Now that I have argued how Facebook has – and will continue to – gradually “un-like” your radio brand by blocking more of your content from the news feeds of fans who “like” your page, it’s time for me to remind you why Facebook is not only a great place for you to invest effort, but one you could do a lot more with.
I argued that you should invest more effort in building your own email list – and indeed you should. But is this sufficient?
No.
Here’s why you still need Facebook: Because that’s where everybody is and that’s where everybody shares.
Even my post critical of Facebook was shared hundreds of times – on Facebook!
Good luck getting your fans to share your emails with each other. But in the Facebook world sharing doesn’t just come naturally, it’s really the whole point of the exercise.
And don’t forget, you may love the look and feel of your fan page, but Facebook is increasingly mobile – and in that world it’s all about the news feed. The fan page will increasingly become an island of misfit vanity posts.
While Facebook is biased against more and more of your content, that’s because their algorithm tells them that more and more of your content is less and less engaging to your fans. And the less engaging your content is to your Facebook fans, the more it suits the business goals of Facebook to block it.
Who wants to spend time in a cluttered block of non-involving messages? Not Facebook fans – and not yours either – just ask them during the next commercial break.
The consequence is that “bad” content gets blocked or its distribution must be purchased for a cost inversely proportional to its quality. Don’t you wish all bad advertising was more expensive than good advertising? Your fans sure do.
So the lesson for your brand is this: Create better content and then spread it through Facebook.
“Better” means stuff that people value and share and like.
“What is that,” you ask?