How Communication Has Changed Completely in Just 10 Years

How Communication Has Changed Completely in Just 10 Years

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In years gone by, we were pretty limited in the ways that we could communicate. It was only relatively recently in human history that we were even able to write things down- up until then, the only way to communicate was face-to-face. While this article won’t be delving back that far, we are going to be exploring some of the numerous ways that communication has changed within our own lifetimes. The cultural climate today has become virtually unrecognizable compared to even 25 years ago, and a lot of that is down to how much easier it is to communicate. Trends are picked up and dropped quicker than ever, as consumers can instantly move on to the next big thing the second they get bored. But how did we reach this point? Let’s limit ourselves to the past ten years or so, and examine some of the main ways that the communications revolution has come about.

In the last ten years, the biggest change we have seen to communication is that it has become a lot more immediate. Instead of sending emails back and forth from the computer, and waiting for the recipient to be at their desk before they can send a reply, most people now have got access to instant communication right there in our pockets. The very first iPhone came out back in 2007, and since then smartphones of all shapes and sizes have come to dominate our lives. Our phones are an essential lifeline to a global network, whether it’s business-related or personal. Chances are you’re probably reading this on your phone, too, as the number of mobile web users has now outstripped their desktop counterparts. Email does still have its place, but it’s been superseded by apps like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger for faster messages that are simpler to reply to.

Not only has communication become a lot more immediate, but it’s also far more cost-effective, too. Before the rise of smartphones and video apps, companies would spend a considerable chunk of their budget on communications. If you wanted to speak to someone, you had to do so via phone or letter. When it came to doing business with clients overseas, that could prove to be really pricey, what with the cost of long-distance phone calls. Now, though, the internet has made everything so much simpler. Using software like Skype or Google Hangouts, you can easily set up a face-to-face conference call with participants from all over the world- completely free! If you have a quick question to ask, you can send an online message and get a fast response, instead of wasting time and money on making phone calls.

Finally, the changes in the methods we use to communicate have also led to a change in precisely how we communicate. Back in the day, you could expect lengthy emails about even the simplest of topics, as people felt obliged to fill the space given to them in much the same way they would with a letter. Now, though, there’s no need to do that when you’re communicating with someone in real-time, even some business relationships have become a lot less formal due to this shift in style. Conciseness is the order of the day, particularly because that ease of communication means that we often have a lot to keep on top of at once.

As you can see, the business world has been totally transformed by these changes in communication. Nowadays, things are a lot simpler and, most importantly, faster. It seems like the whole world is moving at a much quicker pace thanks to the rise of technology, so as businesses, it’s up to us to match that pace. That way, we won’t fall behind the times, and we can keep on meeting the demands of the present.

Let’s team up today, and show you just how effective that consistent approach to marketing can be!

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How Digital Marketing Has Changed in the Last 10 Years

How Digital Marketing Has Changed in the Last 10 Years

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Ten years ago, if you’d mentioned SEO to the average business owner, they would probably be left wondering what the hell you were talking about. Nowadays, though, every company needs to be a lot more tech-savvy with their marketing efforts if they want to succeed. That’s not to say that this more complex technology is a bad thing, though- in fact, it’s opened up a world of opportunities for businesses to achieve even greater results with their digital marketing. Let’s explore some of the ways that things have changed in the past decade and the benefits that they can bring to you when used in the right way.

Social Media is King

Back in 2004, Facebook was only just starting to take off. Nowadays, with over a billion active users, it’s safe to say that Facebook has come to dominate not just social media, but the entire internet. Over the same period, Twitter has also grown into an online behemoth, and both of these sites now offer massive potential to businesses. Along with the rise of LinkedIn and Instagram, businesses have a wide array of platforms to advertise and communicate with their customers. Social Media platforms allow you to interact with your customers in real-time and are a great way of carrying out targeted marketing campaigns that can bring incredible results. The rise of social media, and the amount of options out there nowadays, also give you more ways than ever to reach your audience- we’re living in a multi-channel world, so make sure your marketing reflects that reality.

