Social media has the possibility of connecting communities, uniting groups and providing so much good. But often we see the negative aspects of social media pushed to the forefront. This negativity seemed to come to a head in 2017. From watching social media medaling play an integral part in the 2016 election to, on a more local front, Facebook Live being used as a platform for streaming of police brutality the negative seemed to grossly outweigh the positive. So much so, that Facebook creator and CEO Mark Zuckerberg took note. Zuckerberg made it his 2018 resolution to address these issues and fix Facebook.

The changes are already going into effect and strive to showcase friends and family on individuals timelines rather than businesses and ads. While this shift is great from a personal perspective, it throws a wrench in marketing plans for businesses that are already struggling to gain traction through organic content. Back in 2007, when Facebook launched fan pages, a business had just a 16 percent chance of showing up on the newsfeed. In 2016, those odds were down to just 2 percent. Now, with Facebook’s changes to come in 2018, the chances of consumers seeing organic content are looking incredibly bleak.

Before reading the remainder of this article and learning specific ways businesses can overcome the negatives of these changes, check out the infographic we created below that visually summarizes what we’re talking about.

The future of Facebook Business

How can businesses overcome this overhaul?

The most obvious answer is one that might not be an option for some and that’s switching to paid content. Not every post that goes out has to be paid, but flagship and evergreen content can consistently help pull consumers to a page. With Facebook’s flexible ad manager, a budget as small as $5 can help spread a post to hundreds more.

Another option would be re-evaluating social media presence across the board to determine if Facebook is the best platform to devote efforts to. Are you a startup looking to gain momentum among Gen Z-ers? Maybe refocusing on Snapchat and Instagram would be a better use of your time. Are you primarily B2B? LinkedIn and email blasts could help with acquisition. Get to know your target audience and dig in with niche topic pieces.

If increasing ad spend is completely out of the question, try ramping up content. By creating quality content that people want to share and are willing to seek out, the friends and family that are now the highlight of the news feed can act as representatives for a brand. Shifting the focus away from hyper-traditional one-way advertising techniques and viewing a marketing plan as a two-way means of communication can make or break your Facebook advertising in 2018.

Facebook, along with most other social platforms, is ever-changing. It is advertisers’ responsibility to keep up and change along with it. If you or your small business need a team to help hit this moving target, contact us at Fuzzy Duck. Our social media team is happy to assist with content creation and curation, full social media evaluation and strategy as well as account building and ongoing management.