Is Facebook's Algorithm Update Hurting You? (20)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...ra-klein&clsrd

http://www.offervault.com/scoop/2013...gorithm-again/

http://www.theverge.com/2013/12/2/51...ews-over-memes

There's a few interesting articles on the algorithm change that was implemented about a week ago. I was wondering what you guys think about this and how you think this could potentially be utilized? For me, it's been an uphill battle. My revenue took a 90% hiy after day one. Fan pages and monetizing fans is the biggest piece of my business model. I drive them to the page with FB ads and monetize large niches from there. This is a huge kick in the jeans during the holiday rush. I've tinkered my approach heavily over the past few days to success though. I'll come back tomorrow and update with a follow along of sorts, but I wanted to see what you guys have experienced so far.

Thank you!

Hey man,

I saw a big drop in reach, I actually pulled my ads about a month ago to give the pages 'a break' and re think my strategy...I'll keep you posted...looking fw to your update

Huge drop in reach on my end as well. Posts don't go nearly as viral and that's how Facebook wants it. Honestly I have to say I seen it coming. Facebook's trying to siphon as much money as they can, however the price/reach ratio for the "boosted" posts is an absolute joke.

Okay, so I've gone from 10% of my original revenue to around 50% with a few sound strategies. The ticker is still moving upwards as I implement new strategies to conform to the new algorithm. A lot of this is mentioned by Facebook themselves, but I'll elaborate on what's working for me right now. Below is more of a tutorial than a walk through I suppose, but check it out if you're having issues. Everything below has been tested more than thoroughly.

1) It's time to spend more time timing posts. TIME: Okay, so we all know that timing was crucial in regards of optimizing a post or an ad's performance. It's absolutely critical now. I recently purchased Post Planner and had been posting more than liberally on all of my pages. I was coasting along with my sweet new software and more free time than ever. Every other hour. More during the hot hours. Your stance on spamming aside, it was working. When the new algorithm was implemented, this game plan immediately went out the window. Posting when your fans are online is pivitol now. With some fan page split testing (same demo, niche, age, and a close enough fan count), I would get over 60% more reach posting at the beginning of a hot hour. The difference has never been as noticeable for me.

2) How much are you posting? Cut that in half. If you're ramming your pages and spamming for ages, maybe consider a third of what you were posting. Facebook is doing everything they can to put an end to spam. This includes never giving your posts a fair shake if you're posting more than they see fit. A number has never been officially released as completely accurate, but I've seen 5 posts being considered a maximum by many. This rule goes hand in hand with number one.

3) Facebook says don't ask for likes and shares? My name's Mike and I don't care. OOOOH. After thousands of hours testing various combinations for posts, I will agree that asking for them can backfire. My experiences with different post types can be viewed at the bottom of this comment, as I don't want to stray that far from the original topic at hand. There's ways to get around this. I'll post them in a different comment to keep this organized.

4.) How serious was Facebook about making sure your about me is filled with data before posting? Way more than I ever could have guessed. Pump that thing full of content in as many categories as you can provide info for. The difference in reach is abnormally large.

5.) How many pages do you have that you post the same content to? Now may be your best bet to merge them together. one post on two pages won't give you the viral reach of one post on one page. Better yet, two posts on one page that are targeted differently. Put some space in between as well. This will guarantee your awesome post idea is seen by as many people as possible. Facebook searches high and low to see how many pages in the same demo are serving the same content as you. This is another reason for images doing better. Spending a little extra time to put your spin on the article visually could be enough to make you stand out from the pack, Jack.

6.) Like your own posts. Liking them will help them rise up your fan's timelines in quick fashion, so fasten your seat belt. What's that you smelt? Virallll (being dealt). It's a great way to help a post out that's starting to cap out the impressions FB is willing to hand out.

