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How to Handle Facebook’s Updated News Feed Algorithm

Facebook has released some updates to EdgeRank that could affect how posts from your Facebook business Page appear in your fan’s News Feeds. Knowing how EdgeRank works provides insight into how to get more of your posts in front of your fans.

What is EdgeRank?
PostRocket has a great infographic that breaks down how the basic EdgeRank algorithm works. Essentially, your posts and their relevance to people’s News Feeds are judged according to four separate factors:

  1. Previous interactions. The more often a specific fan interacts with your posts, the more likely that fan will see your page posts in his or her News Feed.
  2. Community reactions. If your post receives a lot of attention from your fans, then the post will appear in more News Feeds.
  3. Type of post. Certain Facebook users tend to interact more often with certain types of posts. For example, they may prefer photos or videos to links. When you post the types of media that your fans enjoy, then those posts will be more likely to show up in News Feeds.
  4. Negative feedback. When someone hides one of your posts from his or her News Feed, then Facebook counts it as negative feedback. You can also receive negative feedback if you’re reported for spam.

Facebook users spend 40 percent of their time looking at their News Feeds. Also, 90 percent of fans never view a Facebook page after their initial interaction with the brand. Therefore, your post is 40 to 150 times more likely to reach your fans in the News Feed than on your Page.

Recent EdgeRank Updates: Last Actor and Story Bumping
In August, Facebook updated EdgeRank with two new functions. Last Actor reviews a fan’s last 50 Facebook interactions and tailors the News Feed to include more posts from the parties in those last 50 interactions. Thanks to Last Actor, a fan that interacts with your posts is more likely to continue seeing your posts.

Story Bumping enables Facebook to rank News Feed posts that haven’t been seen by someone as opposed to just ranking the most recent posts. According to Facebook, Story Bumping has increased the numbers of likes, comments and shares for Page posts by 8 percent.

A new tool that Facebook has not yet released, according to Sprout Social, will mine a user’s News Feed to choose the most relevant posts. Then, the posts will be ranked first by relevance of the person or Page that’s posting and second according to when they were posted. For example, something posted at 3pm could appear above something posted at 2pm in the News Feed if the later poster interacts more often with the user.

Getting Your Posts Into Your Fans’ News Feeds
To get more eyes on your posts, increase your engagement. Start by following these simple tips:

  1. Keep them short. Keep your posts between 100 and 250 characters for more engagement.
  2. Make posts visual. Post photos, memes and videos to get more interactions. If you post a link, then make sure that Facebook shows a preview.
  3. Ask for feedback. Post a simple question or a fill-in-the-blank sentence. These posts invite interaction.
  4. Post often. Try to post at least once per day to increase interaction.
  5. Keep posts relevant. If you run a pet grooming business, then your posts should be about pets and pet grooming. Avoid posting about politics or Dancing With the Stars.
  6. Find the best time. Post at different times to see if certain time blocks attract more engagement.

Ultimately, you know your audience, and your audience may not conform to any particular formula. Talk to a professional from Infintech to develop a social media campaign that’s customized for your business.

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