Facebook Changes February 2021, What's A Writer to do with Facebook Now?

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

By now everyone has heard about the most recent changes in Facebook. A lot of you have reached out, asking for advice on how writers should move forward with social media. Here's the most important piece of advice I can give you...

Don't Panic!

I have talked to some authors and writers who have heard about a significant drop in visibility, but I haven't yet spoken to anyone who's seen major issues. This does NOT mean there aren't those who are affected, just that I don't have personal contact with any of them. I'm sure that will change. How an author is affected appears to be directly related to their philosophy about how to use Facebook.

 

Before I give you my opinion about where to go from here, let's back up and make sure we're on the same page about how I view social media in general and Facebook specifically. 

 

IMPORTANT NOTE: I use social media as a way to build connections and funnel people to my email subscription list. Your email list must ALWAYS be the primary way you connect with your readers. Social media is critical to help me find new people to connect with, but it is NOT the basis of my platform or the way I primarily engage with those people. For that I have my blog and my email list.

 

An Effective Social Media Strategy for Facebook

I build my Facebook social media on two foundational precepts (and the first is a foundation for every online interaction I have):

1. I see social media primarily as a ministry and a way to make connections. Although I do some minor advertising, it’s very minimal. I rarely boost posts.
2. My primary goal for interacting on Facebook is to be valuable to those who read my posts and make certain every post has good engagement.

The Goal of Facebook

Before we can create an effective strategy for Facebook, we have to know what Facebook wants to accomplish. By knowing that, we can work with this platform, instead of against it. 

 

What does Facebook Want? This platform has been fairly open about its goal for those who are on Facebook. They want users to have positive, meaningful interactions on Facebook. 

 

So in a nutshell the algorithm Facebook uses is designed to measure how likely it is that a specific user will have a positive experience with each specific post. Of course there is a complicated and secret equation (the algorithm) used to determine that. 

 

A little history…

In 2018, Mark Zuckerberg started talking about making Facebook more meaningful. He outlined a general process that would prioritize posts from family and friends as opposed to businesses. (here’s a link to the entire article https://about.fb.com/news/2018/01/news-feed-fyi-bringing-people-closer-together/). When this came out, many panicked because they thought it meant they’d have less visibility. 

 

BUT, as long as authors and writers made sure they were sharing engaging and meaningful posts, we all saw that visibility didn’t have to diminish. 

 

The 2021 Facebook Algorithm

Facebook has refined the algorithm and is now even more passionate about users seeing posts that matter to them. 

 

So how do we share content that’s meaningful? I’m so glad you asked!

 

There are 4 criteria that Facebook uses to determine the value of a post

1. Inventory (this is all the posts available to that specific user at that time)
2. Signals (this is how your post is put together, including open-ended questions, no false news or engagement baiting, as well as the type of content you’re sharing, such as video, image, text, advertising, etc).
3. Prediction (this is how Facebook believes a specific user will react to the post).
4. Relevancy score (this is the rank assigned to a specific post and determines where a post will fall in the newsfeed).

Out of these criteria, there is only one we can control. We can control the SIGNALS part of the equation. To make this part of the equation work for us, we must evaluate how to share meaningful content within the context of what Facebook allows.

 

Meaningful Content

• Here are some of the things I do to create meaningful engagement on Facebook:
• Share updates that encourage conversations and shares.
• Know the FACEBOOK rules of engagement and follow them. 
• Avoid engagement baiting. Engagement baiting is telling those who read your update how to react. Facebook thinks your post should encourage ORGANIC engagement. Here are some examples of engagement baiting:
• LIKE if you agree (this is reaction baiting).
• VOTE on whether you like Tolkien or Lewis best? (This is vote baiting)
• SHARE to win/agree/help… (This is share baiting)
• COMMENT and let me know what you think. (This is comment baiting)
• TAG a friend if you think they’d like this. (This is tag baiting)

I also like to include links in the comments portion of an update instead of the post itself. Facebook is prioritizing original sources instead of posts that link to outside sources.

 

What about Facebook Deprioritizing Pages and Groups

Another part of the latest algorithm change is found in the terminology of “Deprioritizing” specifically for Facebook Groups and Facebook Pages.

 

Again, Facebook is interested in its users having a meaningful experience. If you own a group and you engage regularly and meaningfully with your members, you should see very little change. (This is a prediction—it’s based on previous experience—but it’s still a prediction.) It’s more important than ever to educate your group members and page followers to set the notification settings on groups and pages they want to stay connected with.

 

For Group Notifications:

Click the three dots icon below the right corner of the cover image (see screenshot below).

Now click MANAGE NOTIFICATIONS and choose ALL POSTS (see screenshot below).

For Page Notifications:

Click the three dots icon below the right corner of the cover image (see screenshot below).

Now click FOLLOW SETTINGS and choose FAVORITES

Then choose UPDATE (if you don’t choose update, the change won’t take effect). The need to click UPDATE is specific to pages.

 

The Apple IOS Change and How it Affects Facebook

The second part of the changes coming to Facebook are driven by outside forces, initially by Apple, but others like Google are following close behind. 

 

It used to be that Apple allowed Facebook and other apps to see your information as a default. Now it is reversing that and the default keeps your information private and for Facebook to gather outside data on you. It must request permission and you must give it. 

 

This will primarily affect how it gathers information for those wishing to advertise on Facebook. All the information you share with Facebook will still be available, but secondary information will now be limited by who agrees to share that information. 

 

I don’t often advertise on Facebook, so this will have little effect on me right now. 

 

Bottom Line

Two things we need to keep clearly in mind.

 

First, there are always changes coming to social media in general and Facebook specifically. To navigate these sudden shifts, I keep a firm focus on my WHY. Why I am engaging on Facebook in the first place. When I keep my attention firmly on serving those I interact with, I find I can make it through the twists and turns caused by algorithms and other changes. 

 

Second, remember that as believers who write, we know that God is ultimately in control of where our words go and who sees them. There is no power on heaven or earth that can thwart God’s plan. 

 

Now it’s your turn. This is a lot of information to digest in one blog post. Share your questions and comments below and I’ll do my best to answer them!

 

Don’t forget to join the conversation!

Blessings,

Edie

 

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Edie Melson is a woman of faith with ink-stained fingers observing life through the lens of her camera. No matter whether she’s talking to writers, entrepreneurs, or readers, her first advice is always “Find your voice, live your story.” As an author, blogger, and speaker she’s encouraged and challenged audiences across the country and around the world. Her numerous books reflect her passion to help others develop the strength of their God-given gifts and apply them to their lives.Connect with her on her website, through Facebook, Twitter and on Instagram.