7.) Comment on your own posts. This is huge as well. Some of my accounts have been given the picture comment option. Look into this. Doing a giveaway for 100 free paperclips? Whip up an image of a paper clip with "ONLY 30 PAPER CLIPS LEFT!" written over it with some nice display font. Image comments are new and people pay attention to them. You're also promoting your offer more without wasting a post. The CTR on these image comments are huge for being only comments. Take advantage by spreading your word with a creative.

8.) Don't listen to her. It's all about size! Use the best image sizes for the space allotted and upload it as a .jpg. You're guaranteed to have used your space optimally and have the quickest loading times possible. I believe this helps with reach. Here's a good cheat sheet for ya: http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2013...eat-sheet.html

9.) Facebook now allows you to post a plethora of images in one post. They all display as thumbnails at the bottom of the post. What a perfect way to create a vote of some sort! This isn't available for all accounts yet but keep an eye open. Always try new features the second they become available to you. New stuff gets attention.

BEST POST VARIATIONS:

IMAGE ONLY: A great image is going to engage fans and become viral more than anything else available right now.

IMAGE + TEXT: With the above knowledge, we know that images get the most reach. So naturally, they're the best way to promote your link.

TEXT ONLY: When I have something short to say with a link attached, the tried and true text post gets more engagement than a thumbnail 80% of the time. Odd, right?

THUMBNAILS & TEXT, THUMBNAILS & NO TEXT: Despite Facebook favoring these heavily in the algorithm, they still don't go as viral as a good image (for me). Even with the improved size and ability to upload your own image. I'd bet that your post would perform better as an image post with text and a link up top.

But Facebook wants us to all be BuzzFeed writers utilizing the art of captivating headlines! How about throwing that image into paint and putting the headline on the top of your image with a sexy font? That's far more visually appealing and it's going to catch the most eyes.

So image posts are what I stand by, how does that help you promote your product? You can tell them to check our your Facebook page in text on the image. If you're feeling a little black hat, you can wait for it to go viral and edit in your text afterwards. That's up to you.

This is all I have time for right now. I'll be back with a "part 2" tonight or tomorrow. Comment with any and all feedback! I'd love to hear if some of this works for you all.

Wow - awesome post and great timing for me personally, as I'm about to launch a bunch of new marketing efforts on FB.

When you say "5 posts" as the maximum number, I take it that's per day?

Originally Posted by caurmen

Wow - awesome post and great timing for me personally, as I'm about to launch a bunch of new marketing efforts on FB.

When you say "5 posts" as the maximum number, I take it that's per day?

Originally Posted by MJDUB

Huge drop in reach on my end as well. Posts don't go nearly as viral and that's how Facebook wants it. Honestly I have to say I seen it coming. Facebook's trying to siphon as much money as they can, however the price/reach ratio for the "boosted" posts is an absolute joke.

That "boost post" button is the equivalent of getting mugged in the street. It opts you in to every possible thing that will burn your money.

Has anyone has seen an update on this?
Mobile traffic grew a lot but desktop traffic dropped by almost 90%.

I have around 5M fans in different fanpages and took a bit hit on my earnings because of this.
And yes, boost post is like trowing a freezbie (full of money) into a tornado and hoping your dog catches it. The ROI is really low, so stick with targeting.

It sure as hell was good while it lasted!

I looked in the big fan pages but didnt noticed a big drop in likes/ shares / alexa of thier site

Any explanstion for that?

Originally Posted by delash

I looked in the big fan pages but didnt noticed a big drop in likes/ shares / alexa of thier site

Any explanstion for that?

Originally Posted by gozzo

Okay, so I've gone from 10% of my original revenue to around 50% with a few sound strategies. The ticker is still moving upwards as I implement new strategies to conform to the new algorithm. A lot of this is mentioned by Facebook themselves, but I'll elaborate on what's working for me right now. Below is more of a tutorial than a walk through I suppose, but check it out if you're having issues. Everything below has been tested more than thoroughly.