SEO

Google was already implementing tools like AdWords back in 2000, but it’s only in the last decade or so that they have turned marketing on its head with their advanced ranking algorithms. They originally rolled these out back in 2004, as a way of stopping people from “cramming” keywords. By taking a more organic approach to search rankings, users are presented with more relevant results- which led to a whole new marketing industry based around keeping up with those algorithms. Search engine optimization, or SEO, has become a cornerstone of digital marketing, and those who don’t use it to its full potential are only going to end up getting left behind.

Advertising is Less Aggressive

Before the internet became such a big deal, a lot of advertisers had no choice but to be extremely aggressive in their marketing. After all, with only a very limited amount of time to grab would-be customers’ attention, and no way of knowing who they were reaching, ads couldn’t be as sophisticated as they are today. Nowadays, though, digital marketing can be used to select an incredibly precise target audience, and crafted around that audience. It’s all about creating content that is genuinely engaging, and since social media allows consumers to talk back to advertisers, things are more interactive than ever. Viral marketing is a great way of building a buzz around your brand, and word of mouth is key to success. In short, the digital era has opened up a whole new world of possibilities- it’s up to businesses to decide which of those possibilities will work best for them.

The Rise of Analytics

Possibly the most important development in digital marketing over the last ten years is the sheer amount of data available to businesses. Analytics let you see exactly what you’re achieving with each campaign, so you can determine your ROI with crystal-clear accuracy. That means you can test a specific ad to see if it gets results before you cough up a large amount of money to roll out the full campaign. This allows advertisers to constantly tweak their message and delivery methods until they’ve found the perfect balance, so it’s easier than ever to come up with the ideal marketing content.

Let’s team up today, and show you just how effective that consistent approach to marketing can be!

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Why We Love Marketing: Forging Relationships

Why We Love Marketing: Forging Relationships

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We love marketing! One of the reasons we love it so much is because we get to create new relationships. Not only do we get to create relationships with our own clients and get to know their businesses, but we also get to help those clients create relationships of their own. There’s more to marketing than flyers and keywords!

In this article, we take a much closer look at what makes the power of relationship development possible. It’s vital that you understand why a good marketing campaign can work: it’s because it taps into relationship development.
Thanks to the power of being able to better forge relationships, you can easily enjoy a much more satisfying, solid learning experience. Forging relationships is a hard thing to get right, but if you market right then you can turn a potential customer into a customer for years to come.
All it takes is an understanding of the inherent psychology of the relationship development phase. Relationships take a lot of work to keep in place, and one simple mistake could be an end to the whole relationship. Why, then is marketing so good for forging those relationships in the first place?
Creating Friends for Life
One of the great things we love about marketing is that it allows us to use our personality. For a while, businesses traded on the ‘art’ of faceless professionalism. Marketing today, though, needs us to showcase our personalities in full.
People don’t want to buy from a corporation hiding behind a package of lies and goodwill. They want to work with people who know them, their problems and the challenges that they face. This is why marketing today is all about making a connection rather than slogans and promotions.
It’s about showing people that you can genuinely get the problem they face – and you want to help them solve that problem. It allows you to use your creative, personal side to connect with your customer and give them all the help that they need to trust that you’re honest.
Marketing allows you to make friends in ways that you simply could never do in a real-life situation. Since you need to make the person who is reading your marketing believe you are honest and trustworthy, you can really put your own personality to make that marketing campaign stand out.
One of the major reasons why marketing works so well today is that it allows you to personalise the message. Based on things like demographics, gender, industry and earning potential, we can make sure that every advert perfectly fits in with the people that best fits with the kind of business that you run.
It’s thanks to this that you can make sure that you use marketing to do something genuinely interesting. Done right, this can utterly transform the way that you work and make sure that your marketing is enjoyable. Instead of being false, you can simply be yourself!

We pride ourselves on creating excellent relationships with our clients in order to understand who they are and the message they want to give to their customers.

