We cover the latest Facebook changes that will impact your business. There are some big changes happening on Facebook right now, so you know how, when and if they will affect you.

What happened with Facebook January 11th and what has been the fallout?

• Mark Zuckerberg made a big announcement that has since changed the way that posts are shared with your friends and family.
• With the change in the algorithm, came some revealing issues that have Facebook in some trouble.
• Data has been misused by third-party applications like Cambridge Analytica, and Mark Zuckerberg had to answer to Congress about how that information was shared.
• The privacy settings on Facebook were overhauled to make them easier to use so you can now see all of your privacy settings in one place. Click here to review your privacy settings on Facebook.

How does this change at Facebook impact you?

• Outside of Facebook, you may experience less functionality to engage with friends in third-party apps.
• Facebook ads will still be available and unchanged.
• Other non-US countries may move more quickly to protect privacy. GDPR is a new standard in the UK where certain rules apply to recipients in the UK. For more information, read Kirsten Oliphant’s great post about this and listen to the Podcast, see the link below.
• Facebook is shifting to a focus on groups, community building and authentic connections. They’re pushing for tighter connections and an extra layer of relationship beyond sales.
• The more you build relationships, the better you’ll perform in any social media channel

“At its best, Facebook has always been about personal connections. By focusing on bringing people closer together — whether it’s with family and friends, or around important moments in the world — we can help make sure that Facebook is time well spent.” – Mark Zuckerberg

What are authentic connections on Facebook?

• If friends join communities together, they will get notifications when their friends post in the group.
• Asking questions on Facebook is currently driving engagement, but currently, adding links lowers the effectiveness of the post.
• It is important to make sure the people in your groups understand that they are an essential part of the group.
• Live streaming video drives engagement right now, especially when there is a lot of engagement such as comments, likes, and shares.
• Non-salesy educational Facebook Ads or ads against already well-performing content will be served more often and better. Look at your well-performing content and run an ad against it.

What are inauthentic connections on Facebook?

• Apps using your friends’ data to sell them stuff
• Anything that requires an O-Auth with Facebook
• Spammy or Sales Groups: Hate Groups, Low Quality, and Spammy Groups, Pay to Join Groups.
• If you have a group as an add-on, make sure you have your course materials set up somewhere else like Thinkific or Kajabi, even if your community isn’t leaving Facebook to get the material.
• Using Facebook Messenger in a spammy manner
• Using Facebook Ads in a spammy way
• Product and service sales groups

What is coming up in the near future on Facebook?

• Rumors of a fee structure or ad cost for business groups.
• Facebook will continue to be under pressure to clean up their act as it pertains to privacy and data.
• Facebook will be making any changes needed to avoid regulation, so keep an eye on your account and in the Communities That Convert Facebook community for changes.

Tools, Resources, Apps, and Links Mentioned:

• Facebook Privacy Basics Page
• See where on Facebook you have been tagged
• Facebook Announcement
• What Facebook Says It Is Doing to Protect You
• GDPR FAQS. Kristen Oliphant
• Tips for GDPR Compliance and Why Data Matters
• BeLive
• Facebook Is Shutting Down Its API For Giving Your Friends’ Data To Apps 
• Thinkific
• Disqus
• Kajabi
• ManyChat 
• Messenger Limitations for Chatbot Developers
• Facebook is Not Allowing New Chatbots on It’s Platform
• Announcement: The Messenger Bot Pause is Over

Take Action

Share with us in our Facebook community what is working and what isn’t working in your Facebook marketing right now. Have you noticed a difference?

How to reach Kami:

If you’d like to learn more about Kami Huyse, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at [email protected] or tweet to @kamichat.

How to reach Madalyn:

If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn Sklar, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at [email protected] or tweet to @MadalynSklar.

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