JULY / 2014
N AV I G AT I N G T H E NEW ERA OF FAC E B O O K
FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW, BRANDS HAVE BEEN ACCUSTOMED TO THE PERKS OF ORGANIC REACH ON THE FACEBOOK PLATFORM. WE ADAPTED NEW TOOLS AND TERMINOLOGY RELATING SPECIFICALLY TO ADVERTISING ON FACEBOOK, INCLUDING ENGAGEMENT, BRAND PAGES, AND A NEW CREATIVE CANVAS COMPRISED OF APPS AND CUSTOM BUILDS. ALL OF THIS WAS PREDICATED ON THE POSSIBILITY FOR ORGANIC REACH.
BUT NOW, AS FACEBOOK SHIFTS ITS NEWSFEED ALGORITHMS TO ADJUST FOR THE MASSIVE AMOUNT OF CONTENT IT FEEDS TO USERS, WE ARE WITNESSING A STRATEGIC SHIFT AWAY FROM ORGANIC REACH AND TOWARDS PAID REACH, WHICH BEGS THE QUESTION: HOW HAS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR BRANDS EVOLVED ON FACEBOOK, AND HOW CAN WE ADAPT?
HERE IS A BRIEF OVERVIEW: YOUR CREATIVE CANVAS IS NOW A :15 VIDEO. Facebook has clearly hinted that the new creative canvas for brands should be about images and videos, particularly the :15 video format. And no, this is not an invitation from Facebook to begin slapping traditional TV ads into the newsfeed. Rather, they are inviting custom created content that abides by the usual rules of branded social media – entertain me, educate me, and add value.
YOU NEED TO PAY FOR PEOPLE TO SEE IT. Paid support of Facebook content is no longer just encouraged; now, it’s a requirement. This shouldn’t come as any surprise, as the earned reach model has been on its way out for some time.
GET CREATIVE...
...AND GET SMART WITH TARGETING. At 1.28B monthly active users, Facebook is still the most widely used social media platform, and with its vast user data, it has the potential to rival Google in its targeting capabilities. For instance, using a creative and scientific approach to Facebook targeting, it would be possible for a home improvement company to target users who have been browsing real estate content, or for a shoe company to identify users who have been posting about an upcoming marathon.
CONSIDERING THESE DEVELOPMENTS ON THE FACEBOOK PLATFORM, HERE ARE THE STEPS YOUR BRAND TEAM CAN TAKE TO PREPARE FOR A NEW FACEBOOK ERA, ONE IN WHICH PAID POSTS ARE THE ONLY PATH TO GUARANTEED REACH
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STEP 1: REFLECT This is as good a time as any to take a step back and reflect upon your brand’s earned-first Facebook strategy and the equities you have as a result. In order to fully capitalize on the unique demographic data that Facebook can provide, brands will need a better understanding of the assets they have already accrued on the platform, generally consisting of:
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A STRONG FAN BASE. The beauty of your brand’s Facebook community is that every single person liked the page on their own accord. These people shouldn’t be forgotten about and it is in your brand’s best interest to learn as much as possible about these people and why they follow the brand. You may learn that these people should be calculated into future targeting efforts.
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AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE TYPES OF CONTENT THAT DELIVER RESULTS. An earned-first Facebook strategy is a grind; there is a constant fine-tuning of the brand’s strategy and content in order to deliver results. The endurance built up during this process will serve your brand well in the new era of Facebook.
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A PULSE OF THE CONSUMER BASE. Facebook has opened a direct line of communication between consumers and your brand, effectively illuminating your consumers’ concerns, needs and desires.
STEP 2: REDEFINE The demise of earned reach also means that your team needs to redefine:
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THE APPROACH. It’s no longer earned. It it’s paid.
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THE SUCCESS METRICS. They are no longer engagement and fan acquisition; they are now trials and conversions.
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THE AUDIENCE. It’s not your fans (although you should take a long, hard look at who your fans are to help define your new audience); it’s your best potential customer.
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THE CONTENT It’s not about engaging existing fans; it’s about resonating with a narrow consumer base.
STEP 3: RESTRUCTURE In order to transition into the new era of Facebook, your brand team will need to restructure around:
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RENEWED CONTENT CALENDARS. Many brands won’t be able to support all seven planned posts per week under a paidonly structure; the good news, however, is that you don’t have to. In this new era, Facebook is telling brands that it is more important to post great creative that resonates with a specific audience rather than just posting for the sake of generating content.
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NARROWER TARGETING. Start working with your digital strategy and planning teams. Together you can begin to evaluate the equities from your Facebook efforts to date, the opportunities to engage with key audiences on the platform, and the new approach to the channel.
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RENEWED CONTENT STRATEGY. Leveraging the learnings from your earnedfirst content strategy, your team will need to refocus content around the new audience with tighter messaging that speaks to their needs. Similar to an earned-first approach, you should continue to experiment with different types of paid content using efficient tactics like A/B testing and dark posting.
FACEBOOK’S SHIFT AWAY FROM EARNED REACH HAS PROVEN FRUSTRATING FOR MANY BRANDS, AND SOME HAVE GIVEN UP ON THE PLATFORM ALTOGETHER. HOWEVER, IT IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT FACEBOOK PROVIDES AN UNPARALLELED OPPORTUNITY TO REACH CONSUMERS WHERE THEY ARE MOST ACTIVE. AND FOR MARKETERS WHO CHOOSE TO USE THE PLATFORM IN THIS WAY, FACEBOOK PROMISES TO OFFER BEST IN CLASS TARGETING CAPABILITIES.
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