Article provided by the Tech Helpline.
Facebook is always changing and trying to keep up can be challenging. But the latest change Facebook made to its news feed should be good news for real estate agents. That is — if you employ Facebook’s best practices, so let’s review.
First, the news feed change.
In mid-January, Facebook announced it will change how it ranks posts, photos and videos that appear in everyone’s News Feeds. To “prioritize posts that spark conversations and meaningful interactions between people,” Facebook will “predict which posts you might want to interact with your friends about, and show these posts higher in feed.” With their changes, you should be seeing more posts from friends and families, and fewer posts from publishers, brands and companies.
WATCH: https://www.facebook.com/facebook/videos/10156988765141729/
Impact on Pages
Facebook will predict which page posts could draw good, organic engagement, such as likes and comments, and those are the ones that will make it to followers’ News Feeds. If it predicts your followers will engage, then it will put it in their newsfeed. Otherwise, it will not. That’s because Facebook claims it wants the platform to be about relationships – not about selling or passively informing.
What this means for your real estate page
1. First, remember to use your Page – not your personal profile – to promote your business. Last year, we wrote about how you could lose access to Facebook permanently if you use your personal account to promote your business. Basically, “It’s against the Facebook Terms to use your personal account to represent other than yourself (example: your business).”
2. Ask your followers to choose “See First” in News Feed Preferences. With this setting, they’ll always see your Page’s posts/content.
3. Start conversations on issues that interest or affect your followers. The more engaging the posts of your page are, the better organic reach it will have.
4. Create Live Videos. Videos that people want to engage in, not just passively watch, will do better in Facebook’s ranking. And try to avoid links to videos that take you out of Facebook and put you into another platform, because at the end of the day, Facebook wants to keep you in their platform.
5. Create Events that people will want to attend. Events that people will be excited to be a part of and generate a buzz.
6. Start a community. And build it into a dynamic group. The new Facebook change may reward those who establish and run Facebook groups. For agents and brokers, this could be a great way to gain even more visibility on Facebook. Establishing neighborhood pages or an interest group. Creating groups that cater to the needs of your buyers or sellers, or even local Biking, Hiking or Golf groups. It also can be an excellent new source of a different kind of lead generation, because folks will be reaching out to you, not the other way around.
7. Avoid click-bait posts. The Facebook algorithm is wise to posts that simply ask followers to Comment for no reason. They won’t make the cut.
A New Opportunity
In sum, be intentional about what you post and create original, engaging content for Facebook. In the end, if you understand how Facebook works and use it authentically and honestly, these new changes should be to your benefit. Do that, and the new Facebook algorithm will reward your genuineness.
