If you are familiar with Facebook’s newsfeed, you are aware that it uses algorithms to determine which people see from the posts on your page and when. This powerful algorithms is updated regularly. Since these Facebook newsfeed updates may change the way you and your page appear in your audience’s newsfeeds, here is a recap of the newly released updates, for you to adjust accordingly.
First, let’s see how Facebook personalizes the users’ newsfeeds. It uses 4 indications in its algorithm to create personal news-feeds to each user (who posted the update & when, the interaction it generates and the type of content). Each update gets a value score depending on the viewers. This score is then used to decide the order they will appear to on the news-feeds:
More precisely, Facebook uses 2 different signals to determine what your audience should see from you in their newsfeed: who should see the publications from your page and who should not. Firstly, personal signals focus on what the Facebook user is seeing. This specific user will see updates related to the people they interact the most with. The universal signals on the other hand, focus on what updates users post on their wall/page and the overall engagement rates it generates (likes, comments and shares).
Here are Facebook newsfeed update details:
Facebook Newsfeed Updates #1: keep it real
The first recent Facebook newsfeed update concerns the universal signals. It’s related to your page and what you post on it. Facebook main concerns are your “authenticity.” It can now determine if you and your updates as quality, are what they call “authentics” or not. If you are not, then it is time to change. Being authentic means you don’t try to fool the system. For example, don’t directly ask to like or comment your post.
Don’t either post fake news or content you know will receive bad reactions (but still reaction, meaning you create good engagement rates out of this) as users are more likely to hide/report them. And Facebook will be even more aware of that now. We recommend you publish interesting content that will generate genuine interaction with your audience instead. Your page will get a better ranking this way.
Facebook Newsfeed Updates #2: Go Live
Keep in mind that Facebook algorithms are running in each user’s background to analyze its points of interest and display more accurate content in its newsfeed. With this second update, Facebook will pay more attention to that process. It will now check the real time update’s subject more specifically and their engagement rates. This means your audience will see more of your page’s updates if they:
- are related to a popular subject at the same moment they are connected on Facebook (for example if they are connected while the Super Bowl’s final game is aired on TV and people are broadly talking about it, obviously).
- get a high rate of engagement at this moment as well (like several of your followers getting into a big debate on your page updates to whether the winning team deserves it).
These new updates means that, even though you don’t have to publish everything instantly of course, you should be ready to go live when it is more relevant for your e-commerce activity in order to gain visibility with your followers. We know it is not always easy to do so, but if you can, try to plan ahead when your updates should be released on your page. Facebook and other scheduling tools can do it for you.
Now you know a little bit more about these new Facebook’s updates, your e-commerce will be able to gain more visibility. But keep in mind that you will be able to do so if the content on your page is interesting and brings genuinely high engagement rates. Finally, try to adapt it to the real time events going on.