Let’s team up today, and show you just how effective that consistent approach to marketing can be!

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Why a Healthy Dose of Creativity Makes All the Difference in Marketing

Why a Healthy Dose of Creativity Makes All the Difference in Marketing

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Nowadays, consumers are bombarded with ads everywhere they look. From posters on the side of bus stops to the ads that pop up on our social media news feeds, most of us see thousands of adverts every single day. As a business, that poses a real problem- how do you ensure that your marketing efforts stand out from the crowd, and cut through all the rest to make a big impression on your audience? Well, the answer is actually surprisingly simple: creativity. Every step of the way, your marketing materials need a healthy dose of creative flair to really connect with your readers. The more unique you are, the more likely people are to remember your company- and that ultimately translates into a steady stream of sales! So, let’s take a look at the ways that creativity is an essential part of the marketing process, step by step.

First of all, the design and layout of your marketing materials need to have a lot of thought put into it. If your marketing looks just like everyone else’s, then it won’t stand out to the consumer. They probably won’t even make a conscious choice to ignore your message- instead, their brains will just filter it out as information that’s simply not worth their time. On the other hand, if you use an eye-catching design or something that’s a little bit outside the box, then you’ll really grab their attention, and they’ll want to read on to see what you have to say. Whether it’s a poster campaign, flyer, or digital and social media marketing, individuality is the key to your success.

Once you’ve got your readers’ attention, though, you need to keep hold of it. That’s where the next part of the creative process comes into play: crafting engaging, informative written content that sets your company up as an industry leader. Offering something of value to your readers is a great way of gaining their trust, which is why so many businesses set up blogs on their specialist subjects. As well as showing off the fact that they really know their industry, these blogs are a fantastic opportunity to rise above the rest. In essence, they give you more space to wow your audience, making them a key part of any successful digital marketing efforts.

Finally, that sense of creativity shouldn’t just be limited to one or two pieces of digital marketing. Instead, it needs to be a core part of your brand identity to achieve the greatest possible results. After all, wouldn’t you rather be seen as a leader instead of a follower? If you make your brand all about creativity and originality, then customers will come to recognise you as a company that goes one step further than the competition. They’ll know that you’re a business which isn’t afraid to try something new if it will achieve results, and they will therefore be more likely to take their custom to you.

As you can see, then, creativity is essential in marketing. With it, you can transform your business into a brand with a reputation for flair and originality. Without it, you’ll be seen as just another faceless organisation that isn’t worth the customer’s time. So, if you want to inject a healthy dose of creativity into your marketing efforts, and see for yourself what incredible results this approach can achieve, then the perfect solution is sitting right in front of you: us!

We specialise in creating content that really stands out from the crowd, so get in touch today, and find out what we can do for you!

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Technology Has Turned the Business World On Its Head

Technology Has Turned the Business World On Its Head

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Nowadays, technology dominates almost every aspect of our lives. From the way we communicate with each other, to how we access and consume information about the world around us, we’re more dependent on tech than ever. That’s also true for the ways that we do business, too. Over the last few decades, the business world has been transformed. Advances in technology open up new possibilities and opportunities for businesses all over the world.

The world has become a lot smaller
Think back (if you can!!!) to the business world of the 1970s and 1980s, and there are probably two big pieces of tech that come to mind: the photocopier and the fax machine. In those days, entire companies revolved around these tools to transmit information to each other. You either sent something in the post, or you transmitted it via fax, page by painstaking page. Nowadays, though, that same info can be sent to the other side of the planet in the blink of an eye. As well as being a remarkable technological achievement, in practice, this means that our world has become a whole lot smaller. It’s easy to communicate with international clients and partners, and companies like accountancy and design firms can even complete entire projects digitally, without ever meeting their customers.