1) It's time to spend more time timing posts. TIME: Okay, so we all know that timing was crucial in regards of optimizing a post or an ad's performance. It's absolutely critical now. I recently purchased Post Planner and had been posting more than liberally on all of my pages. I was coasting along with my sweet new software and more free time than ever. Every other hour. More during the hot hours. Your stance on spamming aside, it was working. When the new algorithm was implemented, this game plan immediately went out the window. Posting when your fans are online is pivitol now. With some fan page split testing (same demo, niche, age, and a close enough fan count), I would get over 60% more reach posting at the beginning of a hot hour. The difference has never been as noticeable for me.

2) How much are you posting? Cut that in half. If you're ramming your pages and spamming for ages, maybe consider a third of what you were posting. Facebook is doing everything they can to put an end to spam. This includes never giving your posts a fair shake if you're posting more than they see fit. A number has never been officially released as completely accurate, but I've seen 5 posts being considered a maximum by many. This rule goes hand in hand with number one.

3) Facebook says don't ask for likes and shares? My name's Mike and I don't care. OOOOH. After thousands of hours testing various combinations for posts, I will agree that asking for them can backfire. My experiences with different post types can be viewed at the bottom of this comment, as I don't want to stray that far from the original topic at hand. There's ways to get around this. I'll post them in a different comment to keep this organized.

4.) How serious was Facebook about making sure your about me is filled with data before posting? Way more than I ever could have guessed. Pump that thing full of content in as many categories as you can provide info for. The difference in reach is abnormally large.

5.) How many pages do you have that you post the same content to? Now may be your best bet to merge them together. one post on two pages won't give you the viral reach of one post on one page. Better yet, two posts on one page that are targeted differently. Put some space in between as well. This will guarantee your awesome post idea is seen by as many people as possible. Facebook searches high and low to see how many pages in the same demo are serving the same content as you. This is another reason for images doing better. Spending a little extra time to put your spin on the article visually could be enough to make you stand out from the pack, Jack.

6.) Like your own posts. Liking them will help them rise up your fan's timelines in quick fashion, so fasten your seat belt. What's that you smelt? Virallll (being dealt). It's a great way to help a post out that's starting to cap out the impressions FB is willing to hand out.

7.) Comment on your own posts. This is huge as well. Some of my accounts have been given the picture comment option. Look into this. Doing a giveaway for 100 free paperclips? Whip up an image of a paper clip with "ONLY 30 PAPER CLIPS LEFT!" written over it with some nice display font. Image comments are new and people pay attention to them. You're also promoting your offer more without wasting a post. The CTR on these image comments are huge for being only comments. Take advantage by spreading your word with a creative.

8.) Don't listen to her. It's all about size! Use the best image sizes for the space allotted and upload it as a .jpg. You're guaranteed to have used your space optimally and have the quickest loading times possible. I believe this helps with reach. Here's a good cheat sheet for ya: http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2013...eat-sheet.html

9.) Facebook now allows you to post a plethora of images in one post. They all display as thumbnails at the bottom of the post. What a perfect way to create a vote of some sort! This isn't available for all accounts yet but keep an eye open. Always try new features the second they become available to you. New stuff gets attention.

BEST POST VARIATIONS:

IMAGE ONLY: A great image is going to engage fans and become viral more than anything else available right now.

IMAGE + TEXT: With the above knowledge, we know that images get the most reach. So naturally, they're the best way to promote your link.

TEXT ONLY: When I have something short to say with a link attached, the tried and true text post gets more engagement than a thumbnail 80% of the time. Odd, right?

THUMBNAILS & TEXT, THUMBNAILS & NO TEXT: Despite Facebook favoring these heavily in the algorithm, they still don't go as viral as a good image (for me). Even with the improved size and ability to upload your own image. I'd bet that your post would perform better as an image post with text and a link up top.

