Zero Reach
Is the love affair between marketers and Facebook coming to an end? It’s been on rocky ground since Facebook updated the algorithm it uses to determine the reach of a brand’s Facebook posts. It did this in early December 2013, just in time for Christmas advertising.
This meant that when a brand posts on their page, only about 16% of their fan base would see the post. This caused an uproar throughout the Internet as marketers saw engagement on their page plummet.
But Facebook didn’t stop there. One research paper analysed reach for over 100 pages with over 48 million fans collectively. They found organic reach of around 6%, and as low as 2% for pages with over 500,000 fans. And the message from Facebook seems fairly clear: Expect 0% reach, coming soon.
Facebook claims this is due to the increase in the amount of content being created on Facebook. A user’s newsfeed can display only so much content, and if you’ve liked numerous pages, groups, brands and friends, not every post is going to make the cut. Facebook says the algorithm was amended to ensure only the most relevant information to each individual user is displayed, with engagement being a key indicator of relevance.
But how can people engage if they don’t see the post? Facebook has always been a dynamic platform that forces marketers to constantly assess and refine their activity to stay current and engaging. They’ve just made it a bit harder. But how fair is it that the company that decides how hard you have to work to get your message out there, is also the company that sells the advertising that is becoming increasingly necessary to get your message out there?
For more information on ways to make the most out of your digital channels, contact Gabriel Long, our Digital Strategist, 021 733 640.