Is Facebook Committing Social Extortion?

Facebook can't seem to stop dropping organic reach. Reports are in that organic reach is going down to 1%-2%. This is Facebook's way of saying, "Give us money!" While it's understandable that as a business Facebook needs revenue of some sort, it's going to do this through a pay-to-play system. If you don't have the money for an ad or sponsored post, nobody's going to see you. Will this be yet another nail in Facebook's social platform coffin?

Again, Facebook has every right to charge. They can do whatever they want with their platform. It doesn't mean that's it's good for their users though. Back in the earlier days of business pages, those who paid got a leg-up. Buying an ad guaranteed exposure, but so did a dedicated fanbase spreading the word for you. When I started the ArtWorks page in October of 2010, I could reach audiences through having a loyal fanbase.

Now your page content is going to be hidden from the view of that loyal fanbase, the people who want to see your posts the most. In the social media world, where connection is key, would we call this extortion? You're paying to protect your exposure. There's no worry of anybody's kneecaps getting broken (yet), but your reach may suffer if you don't pay up. Quality can edge in and get the upper-hand every now and then, but the bar has been raised on the money hurdle.

An article I came across today outlines some very good pros and cons to this move. Cons include the focus shift going more towards old-fashioned Pay-Per-Click methods, as well as Facebook's role as a leader in the social media world and its potential influence on other platforms. On the other hand, it may drive businesses to take their social media more seriously, as the organic reach that does happen will be stellar. Unless you're in a place like New York City, jobs solely in social media content are hard to come by. The role is usually left to unpaid interns or stuffed into the job description of an administrative professional who has a whole office to attend to. When not there, if there is a budget for it, it's usually outsourced to a company that specializes in social media marketing (although those places make great employers!).

Buying a Facebook ad is still more affordable than buying a print one. All you really need is a dollar a day for however long you wish to run your ad. But what do you do if your budget is still too slim for buying an ad, or you are unable to access your company's or organization's budget for an ad? You could direct your audience directly to your page, where they will see all posts. Sharing also gives you exposure as your post will be placed under the profile of whoever shared it.

The other thing not mentioned in many of these Facebook-related articles is to keep yourself on other platforms. You don't have to be on every platform under the sun. Just choose the ones that will benefit your brand the best. If your brand is very visual, use Pinterest. If you want something Facebook-esque with greater opportunity for social engagement, get Google+. Twitter is also great for news blurbs or conversation. It's entirely up to you! Just remember that those other networks will help your strategy. Don't ditch Facebook yet, it's still one of the key platforms, but don't rely on it either.

I Love Google+

It's been a few weeks since I put up the Google+ page for Saranac Lake ArtWorks, and I love it! I'm sold.

Basically, as we all know, as of late it's getting tougher and tougher to gain exposure with Facebook business pages. Their algorithms are developed for crowd control, which is understandable with the number of businesses on Facebook, and the number of pages people follow. Unfortunately it leaves a lot of smaller businesses and organizations in the dust, particularly with the fact that exposure on Facebook can be bought. You either have to have money, or your audience has to take enough interest in your page or category, for Facebook to give some organic reach.

It's a good idea for brands to use more than one social network, unless that's specifically where your audience is. You can try out emerging platforms if you feel your brand is a shoe-in for them, but it's best to be where your audience is.

Google+ has been a great step in the process for the ArtWorks page. In the nearly three weeks the page has been up, seventeen people and businesses have added the page to their circles. That averages to a little less than one person a day, but for the region ArtWorks is based in, I consider that good starting growth. Especially since the audience is engaged. Looking at engagement in proportion to the number of followers, engagement is higher than it is on the Facebook page. Content is very similar, primarily because news needs to be shared, but engagement on Google+ is definitely higher. Very important when there's emergency announcements, like the film screening that was canceled tonight due to the storm.

The other fun thing about Google+ is that you can look for potential followers. Circles are also nifty because I can keep track of who is following and to what context, whether they're an ArtWorks member, or a potential fan. It not only engages the audience, it engages the maintainer a bit more than Facebook. Again, an experience I feel like I have to pay for to receive.

The Pinterest on the other hand is taking a while to get attention. I've confirmed that I don't have a personal Pinterest because I'd spend all of my time there. It's still an emerging social network for the Saranac Lake area, but I'm happy to say one of the artists in ArtWorks has an account and posts her work there regularly.