But Facebook wants us to all be BuzzFeed writers utilizing the art of captivating headlines! How about throwing that image into paint and putting the headline on the top of your image with a sexy font? That's far more visually appealing and it's going to catch the most eyes.

So image posts are what I stand by, how does that help you promote your product? You can tell them to check our your Facebook page in text on the image. If you're feeling a little black hat, you can wait for it to go viral and edit in your text afterwards. That's up to you.

This is all I have time for right now. I'll be back with a "part 2" tonight or tomorrow. Comment with any and all feedback! I'd love to hear if some of this works for you all.

1.) Liking and commenting as your page. Simple images with text work great in the comments. More people need to utilize commenting with an image. Get it in early to ensure it stays up top and you can use this approach for a lot of interesting angles.

2) Yeah the meta thumbnail isn't going to reach as many people organically as an image. Even if the image is the exact same.

3) Since December I've revamped and reworked every way I approached Facebook Advertising. There's so many new ways to innovate with the tools your given by Facebook that the sky is the limit if you're creative.

A 3am post of mine just brought in 80k organic views. The page had 15,558 fans when I posted it and now it has 22k and counting. That's without incentivizing a like or using cheap tactics.

My biggest piece of advice is the old saying "less is more". Post engaging and original content and you will be successful. Keep it short, simple, and unique. Never underestimate making a good image great by tossing it into your software of choice to clean it up and add a call to action.

A lot of pages are only reposting the virally proven stories but all of the updates Facebook has been implementing into the algorithm favor content creation more than anything else.

I've considered writing a lengthy guide with a noob walk through, advanced methods, and unique strategies to make shit happen regarding running a page and running ads as well. I'm not sure if I should or what I would do with it though. If anybody Is interested shoot me a message.

Originally Posted by gozzo

There's a few interesting articles on the algorithm change that was implemented about a week ago. I was wondering what you guys think about this and how you think this could potentially be utilized? For me, it's been an uphill battle. My revenue took a 90% hiy after day one. Fan pages and monetizing fans is the biggest piece of my business model. I drive them to the page with FB ads and monetize large niches from there. This is a huge kick in the jeans during the holiday rush. I've tinkered my approach heavily over the past few days to success though. I'll come back tomorrow and update with a follow along of sorts, but I wanted to see what you guys have experienced so far.

Thank you!

I'm in a similar situation. I made over $500k with organic traffic last year. I have a number of FB pages that have over one million fans. One of my posts got over 25 million views last September. It was great, but now the situation is difficult. My revenue has dropped to minimum, and when I look at my promotional posts (those including a link to my online store) they are getting like 2-5k views even though the page has like 150k fans. The ratio is the same on all pages. No traffic, no sales. I've done advertising (spent over one million so far) to fans and non-fans, and I get pretty OK results, but the problem is that with paid advertising my profit very small. May be I just need to test more and more, but gotta say that right now feeling a little bit depressed.

Originally Posted by mpyhajar

I'm in a similar situation. I made over $500k with organic traffic last year. I have a number of FB pages that have over one million fans. One of my posts got over 25 million views last September. It was great, but now the situation is difficult. My revenue has dropped to minimum, and when I look at my promotional posts (those including a link to my online store) they are getting like 2-5k views even though the page has like 150k fans. The ratio is the same on all pages. No traffic, no sales. I've done advertising (spent over one million so far) to fans and non-fans, and I get pretty OK results, but the problem is that with paid advertising my profit very small. May be I just need to test more and more, but gotta say that right now feeling a little bit depressed.

Which ways do you guys monetize these fan pages?

@gozzo - Yep, I'd definitely be interested in seeing that guide! Organic FB is a very, very small part of what I do - I'm definitely in the "noob" category - so I'd love to learn a bit more.

my 80% campaigns affected ... I used to get $0.01 a click for weeks/months. Now only for 1 day and other day account banned. Doesn't matter if its agency account. Update fucked my life from millions to thousands only....