If you’re a social media marketer, you’ve most likely already panicked about changes to Facebook’s Newsfeed algorithm that have resulted in massive drops in the amount of organic reach a post from your brand page will receive in your fans’ news feeds. In fact, many people are angry that it is now necessasry to pay to receive visibility with fans they have already aquired.

However, as an excellent post from Techcrunch demonstrated, Facebook has not made made organic reach impossible, they have just made it slightly more complex and calculated.

Although the updates will undoubtedly result in increased ad revenue for Facebook, it’s important to see that these updates have been made to improve the quality of content in the newsfeed, in order to save Facebook from losing users. Some might even draw a parallel between the evolution of the Facebook algorithm and that of Google’s search algorithm, which has come a long way on its way to showing users more and more relevant content.

How can social promotions help?

Facebook isn’t looking to prevent all organic reach with the updates to its Newsfeed algorithm; it’s just looking to be more careful with what users see. As Nathan Mendenhall explains, the content you share must be:

• original, (not just re-shared from another page)
• not “spammy” (misleading links that trick users)
• not “like-bait” (actively encouraging users to like a post)

Social promotions are original content
Strutta users have employed our platform to create some of the most unique and original promotions on Facebook, and so can you. Promotions are unique topics for content shares, and help you to break out of the cycle of re-sharing content others may have already posted.

Social promotions (shouldn’t be) spammy
Although it’s only fair to admit that social promotions can be run in a way that users might consider spammy, this certainly isn’t the way to do so that will garner the best results for your brand. Social promotions that bring the best fan engagement have a solid value-proposition for fans by way of a desireable prize or strong accompanying offer, and should be followed-up with authentic engagement with those who choose to enter.

Strutta social promotions aren’t like-bait
After changes to Facebook’s Page Guidelines, brands are allowed to run promotions where entrants are selected randomly from those who “like” a particular post or the Facebook Page in question. However, with this Newsfeed algorithm update, posts that encourage users to like, comment or share will inevitably receive less visibility, greatly reducing the value of that promotion. Since users enter Strutta promotions through Apps, Tabs, Microsites and Hashtags, it won’t be necessary to decrease your chances of visibility by explaining to users how to enter your promotion.

Social promotions encourage user sharing When running a sweepstakes-style promotion on the Strutta platform, it’s possible to reward participants with additional entries when their friends enter your promotion as a result of their share on Facebook or other social networks. (For Strutta users, select Entry Process, then check the box under Sharing Incentive.)

We can’t live with it, but we can’t live without it

Some brands have chosen to cast-off Facebook as a brand touchpoint in protest of the changes to the Newsfeed algorithm, however, don’t throw in the towel just yet. Take the changes as a chance to be introspective about the content you post to Facebook and the campaigns you run on social media: will users love your content, and be inspired to click, re-share or like?

If you don’t think your current content will resonate with your audience, gain inspiration from what Strutta users have accomplished, and take a look at our DIY Promotion Builder, signing up is free.

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