Workers are no longer chained to their desks
In the era of cloud computing, employees no longer have to be at their desk to carry out their work. Instead, remote access to systems and software allows them to work on the go or from home when necessary, which is dramatically cutting down on wasted time. It also opens up more opportunities for collaboration between employees, since they can work together in real-time without having to actually be in the same room. This helps to complete projects in far less time, and it also means that other team members can drop in and out to offer their specialist knowledge and skills. Which brings us on to our next point…

A new era of outsourcing
Once upon a time, outsourcing meant putting your trust in a third-party to complete a task from beginning to end with very little feedback on your part. Now, though, the technology is there for outsourcers to effectively form another arm of your core team, and provide their results in real-time. Virtually any task can be outsourced, from continual admin work to taking on an extra team member for those all-important projects. What’s more, as a cost-effective solution, businesses could save up to 70% on such work- and when you take the extra productivity that your employees can achieve into account, it’s clear that outsourcing is a great choice for many companies.

Analytics help you stay in the loop at all times
To stay fully up to date with customer demands and business needs, companies need access to in-depth data. Luckily, the rise of technology means that analytics are now easily accessible. Data can be collected in so many different ways, from web cookies to apps and feedback forms, allowing you to put together an accurate picture of consumer trends and requirements. Best of all, that data can then be easily shared across your entire company with ease, so that everyone is able to pull together to achieve the best results.

Let’s team up today, and show you just how effective that consistent approach to marketing can be!

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What Is Social Media Management?

What Is Social Media Management?

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Nowadays, most businesses have social media profiles. After all, it’s an easy way to put information out there and connect with customers. In previous posts, we covered some of the key benefits of social media for businesses. However, it takes more than just throwing your posts out into the digital ether to get the best results. Instead, you need to carefully consider your approach, keep your customers in mind at all times, and put out the perfect content to drive engagement. In short, you need social media management- and if you’re not sure what this is exactly, read on to learn more.

Before you actually get down to the nitty-gritty of social media, it’s vital that you have a clear, in-depth social media strategy to follow. Ideally, it will be built around achieving your goals, whether they might be increasing brand awareness, driving more traffic to your website, or ramp up your sales figures. By knowing the desired end result, your social media manager will be able to craft a unique strategy to get you there. Working from the top down, they’ll create the optimum to-do list to power your social media efforts and really start connecting with your audience. Don’t underestimate the power of social media- when done right, it can bring huge benefits to your business, so it’s important to give it the time and attention such a powerful weapon deserves.

The first thing to be done is to work on your branding and ensure that everything is clear and consistent. After all, you’ll want visitors to all your social media channels to receive the same high-quality experience, and a bit of extra brand recognition goes a long way to stimulating your future growth. You’ll want your brand to do as much work for you as possible, and that means clearly displaying your company’s USP somewhere prominent on your social media profiles. Ideally, that should be your cover photos since this places front-and-centre exactly why customers should choose you over the competition. A well-designed logo should also be your profile picture across all different channels so that it’s immediately obvious who you are.

Another key part of social media management is regularly scheduling posts so that you are always in the public eye. That way, you can get consistent results from your social media efforts and build up a reputation as a leading company within your sector. That schedule should be a part of your overall strategy, and ideally, you’ll want there to be an obvious link between multiple posts. If, for instance, you’re posting a series of articles on a weekly basis, then write on a similar theme for a decent length of time before you move on to a completely different topic. Posting in this way will keep your audience keen for more, helping to ramp up engagement. This should be a key concern throughout your social media campaign, as the best results come from encouraging your audience to actively interact with your company. After all, your business is all about your customers, so it’s up to you to work hard and keep them happy!

That leads us on to our final point- communicating with your audience is a key part of social media management. One of the great things about social media, in general, is the fact that it allows for instant communication, and this is something you must take advantage of. When customers leave comments on your posts, be sure to respond to them, to show that you are a company that cares. This is particularly important with negative feedback, as you want to demonstrate that you’re willing to take active steps to improve your services and any mistakes that might be made along the way. This is what’s known as “reputation management”, and it’s something that we’ll cover in a later blog post. For now, though, make sure that you make your social media channels a two-way street, to drive that essential engagement and start building up a loyal following of customers.

