experience in the platform. 

This also includes improper use of symbols, incorrect spellings and unnecessary capitalisation of words and letters.

10 Necessary Steps to Protect Your Facebook Page

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Last Updated on Friday, May 5th, 2024

Facebook is a valuable tool for businesses and individuals alike but it's crucial to ensure that your Facebook page is secure from potential hackers. Cybersecurity breaches can harm your reputation, damage your business, put sensitive information at risk and cost you time and money. Therefore, it's essential to take steps to protect your Facebook page from being hacked.

Here are our top ten necessary steps to secure your Facebook Page:

Step #1  Use strong passwords

Ensure your passwords are a random mix of at least 14 to 16 characters - letters, numbers and symbols, and avoid using common phrases or words.

So long as you are using a strong password – along with 2FA – you shouldn’t need to change your password that often. However, some security experts suggest changing your password every 90 days or at least once a year.

You can also consider using a password manager like Bitwarden or 1Password for secure password management across devices. Keep in mind that while convenient, built-in managers may pose security risks if your device is stolen.

Step #2  Enable two-factor (2FA) or multi-factor authentication (MFA) – a MUST

Two-factor authentication is an additional layer of security that requires a code to be entered along with your password. This code is usually sent via text message or generated through an app. By enabling two-factor authentication, you can significantly reduce the risk of your Facebook account being hacked.

In fact, if you’re running Meta ads, your ads will quite possibly perform better so long as EVERY admin of your Page has 2FA set up. And you might see an ever so slightly better organic reach for your posts too.

You access 2FA under your Password and security settings.

Although most use SMS to receive a code via text message for 2FA this is actually not the most secure way to set up 2FA as phone numbers can be spoofed.

So, for optimal security, it’s much more effective to use an Authenticator app. Google Authenticator (iOS or Android) and Duo Mobile are among the top authenticator apps.

Many online services not just Facebook - Amazon, Dropbox, Google, PayPal, Slack and Twitter all support authenticator-generated codes as an alternative to SMS-based codes. All the apps can be used for multiple accounts, and you don't need to have a cellular connection, or even Wi-Fi access, on your phone for the codes to work.

 

Step #3  Do not share your login credentials

Never ever share your login credentials with anyone, for any reason. To share access to your business page, use Business Manager or Business Suite and add Admins with appropriate roles and ensure they also have 2FA set up.

Step #4  Monitor your account activity

Monitor for any suspicious or unauthorised access. Check for any unusual login locations, device types, and login times. Get in-app notifications and emails about unrecognised logins by going to Password and security settings and select ‘Login alerts’.

Also check your old logins and remove all logins on devices you no longer have access to or don’t recognise.

Step #5  Account access

Regularly review who has access to your account and remove anyone who has moved on or should no longer have access.

Also review third-party apps connected to your account. Remove old and unnecessary apps or manage their access to your information.

Step #6  Keep your operating system and software up-to-date

Make sure to keep your operating system and software up-to-date, including your web browser, antivirus, and other security software. Regularly updating these components will protect you from known security vulnerabilities and improve the overall security of your system.

Step #7  DO NOT click on suspicious links

Hackers often use links to gain access to your Facebook account. Avoid clicking on suspicious links sent via DM and/or email – from Meta, an unknown source or even your trusted friends as they could have been hacked. And especially not if they contain a message urging you to click.

Phishing is rampant these days and the scammers are getting cleverer by the day; it’s all too easy to fall prey to something that looks too good to be true. If in doubt, do not click! And, if sent via email, check the full sender’s email – often the scammers don’t even bother to cover the actual email address – which could look totally suspicious or could look plausible but will have something odd about the address like an extra part to the domain like this “mail.nzpost.co.nz”.

You can check legitimate Facebook emails by going to your Password & Security settings and selecting Recent emails under Security checks.

Step #8  Don’t share password details

These are common are where hackers try to trick you into revealing your login credentials or other sensitive information. Don’t respond to emails or messages requesting your password or other login details.

Step #9  Log out of your account after use

Always log out of your Facebook account after using it, especially if you’re using a shared or public computer.

Step #10  Large following? Consider hiding

You might want to hide your Friends and Followers on your personal profile if you have a large number of them. You can do this by going to your account settings, scroll down to Audience and visibility and manage who can see your Friends and Followers. This is particularly important for profiles that get impersonated as it looks very enticing to a scammer to be able to act as you and try to scam your entire network.

