On January 12^th 2018, Facebook Founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, announced a major change to Facebook and it’s algorithm (See link). With the goal of improving users time and experience on the platform, the change aims to encourage greater and more meaningful interaction between friends and family. The announcement shocked many publishers and brands who invest heavily in Facebook, with the change set to have lasting ramifications on how brands use the platform.

Now Comms CEO, Kingston Lee-Young, was approached by CMO Australia to give his thoughts on what this announcement means for brands and for the changing landscape of Facebook (See article).

In the weeks since the announcement, Facebook has started to slowly roll out these changes, with an emphasis on an improved experience for friends, families, and groups.

So, what can brands do about the Facebook platform change?

The most important thing brands need to do is realise it’s a new world. They need to become part of the conversation and engage their users and customers. Gone are the days where brands could promote uninspiring branded content and expect strong engagement. At the end of January, Mark Zuckerberg was quoted saying “I believe that the time spent on Facebook will be more valuable. If people interact more, it should lead to stronger community.” This gives great opportunity for brands to own the conversation between their fans and the brand to build a community.

Brands can and will continue to use the ad platform of Facebook, but the emphasis will no longer be on their brands - the emphasis will be on their audiences. Brands will now be rewarded for starting and continuing conversations.

Here are 3 tips for what brand owners can do with their Facebook pages and activities:

1. Build Custom Audiences:

• Start leveraging email lists and consumer data.
• Create custom audiences and look-a-like groups.
• Give your brand pinpoint targeting when creating Facebook ads.

2. Use Facebook Groups:

• Mark Zuckerberg highlights the need to promote groups in his announcement, on the platform, there has been a big move to promote groups, which have higher organic engagement than pages.
• Create a niche group for your brand or support group for your product, which could give you greater insight into how your customers and audiences are feeling.

3. Tell a relatable story:

• Gone are the days where a brand could create a branded campaign that was broadly targeted. Consumers now want to feel special and feel like the message is personalised for them. So a create relatable story that consumers want to interact with and comment on.

As the digital ecosystem continues to grow so too does your business. If you have any questions on the changes to Facebook, or your business requires social support. Send an email to Now Comms Group at [email protected]