Let’s team up today, and show you just how effective that consistent approach to marketing can be!

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Which Social Media Sites Should You Be Utilising the Most?

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If you want to get on social media but you have no idea what sites you should be using, then you know that you have come to the right place. Here you can find out whatever you need to know about social media, as well as getting the information you need to decide which sites you should be focusing on the most.

Narrow Down your Choices

There are so many social media platforms out there and this gives everyone the chance to connect with one another. People can share their similar hobbies, their interests and more online. The point is that there are so many sites out there and if you try and focus on them all then you won’t get anywhere fast. You need to try and focus on the sites that are going to give you the most traffic, and the top ones include LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and then Facebook.

Defining your Goals

There are so many benefits to choosing your own social media site. It is however important that you know your goals before you make that decision. The objectives that you have will help you to define what platform you need to use, and it will also define the content that you need to create as well. Social media can help you to improve your offerings. For example, if you are on Facebook then this can help you to converse with your customers and it can also help you to talk and relate to them on a personal level. It is also by far the best platform for you to resolve complaints on.

Twitter, on the other hand, is ideal for boosting your brand awareness and it can also help you to reach out to new people. Pinterest is great at advertising products if you have HD or quirky images, and as they say, a picture can speak a thousand words.

Focus on your Audience Channels

The point of social media is to try and put you in contact with the audience that is most suited to your needs. It’s not advisable for you to choose a platform that none of your customers use. If you know that a lot of your customers are on Facebook right now then this should be your starting point. If you are not sure where your customers are then there are a couple of things that you can do to find out this information. One of the best ways would be for you to conduct a customer survey. You need to try and ask questions such as what social sites they use and even what influencers they like to follow as well. By doing this, you can find out where your efforts would be best channelled and this can save you hours of time and thousands in cash.

Of course, there are so many things that you can do when you have the power of social media by your side, and by taking the right steps, you can be sure to boost your business exposure, your profit and your customer trust.

Let’s team up today, and show you just how effective that consistent approach to marketing can be!

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Social Media Content Ideas that will Build your Brand

Social Media Content Ideas that will Build your Brand

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If you have a social media page for your brand then you will understand how important it is for you to keep it current and updated at all times. This is easier said than done, but here are some helpful tips that will get you started.

Create a Series

If you want your social media presence to feel like a series of scheduled posts instead of random pieces of content here and there then series posts are a great idea. Start a series that will help you to interact with your fans on a regular basis, and you will soon be reaping the rewards. Consider having a series that covers a topic every week, or cover one big topic over the space of several weeks. If you are able to grab the attention of your audience one week, you can almost guarantee that they will want to read your posts the next week as well.

Run a Contest

People love freebies. It’s as simple as that, and by running the occasional contest, you can be sure to take advantage of this social media tool. You could ask people to share your post in order to be in with the chance of winning, or you could even ask them to post their own creative status using a hashtag of your choosing. Hashtags are the simplest way of you keeping track who has entered your contest and it won’t cost you at all to monitor this. You don’t need to run contests on a weekly basis, once a month is a great starting point, and the social media value that you get in return will be well-worth losing something from your inventory.

Host an AMA

AMA stands for Ask Me Anything. It is a fantastic way for you to really get to know your customers and it also gives them the chance to get to know you as well. This is ideal if you have overcome quite a few obstacles to get to where you are and it is also great if you want to show off your personal side. On top of this, it is very easy for you to raise awareness of your brand without being overly pushy about it. If you have a large team working with you then give each team member the chance to cover their own AMA.

Social Media Takeovers

Sometimes it helps to inject a new lease of life into your social media page. Social takeovers are the best way for you to do this. The idea is that you give someone else complete control over your page and this is usually done for a full day. When you do this, make sure that you give someone of interest control. This could be a local celebrity, someone who is an influencer in your area or even people who would be relevant to your industry. For example, if you run a restaurant, get a chef to take over, or even your waiter. This is a great way for you to really spark your customer interest.