You can also “lock” your profile so that only your friends can see your shared information and posts. Go to your account settings and scroll down to Audience and visibility to see 'Profile locking'.

Let’s connect!

Make sure you’re following my Facebook,  Instagram and LinkedIn page to stay up to date with all things social media marketing.

Turn on Your 2-Factor Authentication Now!

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If I could only share one single tip with marketers and business owners around the world, it would be to enable 2 factor-authentication across your most important accounts, right now. I have heard so many stories of Facebook Page’s being lost because someone was able to hack into an Admin’s email.

Why is 2-Factor Authentication so important?

It’s far easier than you think for someone to steal your password. Common actions like using the same password on more than one site, downloading software from the internet, or even clicking on links in emails can put you at risk of having your password stolen. There are a variety of harmful things a hacker can do once they gain access to your account. First and foremost they will lock you out of your own account. By having the 2 factor authentication in place means hackers can’t get into your account, even if they have the password.

How It works

If you set up two-factor authentication, you'll be asked to enter a special login code or confirm your login attempt each time someone tries accessing Facebook or Google from a browser or mobile device isn’t recognised. This login code will be sent to your phone via text, voice call or through the sites mobile app. You can also enable either Facebook or Google to send you alerts when someone tries logging in from a browser or mobile device that the site doesn’t recognise.

There are slight differences in the way each website’s 2-factor authentication works. It's best to follow these links and the instructions they give when setting them up.

For Google Accounts

For Facebook Accounts

Don’t lose control of your Facebook page that you have worked so hard to build. Make everyone who is an Admin on your Facebook page use 2-Factor authentication. It takes less than a minute, do it today.

 

What is the Facebook Pixel?

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Are You Considering Advertising on Facebook?

Then you need to know about the Facebook Pixel

If you’re using Facebook ads or you plan to use them in the future - this is the one key tool you should start using right away.

The Facebook pixel is code that you place on your website that helps you measure the effectiveness of your Facebook marketing campaigns by understanding what users do on your site. The Facebook tracking pixel data helps ensure your ads are seen by the people who are most likely to take your desired action.

The Facebook Pixel is generated within your Facebook Ads Manager account. The default pixel will help you in three main areas:

  • Conversion Tracking: identifies conversions to Facebook traffic (e.g. conversions could be a download of a PDF, a video watched, email link clicked or a sale on ecommerce website).
  • Optimisation: After installation, you can set up automatic bidding to target people who are more likely to convert.
  • Remarketing: Create custom audiences based on groups of users who came from certain ads or, for example, added a product to the cart but didn’t purchase or those that watched a video. Then you can show your ads to such audiences. It also gives you the option to create lookalike audiences

Facebook Pixel - Option to Create Lookalike Audiences

Facebook can use its targeting data to help you build a lookalike audience of people who have similar likes, interests, and demographics to people who are already interacting with your website. This can help expand your potential customer base.

Even if you’re not using Facebook ads yet, you should install the Facebook pixel now. It will start collecting data right away so that you don’t have to start from scratch when you’re ready to create your first Facebook ad.

You Can Use the Facebook Pixel to Collect Data on an "Event"

An “event” is simply a specified action that a visitor takes on your website, like making a purchase. Facebook has 17 predefined standard events and can be used to log conversions, optimise for conversions and build audiences

  1. Facebook has predefined a set of 17 standard events.
  2. You can set up custom events yourself.

Facebook Pixel Standard Events

The standard Facebook pixel events for which you can simply copy and paste standard Facebook event code are:

