Facebook Marketing Isn't What It Used to Be
Gone are the days (and I remember them well) when you could set up a #Facebook Page for your business or brand, grow an audience, and then expect Facebook to expose your entire audience to everything you post. Facebook pulled a one-two punch for businesses that use Pages to market their brands on Facebook. After a certain period of free exposure to get everyone on board, Facebook began to tighten the algorithms for #Pages, reducing the exposure each post gets to a tiny fraction of your total audience—and encouraging you to pay for more exposure. For Facebook, it was a smart way to monetize Pages, but for small businesses, personal brands, and nonprofits who market on shoestring budgets, it created heartache and disappointment. All that potential audience exposure shriveled up to nothing, unless you could afford to play the game.
And the #algorithms are truly draconian and merciless. For one nonprofit whose #business page I manage, an audience of 19,000 followers was painstakingly grown over years of effort. With 19,000 followers, it's disheartening to see the average unpaid Facebook post get exposed to less than 10 people.
Like it or not, Facebook marketing has now become a pay-to-play game. Even #entrepreneurs, small brands and #nonprofits need to think strategically and put a little money behind their Facebook marketing efforts. Boosting posts, creating custom ads, integrating your Facebook marketing efforts across #Instagram, and setting intelligent #targeting criteria to reach the audience you want are the keys to making the most of your Facebook marketing dollars. #Demographic, #geographic, and behavioral or interest-based criteria can all be used to help your message reach its intended audience.
Let us know if we can help you think through your Facebook marketing strategy and implement more coherent solutions.
Founder and Principal