Let’s team up today, and show you just how effective that consistent approach to marketing can be!

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Are You Regular?

Are You Regular?

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Nowadays, nearly every business has some sort of social media presence. The rise of social media has become impossible to ignore, and for that reason, most businesses make use of digital marketing in some way. However, what they aren’t doing is putting in the long-term effort necessary to achieve the best results. They’ll create profiles, post content regularly for perhaps a month or so at most, and then… nothing. That initial stream of content will trickle to a halt, and the profiles will lie dormant, aside from the odd post when the marketing team remember that they exist. Small-to-medium sized businesses tend to be the most guilty of this, since many of them simply won’t have the time to dedicate to large-scale social media campaigns. They assume that to get the most out of social media, they need to make a big splash with massive ideas and campaigns. But in reality, there’s one key factor that most businesses miss out on when it comes to social media, and marketing in general: consistency.

If you want to achieve anything in life, then you need to keep working at it. That’s true for so many things, from putting in time at the gym every day, to keeping your teeth clean and healthy by brushing them regularly. So, naturally, the same thing goes for your marketing. If you only go to the gym once a month, then all the effort in the world will go to waste- you aren’t being consistent enough to achieve real results. That’s true for marketing, too- your customers are much more likely to remember you if they hear from you regularly than if you only put out content once in a blue moon. Makes sense, right? So how come so few companies actually put this method into practice?

The reason is, most businesses think that when it comes to marketing, it’s intensity that counts the most. They believe that only huge marketing campaigns have any hope of success, and so that’s what they focus their time and resources on. Except there’s a problem here- most smaller businesses won’t have the money to keep this approach up for very long. Intensity does bring short-term results, but it’s an expensive attitude to take, and it simply doesn’t fit in with any long-term marketing strategies. Whether it’s social media marketing or other outlets, you need to ensure that there’s a method behind your marketing, and that’s only possible if you’re committed to being consistent.

Not only does consistency with your digital marketing deliver greater results and brand awareness over the long term, it also takes a lot of the pressure off you with creating content, too. Instead of feeling like you have to change the world with every single thing you post, you can take a gentler, more relaxed approach. For instance, one lengthy blog post might provide readers with a lot of information, but it leaves you in a bit of a rut with where to go next. What’s more, in today’s age of the smartphone, we have so many different options open to us that it can be difficult for the average reader to stay focused on something so long. So, not only does that intense, content-heavy post sap your creative juices and lead to a long period of radio silence, it’s also an extremely ineffective way to reach your target audience.

Let’s contrast that with a series of shorter articles that you post on social media over a long period of time. When added together, they may well contain the same amount of information as that longer piece in our last example. However, breaking it up into chunks makes the content a lot easier for your audience to digest, so they’ll come away from it feeling like they’ve learned something of value. They’ll also be hungry for more, and that’s where the other main advantage of consistency over intensity comes into place. Giving your audience regular updates and articles will gradually train them to expect this content from you, and they’ll turn into a loyal core audience who genuinely want to stay up-to-date with your content. The more engaged they are with you, then the more likely they will be to share your content to their own profiles- helping you to reach a larger audience, and saving you money on promoting your posts non-organically.

Of course, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to digital marketing, since every company is different. However, when you’ve worked out what method best suits your business, then don’t make the same mistakes as everyone else. Remember that to keep hold of your audience, you have to keep offering them something, and ensure that you’re staying regular with your marketing. That’s not to say that you should compromise on quality and just put out any old rubbish so long as it’s to a schedule, but consistent content is the only way to get real results when it comes to digital marketing.

Of course, it can be tricky to keep coming up with high-quality content on a regular basis, especially if your day-to-day work takes up a lot of your time. That’s why it’s a smart idea to team up with a dedicated marketing team to take care of things for you- and luckily for you, we’re always happy to help new customers! I Want Fish And Chips are on hand to provide your business with the consistent, effective marketing materials and social media content that you need to thrive. We’ll work hard to come up with content that builds a real buzz around your business, and by sticking to a regular schedule, you’ll soon have that crucial loyal following hanging on your every post.

