FACEBOOK IS CHANGING – HOW SHOULD NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS PREPARE?

FACEBOOK MARKETING – it was always going to happen eventually. Facebook has decided to essentially cut off almost all types of public content from Pages. They frame the decision as Mark Zuckerberg's desire to make Facebook "better," with fewer likes, clicks, and engagement, and hopefully, less fake news along with it.

The goal of the so-called "News Feed," the content that reaches us in our profile, is shifting from "helping you find relevant content" to "helping you have more meaningful social interactions."

How is the News Feed changing? It will aim to inspire more meaningful conversations, and accordingly, priority in the News Feed will be given to:

1. Posts from friends that spark conversation

2. Videos and articles that spark discussion

3. Posts from friends and family over posts from Pages

4. Posts with longer comment threads over those with shorter ones

At the same time, Facebook will continue to reduce the weight given to likes, engagement, and other forms of passive content.

What does this "News Feed" change mean for your non-profit organization?

First of all, this change shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. Pages that don't offer engaging content have already been showing up less and less in the News Feed for years. Not a big deal. Non-profit organizations actually have a real advantage over consumer brands and businesses here. People generally talk more about causes they care about than about the clothes they wear.

This change in Facebook's policy simply requires you to adapt your strategy for working with this social media platform.

Here are some suggestions:

1. Stop posting passive content – content that doesn't engage the audience. For example, links to your latest blog post, event announcements, or photos from your Board meeting.

2. Try to Inspire Meaningful Conversation - Posts that invite your followers to share their own advice and recommendations will naturally spark more meaningful conversations than a link to your latest blog post. Keep in mind that your followers are often happy to share their own stories. For example, diabetes organizations should publish more posts that encourage followers to share their own personal stories and diabetes-related tips.

3. Focus More on Facebook Groups - Be genuinely useful by putting group members first and creating space for meaningful conversations between the people in the group. This is something we've been doing for years at Versa People, encouraging participants in our trainings to keep the conversation going even after the event ends. And if your group is public, make sure it's linked to your Facebook Page.

4. Make sure supporters who want to see your posts have selected the "See First" option, that way you can be sure your posts will actually show up in their News Feed. This matters especially for your core, most important supporters, who might otherwise worry about missing posts from your Page.

5. Combine Email Communication and Facebook: If you already have an email newsletter, you're already ahead of the game. It lets you regularly highlight your best post from the past week. Invite your newsletter subscribers to join the conversation by commenting on that specific post. It's also a great way to grow your fan base. Just be mindful of email collection regulations and staying clear of spam practices. Here are a few tips from John Haydon here.

6. Use Facebook Live - Facebook Live Video comes out on top among content types, reaching up to 6 times more followers and driving more engagement than videos and photos. If you get people commenting, asking for advice, or sharing their own stories, you'll be tapping into the highest levels of engagement.

7. Invest in a Facebook advertisement - This will give your most interesting posts greater exposure.

8. Create Content That Makes People Look "Cool" - People share content on Facebook, whether it's a video from your Page or a blog post from your website, because they want to come across to their friends as fun, informed, engaged, and so on. Creating content that helps your supporters achieve that goal leads to greater engagement and more "organic" reach.

9. Share News People Are Already Talking About and Discussing: Spark meaningful conversations around current news that your community is already likely talking about. It's much easier to join a conversation already in progress than to start one from scratch.

Facebook will always put friends and family first when it comes to the News Feed. The more your own strategy embraces that same mindset, the more successful you'll be on Facebook.

*This article was translated and edited from a post by John Haydon: Facebook News Feed Overhaul – How Your Nonprofit Can Prepare