Website action Description Standard event code
Add payment info Customer payment information during a checkout process. For example, a person clicks on a button to save their billing information. fbq('track', 'AddPaymentInfo');
Add to cart The addition of an item to a shopping cart or basket. For example, clicking an Add to Cart button on a website. fbq('track', 'AddToCart');
Add to wishlist The addition of items to a wishlist. For example, clicking an Add to Wishlist button on a website. fbq('track', 'AddToWishlist');
Complete registration A form completed by a customer in exchange for a service provided by your business. For example, signing up for an email subscription. fbq('track', 'CompleteRegistration');
Contact A telephone, SMS, email, chat or other type of contact between a customer and your business. fbq('track', 'Contact');
Customise product The customisation of products through a configuration tool or other application your business owns. fbq('track', 'CustomizeProduct');
Donate The donation of funds to your organisation or cause. fbq('track', 'Donate');
Find location When a person finds one of your locations via web, with an intention to visit. For example, searching for a product and finding it at one of your local stores. fbq('track', 'FindLocation');
Initiate checkout The start of a checkout process. For example, clicking a Checkout button. fbq('track', 'InitiateCheckout');
Lead A submission of information by a customer with the understanding that they may be contacted at a later date by your business. For example, submitting a form or signing up for a trial. fbq('track', 'Lead');
Purchase The completion of a purchase, usually signified by receiving order or purchase confirmation, or a transaction receipt. For example, landing on a Thank You or confirmation page. fbq('track', 'Purchase', {value: 0.00, currency: 'USD'});
Schedule The booking of an appointment to visit one of your locations. fbq('track', 'Schedule');
Search A search performed on your website, app or other property. For example, product or travel searches. fbq('track', 'Search');
Start trial The start of a free trial of a product or service you offer. For example, trial subscription. fbq('track', 'StartTrial', {value: '0.00', currency: 'USD', predicted_ltv: '0.00'});
Submit application The submission of an application for a product, service or program you offer. For example, a credit card, educational program or job. fbq('track', 'SubmitApplication');
Subscribe The start of a paid subscription for a product or service you offer. fbq('track', 'Subscribe', {value: '0.00', currency: 'USD', predicted_ltv: '0.00'});
View content A visit to a web page you care about. For example, a product or landing page. View content tells you if someone visits a web page's URL, but not what they do or see on that web page. fbq('track', 'ViewContent’);

Facebook Pixel Custom Events

You can use custom events in place of standard events, or to collect more details than Facebook pixel standard events can provide.

For instant, you could use Facebook pixel tracking to record views of a specific category on your website, instead of tracking all views. Perhaps you want to separate kitchen renovation interest from bathroom repairs based on which sections of your building company's website they viewed. Or you could filter all purchases to measure just those of women’s shoes over $40.

Custom events use URL rules based on specific URLS or URL keywords - this extra code is called parameters.

These allow you to customise the standard events based on:

  • How much a conversion event is worth
  • Currency
  • Content type, or ID
  • Basket contents

You can learn more about custom conversions in this Facebook help article.

Your Facebook Organic Page Reach is Declining

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How Does the Facebook Algorithm Work?

Each user’s News Feed is like the front page of a personalised newspaper. It includes recent popular updates both from their personal Facebook friends and from the businesses they follow.

If Facebook displayed every single update, users would be overwhelmed by the mountain of content. Instead, Facebook uses an algorithm to predict what each user will find most interesting. In other words, the more popular the content is, the more likely your fans will see it.

The algorithm’s job is to determine how much power a particular post has.
The number-one factor is engagement. If the algorithm sees lots of people engaging with your post, then the algorithm shows the post to more people.

Your post gets some initial reach in the first few seconds. Maybe 1% of your fans or friends see it. If that engagement is high, more people will see the post.

The number-two factor is the content. If other people are interested in the content of your post, it gets a bit of a bump. This includes:

  • The number of people interacting with the post
  • The number of reactions, comments, and shares
  • Posts coming from friends or family

Engagements also have relative power. An example of relative power is when a story appears in your News Feed because one of your friends liked, shared, or commented on it.

Low Engagement with a User

The Facebook algorithm gives credit to Pages who have received feedback from a particular user (posts, comments, likes, tags, and shares).  So, if a user consistently interacts with a page, more page posts are likely to show up on that user’s page.  However, if a user rarely interacts with a page, the opposite is true, and page posts tend to be rarely seen by a particular user. Therefore, a Fan may be reading, even enjoying, your page posts, but unless they engage with you, your posts will not end up in their News Feed.

That’s why your job is not only to post content regularly, but figure out what kinds of updates will get your fans to do something. The more you can inspire your fans to click 'Like' on your updates, to leave comments, or to click 'Share' to spread your words to their friends, the better your 'reach' numbers will be.

Then it becomes a cycle; you post content that gets 'Likes' and comments, appears in News Feeds, increasing the chance of more Interactions.

