Are users getting tired of Facebook? What does that do to your Marketing Strategy? According to some recent studies, more people are taking a break or dropping Facebook altogether.
From the Pew Research Center:
“42% of Facebook users surveyed took a break from the site in the past year”
Find the whole Pew Research Center report here: “Americans are changing their relationship with Facebook”
So what does that mean for marketers?
While we feel a Facebook business page is still necessary for most businesses, these new statistics should reinforce the age-old advice to “never put all your eggs in one (digital) basket”. At the same time, make sure you are optimizing the online space you “own” (a website and a blog).
As we head into the 4th quarter of this year and make plans for next year, now is the time to test a few new platforms and/or Facebook features to see if one of them adds more reach or engagement to your existing Facebook presence.
Let’s go over 4 ways to adapt your Facebook marketing strategy:
- Focus on Facebook features that are working for others (Video, Groups, Stories, Ads)
- Use Facebook-owned Apps that are growing (Instagram and Messenger)
- Add a new social platform to expand your digital marketing strategy
- Optimize the online space you “own” (an email list, your website, a blog or resource center)
1. Focus on Facebook’s Built-in Features: Video, Groups, Stories, Ads
Video is big on Facebook, and with a well thought-out strategy, you could see more reach and engagement with:
- Live-streaming on Facebook
- Posting short videos on your Page (then using snippets in Stories)
- Putting together a weekly show (since Watch parties have been rolled out to Facebook Groups)
A Facebook Group attached to your business page is another way to stay top-of-mind with your target audience. Facebook recently announced the rollout of its pixel tool to Groups, so that means you may soon be able to promote Group posts to all members.
Facebook is planning on putting more focus on its Stories, as Mark Zuckerberg stressed (on the Quarter 3 earnings call) “that sharing is shifting to private chat, where people send 100 billion messages per day on Facebook’s family of apps, and Stories, where he says people share 1 billion of these slideshows per day…” If you haven’t considered this type of “ephemeral” or disappearing content in your marketing strategy, now may be the time.
Facebook advertising is still a budget-friendly option for small business owners, and a monthly spend to promote your blog, special promotions, or free giveaways can drive traffic to your website or landing page.
2. Use Facebook-owned Apps: Instagram and Messenger
Instagram is the rising star among social platforms, and since it’s owned by Facebook, it is easy to integrate content and share Instagram posts and Stories to your Facebook Page. Start with posting some eye-catching visuals (always using hashtags), then expand into Stories and live-streaming if that suits your brand.
Messenger is also owned by Facebook and can be one of the main forms of communication through your business Page; or you may want to test the use of a ChatBot through Messenger.
A ChatBot can answer basic questions from users and also deliver a “freebie” in exchange for getting on your list of contacts. You may find this form of communication more successful for your brand than traditional email.
3. Add a New Social Platform to the mix:
Adding another social platform for specific business goals may pick up the slack where your Facebook Page reach is declining.
To drive more traffic to your blog (as long as you’re blogging on a regular basis), test out Pinterest or Twitter.
You could also re-publish your blog posts on LinkedIn’s blogging platform, or use a “teaser” post on LinkedIn publishing to send people to your blog for the full article.
LinkedIn is re-working their Groups, with a promise of better integration on the main feed, so keep an eye on the updates (we’ll keep you updated as well!) to see if the new Group functions will work for your business.
YouTube is still one of the top social sites, and if you can create how-to videos or helpful/entertaining videos for your brand, this platform could be big for you.
4. Optimize your Owned Space:
Our advice to clients has remained the same over the past few years as things in digital marketing continue to change:
- Make sure your website and blog are optimized and consistently updated
- Build an email list of your best prospects/customers*
- Create content in a variety of formats that can be shared on different social media platforms; but “host” that content on your blog and/or resource pages
*An email list is another great way to keep in touch with your target audience, so if you haven’t yet done so, create a piece of free content you can offer in exchange for someone’s email address. (Pay attention to privacy laws and GDPR guidelines in your email marketing programs.)
Summary
Social media strategy and digital marketing plans are long-term investments, but in the short-term, it’s also important to stay flexible in your approach to adapt to a continually changing online world.
While Facebook continues to be the largest social platform with an incredible user base, it may be time for your business to expand your online presence instead of focusing solely on Facebook.
Use one or more of the ideas in this post as a way to adapt to Facebook Pages’ declining reach.
Need some help coming up with a new Facebook marketing strategy? We offer a Free Consultation to learn more about your business and then give you the next best steps. Click here to contact us to get on the schedule!
[updated 11-8-18]
About Terry League