One Sneaky Trick to Defeat Facebook Page Algorithms
It’s no secret that Facebook keeps changing its analytics, and not for the better. In order to pay special attention to those page owners who pay for engagement, those who do not are struggling. Even if you have 5,000 subscribers, you may very well see some posts with a reach of only 250 or so.
Naturally, this is very frustrating, but there are practical reasons behind this, too. Facebook can only show posts to those online or with the right subscription settings. Still, it’s hard to run a page – and a business – when you’re constantly battling the Facebook page algorithms.
Especially for smaller pages, who has the money to throw at non-stop Facebook campaigns?
One way bloggers are adjusting to this change is by making groups for their pages or their cause, even for community-focused pages. When in the past you might create a page with different administrators to promote a cause or theme, you might now want to create a group.
What changes when you opt to go the group route?
- Less branding, more discussion
- Community development
- Themed-subject matter
- Less specific focus on you
That little part of our ego may feel crushed when we can't build a flashy group page with fancy opt-ins and use our own lives as the center of the discussion, but that should not diminish the appeal. Creating a community will generate greater contact between the users, which can pit you as more of a moderator instead of the sole content creator (a rather daunting and often draining task).
At the same time, you're positioning yourself as an authority. No longer are you "The Baking Goddess" or "SEO Tips for Clueless Consultants," but you are that guy or girl who knows about high altitude baking recipes or how to plan a Google marketing plan for your start-up.
You can further customize your settings to have a private or closed group, which allows for the creation of a very specific environment within which you can set your business up for success. Plus, you can rest easy knowing your page will be getting better traction while you create a more effective sense of community.
Suggestions for Facebook Group Success
- Bring a friend. Enlist the help of others in your general blogging niche to help bear the burden of what can become a very large group while still staying on point.
- Balance. Be sure to let people know how to update their settings so they aren't bombarded with too many messages all at once!
- Moderate right away. Set up a few guidelines for social success, include a few brief, but concise points about behavior.
- Pick a topic. Choose one of your interests to focus on instead of creating a more general group.
Creating a Facebook group can be the right trick for boosting your blog's current page readership, but it's not perfect for everyone. In fact, the average business must be very careful using this tactic so as not to seem to pushy or salesy. Be a community, be a resource.
A Quick Word: No one wants to be part of a group that spams the wall with posts about "20 Reasons Why Jones' Plumbing is the Best in Tulsa." Even if that same company decided to create a group about optimizing efficiency for plumbing standards in commercial buildings (or something similarly specific), that sort of professionally-focused group just might do better on LinkedIn compared to Facebook.
When done right, a Facebook group can really up the ante for your sluggish and too-quiet blog readership. Think over a few different topics you'd be passionate enough to discuss as part of a community, search to see what else exists, and perhaps even poll your readers to find what they'd really want to know. Focus on creating a place for discussions, but remember to promote relevant content and ask thought-provoking questions.
Who knows? Your group just might be that breath of fresh air both you and your readers need.