Chris Syme | Entrepreneur
Facebook is slowly but surely adjusting its algorithm to require brands to pay for exposure to their own fans.
Recently, a blog post from Weber Shandwick mentioned that a Facebook vice president had announced that the free ride for brands is over. Frustrated by the lack of reach Facebook was allowing on the Dallas Mavericks Facebook page, owner Mark Cuban tweeted that he was looking for another alternative for the popular giant.
I’ve been hearing the rumblings of smaller brands talking about leaving the platform for a while now. Many don’t have the budget to invest in promoted posts and Facebook ads, nor do they want to take a chance on investing in something that many claim doesn’t show a measurable return.
What’s a small brand to do? If you have been thinking that Facebook is not worth your time and money, here are three ways to boost your brand without it.
1. Step up your brand advocacy strategies on and offline.
Most small brands thrive on word-of-mouth. Companies such as Zuberance are dedicated to the message that spending time finding and cultivating people who already love your brand has a much higher pay-off than broadcast or reach strategies.
Learn about advocacy strategies and implement the mindset into your marketing strategy. Data indicates that the vast majority of people never visit your Facebook page after they “like” you, as brands struggle to build effective online communities on Facebook. How proactive are you at encouraging good customers to share your content?
People can talk about you to their Facebook friends whether you’re on Facebook or not. You can embed a “like” button on your website to enable people to share your website content on their Facebook page. The protocol isn’t drag and drop, but it’s doable. Encourage loyal customers to post positive reviews about your business on third party review sites (but do not offer incentives)