Tactics to Mitigate the Facebook Algorithm

Here are some tactics to help with your organic reach:

  • Ask questions in your post - aim for closed-ended questions, those with a yes/no true/false type answer so your audience doesn't have to think too hard
  • After you post, like your post
  • If you have another Facebook page, share your post to this page, if appropriate.
  • Respond to every single comment, preferably with ANOTHER question for the commenter to make them comment again.
  • When you respond to comment, tag the person in it for extra notification on their homepage.
  • Click 'like' on every comment, even your own.
  • Post when your fans are online (your Facebook Insights will show you this)
Reply comments Facebook Cre8ive Marketing
Example of the Business Page Admin replying to a customer which has lead to the customer replying to this comment.

Essentially you want to make it appear there’s a ton of 'activity' happening on your post, and Facebook will reward your efforts with more organic reach, in other words, increased reach into people’s News Feed.

BONUS - if you achieve a good organic reach for a post, it will impact positively on the next post. On the other hand, a post with low engagement will negatively impact the subsequent post. That is why you are better to have one dynamite posts than many low-engaging posts.

Content that your Fans Love

There’s no substitute for content that is of value to your fans to increase your reach and engagement. Stop posting content that you think is important and instead focus on what your Fans want to see. Although Facebook's algorithm is skewed to show more posts from friends than business pages, you can still get around it with good content. Here is an example from Lululemon who consistently post informative, interesting posts for their fans.

Cre8ive Dunedin Facebook Post content fans love

Show Your Human Side

People don’t do business with businesses - they do business with people. Make sure you profile your staff, customers and other personal sides to you and your organisation. Take this example that Nadia Lim, the New Zealand celebrity chef, entrepreneur, food writer and television personality posted on her Facebook Page to celebrate Father’s Day that gained excellent traction with engagement levels.
Cre8ive Dunedin Facebook Post engagement Tips Algorithm
If you employ these tactics in your overall Facebook strategy, your Page will be in a better position to maximise as much organic reach as possible. And remember, if you have an important message that needs to be seen by your Fans - you need to pay! Facebook is no different to paying for an advert on the radio, TV or newspaper.

Should You Upload Your Video to Facebook or YouTube?

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The world’s largest social media marketing resource, Social Media Examiner® helps millions of businesses discover how to best use social media to connect with customers, drive traffic, generate awareness, and increase sales. They offer original and comprehensive articles, expert interviews, original research, and the news businesses need to improve their social media marketing.

They received a variety of feedback from their fan base - some were shocked and disappointed as they don’t view YouTube as a social platform. However, most applauded the move because they don't watch videos on Facebook. Instead, YouTube is their preferred place.

Founder Michael Stelzner likes to use this analogy “it’s kind of like putting a TV show on a highway and expecting people to watch it as they go zipping by. And Facebook is a highway"

The Results

They published the behind-the-scenes documentary called "The Journey" exclusively on YouTube. It's their ongoing story about how they market. Each show is about 7 minutes long and offers a peek into the real struggles and discoveries made by their marketing team.Their results showed that on YouTube, about 50% of the people who watch each episode actually make it to the end. That is exceptional compared to Facebook, which is almost always less than 1% for the exact same content.
The misleading part:
It "looks" like a lot more people are watching on Facebook because the view counts are deceptive. Facebook counts what's really a drive-by impression of 3 seconds as a view. On YouTube, a view is 30 seconds or more (although this has recently been changed to 10 seconds.)If you receive 5000 video views on Facebook and 1% make it to the end, that's 50 people. If you get 1000 views on YouTube and 50% make it to the end, that's 500. That's a 10x improvement and the Social Media Examiner team decided they would rather have 500 people make it to the end, not 50.

 

YouTube is where people prefer to watch videos that are longer than a few minutes. Here’s what a typical video’s retention looks like for Social Media Examiner on Facebook:

This pattern they witnessed over and over.

Despite the fact that Social Media Examiner has a significant fan base of 534,000 on Facebook and a small but growing one on YouTube (23,000), the data is clear. It's YouTube for the the long-form video content from now on for them.

Breaking News From Facebook – the End of the Newsfeed as We Know It

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Mark Zuckerberg announced on the 11 January 2018 that significant changes to the Newsfeed are about to be implemented over the next few weeks. The focus being on posts from friends and family shown over businesses and publishers: "..prioritize posts that spark conversations and meaningful interactions between people."  The key here being people and no mention of organisations.

