For business owners who run their online marketing through Facebook, any major changes to the platform often leaves these users gasping for air. “My marketing strategy was really effective as it was, I hope these changes won’t affect my outreach on the platform!”.
This is exactly how small businesses have been feeling as a result of Facebook’s changes to their mobile platform. Any major change to the platform can result in a need for users to totally adjust their marketing strategies as a result.
Here is some information about Facebook’s new update to their mobile platform, and what that means for small and burgeoning businesses:
Facebook’s Mobile Update:
Social media guru, thesocialmediaexaminer.com, reports that Facebook is making some big changes to their mobile platform. Facebook has recently rolled out an update, much to many users hesitance, that they will automatically be updating local businesses pages to a new template. What they are trying to do is make it easier for users to find local businesses in their area, in a simpler and more streamlined nature.
This new update has been a way for Facebook to increase the ease of access for mobile use, where more often than not, mobile is where many users will be engaging with businesses.
Think about your mobile Facebook and phone use when you are out and about in the world. This is the time where you find local businesses, searching for exciting new activities to do, a place to socialize with friends, or a delicious restaurant. Facebook is attempting to make the process of finding these local businesses on their platform easier and more streamlined, by updating their mobile templates to provide access to local businesses in a quicker and more efficient way.
However, not all small and local businesses are buying in to this update. One of the biggest complaints about Facebook’s mobile update, is Facebook’s recommendation system. It works in a very similar manner to YouTube's, after you click on a post or watch a video, Facebook will recommend other videos or pages that are similar to the one you just watched.
This recommendation software, however, is a problem for small and local business because it has the tendency to recommend the user to click on the page of competing local businesses. The tendency to advertise the competition has left many small businesses angered and dismayed at the recommendation system.
Facebook’s Mobile Update for Businesses:
If you’re not convinced about Facebook’s new mobile update, that's okay! You do have the option to pick your template or choose to stick with the mobile layout that you already have. However, you will have to make this decision ahead of time, having the foresight to have already considered your decision when Facebook prompts you to choose a layout change as a result of the update.
In terms of the recommendation system, the best option for local businesses who are upset with the current system, is to just wait it out! I know, I know. You are saying to yourself, “how can I just wait it out when Facebook is actually recommending the competition to users who view my page.”
Well the answer lies in that Facebook is trying to implement some major changes to the Facebook review system. In fact, there has been some speculation that Facebook is actually getting rid of the Facebook review system entirely, opting to replace the review system with the Facebook recommendation system.
Whether or not this major change to the Facebook review system will actually take place, the best option in this scenario is to give Facebook time to readjust its algorithm to the new recommendation system. Often times, with an update as large as this and in the early stages, these changes can be a little buggy.
For help with any of your social media marketing needs, contact Skigital to get help from our team of social media experts.