 

Let’s team up today, and show you just how effective that consistent approach to marketing can be!

Click here to book a meeting.

Why Facebook Algorithm Changes Matter for Branding

Why Facebook Algorithm Changes Matter for Branding

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For years, Facebook has been on a pathway of constant change and alteration. While most people don’t really pay attention to the big changes taking place, these changes have a major impact on marketing. While the majority of changes don’t really matter to the average user, if you use Facebook for marketing and brand management, it might be time to look at these new changes. Announced in mid-January, these changes will play a major role in helping to “prioritize content” – meaning that we’re more likely to see social-fed media instead of branded and marketing-related content.

Unfortunately, Facebook has admitted that this is going to require marketers to really up their game if they still want to see Facebook as a viable marketing avenue. Don’t start adjusting your tie in fear just yet, though; these algorithmic changes might be concerning, but it’s not a death knell – yet.

These changes will begin to see a massive downturn in your reach – it’s true, sorry. What you are bringing at the moment in terms of attention is going to drastically drop down as these new services roll out across the board. With the implication being that most people will spend less time on the social media platform now, too, you’ll need to really work extra hard to grab their attention and get them to stick around.

Let’s take a look at how you can make sure all that time spent on social media hasn’t been in vain.

The first and arguably most important piece of advice we can offer you is quite simply DO NOT PANIC. Yes, we know you might be freaked out about these changes; stories are already rife of people losing out on large volumes of social media visibility. Interactions and impressions are way down, and some local businesses are fearing for their entire future.

That’s obviously scary, we know that. What you need to do, then, is try your best to start creating engaging content. The more content that you can produce that elicits people to take action and respond, share etc. is more likely to still be seen by the majority of followers.

According to Zuckerberg himself, you need to appreciate that “Pages making posts that people generally don’t react to or comment on could see the biggest decreases in distribution. Pages whose posts prompt conversations between friends will see less of an effect.”

So, that’s pretty standard stuff: the more interaction you can get, the better. Don’t, though, go down the route of trying to be inflammatory to get a reaction and ‘hits’. It’s not about being a troll to try and get people reacting; it’s about getting people interacting in a more positive manner, broadly.

Be more question-friendly. Instead of making clear statements, make the statement and then ask people what they think about the content. Think about how you get your friends and social circle in real life to react when you talk to them in person; adapt that into your social media game and you can help to mitigate the potential for damage to your online profile.

Don’t just post trash like “LIKE AND SHARE IF YOU THINK THIS DOG IS COOL!” as Facebook is crushing this kind of faux-engagement.

One useful feature that savvy pages will be able to make the most of is the powerful feature that allows for “See First” news feed content. Basically, Facebook users can choose the pages they love most so that they can see their content and features first and foremost.

If you want to make sure that this is the case, then do yourself a favour and encourage as many first views as you can. Remind users of this feature every now and then, but don’t be overly spammy or pushy about it.

And now on to what you probably already expected: Facebook wants you to spend more to maintain the same level of interaction that you have now. While this is a bit of a kick in the teeth, it’s a necessity. If you want to maintain your present visibility, then you will need to up your advertising budget.

For companies with cash to burn and the time needed to invest in this manner, you should have no issues doing this. If you are running a normal Facebook page without a limitless budget, though, that might not be possible. Instead you need to be more savvy with your engagement to create a relationship with the reader.

The challenges are quite pronounced and will certainly make a lot of people question just how much they want to use Facebook for marketing in the future. However, if you are happy to up your investment into content advertising or you are happy to get more savvy with engagement, you should be able to mitigate such problems.

From making more live video content via Facebook Live to simply spending more money per month advertising, you have options open to you. It may be more time consuming, but if you want to keep using it alongside these new algorithmic changes you’ll need to get used to the change.

There’s a major challenge ahead: will you be ready to meet it head on? Click here to book a meeting and discuss your digital marketing needs.