As for the future of the Facebook Newsfeed, Zuckerberg states users will see "less public content, including videos and other posts from publishers or businesses." See Mark's Facebook post below revealing this latest, significant update that will impact ALL businesses and organisations who use Facebook as a marketing tool to reach fans.

Mark Zuckerberg announces the end of the newsfeed for businesses as we know it

Due to the declining space availability in the Newsfeed, Facebook states that it wants to focus on "showing more posts from friends and family and updates that spark conversation means we’ll show less public content, including videos and other posts from publishers or businesses."

Interestingly, when I shared this article on my personal Facebook page a friend commented how relieved she was that "Facebook listened" about how she was sick of seeing "sponsored ads" in her newsfeed. Many like her will be thinking the same -  they don't realise that it's the organic reach that Facebook is severely cutting back on. They certainly aren't reducing paid advertising. Now, more than ever, Facebook is a "pay to play" platform.
facebook announcement zero organic reach

What Will Be the Impact on Business Facebook Pages?

This latest announcement has caused a huge stir in the social media marketing world. And so it should.  ALL Pages will notice a significant drop in organic reach as Facebook clearly states "As we make these updates, Pages may see their reach, video watch time and referral traffic decrease."

We have seen a declining organic reach for the past few years, with reach dropping from about 16% to 2% with speculation rife that it would drop even further, potentially to 0%.

Develop New Strategies

Let's be 100% clear about this annoucement - Facebook is effectively deprioritising business' posts. There are some who say it won't matter as much as the hype leads us to believe - we just need to "post relevant content and generate meaningful conversations" However, most businesses don't actually understand what this means and have been getting it wrong for awhile now. It's absolutely critical for businesses and organisations to develop a Facebook strategy that covers how to get around the algorithm - and that businesses will have to 'pay to play.'

Your emphasis must absolutely now be on posting highly relevant, entertaining content that appeals to your target market and definitely do not use 'engagement-baiting' techniques. Any posts that have a 'passive experience' in other words, no interaction from Fans, will definitely lead to no organic reach and will impact negatively on future posts. Properly understanding how the Newsfeed and algorithm works is vital. According to leading Social Media Expert, Micheal Stelzner part of this update will affect the strategy of linking to your blog from Facebook "The days of traffic from the Newsfeed to blog posts are dead."

If you have engaged a social media company or individual to manage your Facebook Page, and, if they haven't been in touch, make sure you initiate a meeting to discuss a revised strategy for your Page. Don't have a social media company? We offer consultancy, private training or you can attend a Facebook Group Training Session coming up in February 2018 in Dunedin.

If you want further information or advice on what to do for your Facebook Page, you can email philippa@cre8ive.co.nz

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What Works: Positive or Negative Superlatives in Headlines?

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Do you want to write more effective headlines?

A superlative is an adjective of the highest kind, quality, or order; surpassing all else or others. It indicates the greatest degree of the quality that the adjective describes. Best is the superlative form of good; fastest is the superlative form of fast.

Superlatives - words like best, biggest, greatest - can be effective in headlines. But it turns out that negative superlatives (like least) can be even more powerful.

In a study of 65,000 titles, Outbrain compared positive superlative headlines, negative superlatives headlines and no superlative headlines. The study found that headlines with positive superlatives performed 29% worse and headlines with negatives performed 30% better. The average click-through rate on headlines with negative superlatives was 63% higher than with positive ones.

positive vs negative superlatives in headlines

There are a few theories on why this might be:

  • Positive superlatives may have become cliched through overuse, which leads to them being ignored.
  • It may be that negatives are more intriguing because they're unexpected and surprising.
  • Negatives also tap into our insecurities in a powerful way. Using negative words like "stop", "avoid," and "don't" often work because everyone wants to find out if there's something they're doing that they shouldn't.
  • Negative terms are more likely to be viewed as authentic and genuine.

In terms of news headlines, you are more likely to click on headlines like: "The worst economic dip in 30 years," "Unemployment numbers have never been lower," and "10 Ways Facebook is destroying your life."

Key Takeaways

When it comes to headlines, negative prevails over positive.

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