By now, you’ve surely heard about Facebook’s big news feed update.

According to the Facebook press release, this new update is all about bringing people together. 

Why? Because Facebook wants to make its users happy. A happy Facebook user comes back again and again. An unhappy user doesn’t come back so often. 

So how did this come into play in the newsfeed update?

Facebook wants to focus on retention (aka keeping people on their site/app!), and it all boils down to keeping Facebook users unified.

And what helps people together, you ask?

Conversation.

Authentic content.

Posts from real people you know.

The list goes on!

Since your Facebook News Feed is limited in space, Facebook is going to start giving priority to posts from friends and family, as well as updates that spark conversation.

This means that posts from the people you know and engage with on Facebook will take priority over public content, such as posts or videos from business accounts.

If you haven’t read Facebook’s official announcement, the overall theme is that they’re putting a huge  emphasis on sparking or generating conversation. 

So let’s talk about how this is going to impact YOU as a business owner.

In short, you need to make the newsfeed update work for you, by creating those meaningful interactions on your business page.

3 Ways to Create Meaningful Conversations as a Brand on Facebook

1. Avoid Clickbait or Engagement Bait Posts

Hopefully if you’ve been paying attention to the changes Facebook has been making over the last year, this tip shouldn’t be too surprising.

We’ve already been warned with all of the issues the Fake News epidemic brought and how much Facebook has been cracking down on clickbait-type posts.

In Facebook’s most recent announcement, the company actually says that using “engagement bait” to goad people into commenting will result in a demotion of the post in the News Feed.

For example, posts asking you to comment “YES!” if you can’t wait for the weekend or asking you to share for a chance to win something – those are both considered engagement baiting.

Typically, any post that asks you to vote, give a reaction, share, or comment is considered “baiting” on Facebook.

Okay got it. None of that stuff!

Instead, let’s stick to the authentic content.

Authenticity creates meaningful engagement and that makes Facebook 😀

2. Go Live on Facebook for Your Business or Brand Page

In the announcement, Facebook states “live videos often lead to discussion among viewers on Facebook–in fact, live videos on average get six times as many interactions as regular videos.” 

Woah – that’s huge!

According to Facebook, Live videos are leading to more interactions, more discussions and ultimately, bringing more people together. 

See how it all comes back to that one goal?

Going Live does a great job at prompting discussion because you’re in the moment and a lot of times, asking the audience a question or asking for feedback. It’s a great tool for creating real, live, and engaging conversations.

Plus, the fact that Live videos get so much more interactions than regular videos (or standard posts for that matter) should make you itching to start live streaming more for your business!

3. Put the Focus Back on Your Fans and Customers

But it’s all about me!

Wrong.

We could (and maybe should) write a whole post on shifting the focus from you (your brand) to your audience (your customer).

Even though we marketers are spending the big bucks and can feel entitled to talk about us and our amazing product, Facebook does NOT feel the same way.

They want user retention, remember? 

And retention means having a great experience on Facebook (aka not getting flooded with business offers – we totally get it).

This doesn’t mean, however, that we can’t offer our product or services on Facebook.

Facebook is a GREAT way to find potential leads and clients!

That being said, we should always make sure to share our offerings in a way that is engaging, entertaining, relevant, useful, and even fun!

Create amazing content – in whatever format works best – that your audience will LOVE to consume. 

Educate them, engage with them and make them fall in love with you – all without emphasizing on YOU.

*side note: Facebook ads are a GREAT way to sell to your ideal audience. If you want to learn how to target your dream clients on Facebook, we have a totally free challenge we’d love for you to join! Click the image below to learn more + sign up.

What’s Next?

This may all seem overwhelming and we’ve seen plenty of folks freaking out about this (from an advertising point of view) but our advice is simple: Continue serving your audience as best as you possibly can all while remembering that Facebook wants to bring people together through conversation, engagement and amazing content. 

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments!