HOW THE NEWFACEBOOK NEWS FEED AFFECTS YOUR CHURCH

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introduction

On March 7, 2013, Facebook announced its first major update to the news feed since the feature launched seven years ago.

The new look will be more visually-focused and based on Facebook’s research that shows almost 50% of news feed postings are rich in visual content.

What does this mean for how your church or organization shares content? We’ll guide you through some of the changes and leave you with takeaways to implement immediately.

a recap

On March 7, 2013, Facebook announced its first major update to the news feed since the feature’s launch seven years ago.

The new look will be more visually-focused, based on Facebook’s research that shows almost 50% of news feed content is visually rich. The less cluttered news feed is more organized and will feel very much like a newspaper with feeds you can customize.

The three biggest updates are: Richer, visually engaging stories, Choice of feeds, and Same look and features on mobile and web platforms.

8 takeaways to align your strategy with the new news feedAs we walk you through the highlights of the new Facebook news feed, it becomes clear that creating rich media content is one way to assure your posts will be seen and shared.

So what are the takeaways for your church? Here are our top eight!

Tip 1: publish [more] visual content

The new Facebook news feed highlights visual content, such as video and photos. Take advantage of this opportunity to increase interest and attractiveness.

Begin creating more visually compelling content. Think about upcoming posts and story ideas and what images, infographics or video could accompany them.

visually engaging stories

“Seeing comes before words,” says media theorist John Berger (Ways of Seeing, Penguin Books, 1972). Capitalizing on this, Facebook has made visuals much larger, allowing more focus on a particular post, as seen in the screen shot below. What will your church or organization do to maximize this new feature?

visually engaging stories

It’s not only individual multimedia posts that will appear dramatically larger. Now, when a user posts content, the cover photo appears much larger and wider. Additionally, it displays thumbnails of those who also like your page. This makes it vital for your organization’s cover and profile photos to communicate who you are. In one glance, what can a user learn about your community just by seeing your cover and profile images?

visually engaging storiesIn the new Facebook news feed, videos also get a facelift. The screenshot of the video post is, again, much larger. Faces of the people who like your page are displayed to the left of or below the video or photo posts. How will your organization use all of this new real estate for rich, engaging content? Perhaps you should start thinking about incorporating more video posts!

Tip 2: don’t forget to tell themBecause photos and video will now be the primary storytellers in your posts, you may want to reconsider the length of the copy [text]. Sometimes it’s appropriate to include a major part of the article in the post, along with a link to read more. Other times, you may decide to do an overlay of text on the photo instead of posting several lines of text.

However you decide to execute this, keep in mind that rich media will be the primary way that people engage.

your feeds, your choiceThe second big change is the ability to choose what feeds of information you’d like to view. Since users follow a variety of people and pages, from family and friends to favorite TV shows, personalities and news outlets, it’s important to give users control over what updates they see.

news feed types

news feedall friendsmost recentclose friends

musicphotosgamesfollowing

getting seen on news feeds

So how do you get your updates seen on Facebook? It’s based on EdgeRank, Facebook’s news feed algorithm, which includes these elements: AFFINITY, WEIGHT and TIME DECAY.

AFFINITY: the score between the viewer and the edge creator.

WEIGHT: how much action and commenting a post receives. In other words, the more a post gets a “like,” comment or tag, the more weight it receives.

TIME DECAY: how long ago content was posted. The longer it’s been up, the less value it has.

rich media = more shares

250 million photos are uploaded to Facebook every day (source: Jeff Bullas).  Hub Spot’s research team discovered that photos on Facebook pages received 53% more “Likes” than the average post.  

Want your posts to be shared and liked? Include: text, a link and a photo.

Tip 3: find the evangelistsBecause the new Facebook news feed allows users to choose to look at content posted only from friends, it’s wise to identify and focus on your evangelists — those who help you share the stories of your community.

If someone likes or follows your page and shares your content, their friends will be able to see. What are your most shared posts? How do your fans engage with your content? Continue doing what you’re doing well and your evangelists will help spread your stories far and wide.

Tip 4: make it compelling

Because of the way Facebook shares top-featured content, it’s a good idea to use Facebook to promote your more public-facing content, like your blog or website.

Common elements found in viral media include humor, trending topics, provocative content, surprise and irony. What will make your posts stand out?

rich media = more shares

We mentioned earlier that a photos-only feed will now be an option for users. As you can see in the screenshot from the demo below, the albums and individual photos displayed can help your church be even more compelling in sharing your message.

You now have the task of dedicating time and resources to creating compelling visual content for your Facebook users – or risk being unseen.

Tip 5: please reply

An updated commenting system aimed at improving conversations has started rolling out. Some page admins now can enable this feature on their pages making it easier for administrators and page fans to interact. Conversation threads will be re-ordered for relevance to viewers as based on positive feedback, connections and negative feedback.

Tip 6: don’t forget to ask

While the number of likes on your Facebook page may not be as important as the engagement that occurs there, getting a new ‘like’ on your page does increase your visibility and the reach of your page to friends of fans.

When someone likes your page, a new story is created in the news feed that shows your page’s Facebook cover, along with thumbnails of people who like your page.

Don’t forget to encourage people to “Like” and share your page and keep your cover photo looking fresh and inviting.

Tip 7: Facebook + Pinterest = winA survey showed that 98% of Pinterest users said they also have a Facebook and/or Twitter account. 

Pinterest has recently given their pins a new look, displaying bigger images. How will you capitalize on this new appearance and integrate this in your Facebook posts?

Tip 8: have you checked-in?

Location-based services are gaining popularity in the social world. Google+ has integrated Google places. Instagram uses FourSquare for location-based posts.

Facebook has made it easy for your church to be more visible as people check-in to your location. Are you reminding people to check in when they’re in the building for an event?

consistency across devices

Lastly, Facebook has gifted us with the same look and feel across any device we use. Whether on mobile, tablet or web, we’ll be able to have the same user experience and side bar navigation.

conclusion

The tips we’ve offered here are just the beginning of a new way of interacting with your audience through Facebook.

As you continue building your strategy and learning more about your current and potential audience, keep planning ahead and check back with MyCom for more updates and tools.

In the meantime, don’t forget that compelling visual content will help you be more visible and viral in this new Facebook landscape. Start planning now!

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