By Kristine Aitchison
Author & Content Specialist
Facebook is still the world’s most used social media platform. However, the algorithm has changed, meaning the average engagement for an organic Facebook post now only reaches 2.5 – 1.5% of your followers. These days most social media platforms operate on a pay-to-play model, and Facebook is no exception. This means you can post all the great content you like, but unless you pay to get it seen it’s unlikely it will reach many people. That can be a real challenge for businesses with a limited marketing budget. So, is Facebook still relevant for businesses? Let’s explore.
Understanding the Facebook Algorithm
Each social media platform has its own algorithm. The algorithm is what determines the content that is shown in people’s News Feeds. How you engage with the content on Facebook is how the algorithm determines the content you enjoy.
Facebook has two feeds. The main feed and the reel feed. Each has its own algorithm. The four most important ranking signals that determine the content you see are:
- People and pages you follow and have engaged with.
- The type of content you interact with most.
- Posts that have high engagement, including content from mutual friends.
- And relevancy to users.
Facebook says there are two reasons organic reach is declining. Firstly, the sheer mass of content. On average, there are 1,500 stories that could appear in a person’s News Feed each time they use the platform.
The second reason is because of how the algorithm works. They’ve made some key changes, which they say have improved News Feed content. This includes showing people more high-quality content and cleaning up spam.
The Challenge for Businesses
The way businesses and marketers think about organic reach needs to change. Organic content still has value on Facebook, and pages that share content that is entertaining, informative, or educational can still show up in people’s News Feeds.
However, Facebook says your business will get greater value if you use the platform to achieve specific goals, such as driving sales or boosting downloads. Like many social media platforms, you can have great content, but advertising is the driver and will help you reach a broader audience.
With channels like TikTok and Instagram grabbing the attention of younger audiences, it can be tempting to forget about Facebook. While a strategic marketing approach will ensure you target the right audience on the right platform, there are several reasons why Facebook still makes a great marketing tool.
#1. Cost-effective advertising
Facebook advertising is ideal for small businesses and organisations with a tight marketing budget because it is very cost-effective compared to other online advertising platforms. You can advertise on Facebook for as little as $3 a day and still get good reach. Maintaining a strong organic strategy alongside your paid marketing is important, because you may appear inactive to your audience if you don’t post enough. However, you can successfully run Facebook advertising without any organic activity. Boosting high-performing posts is an effective strategy for businesses with a limited marketing budget.
#2. Disposable Income
New Zealand had 3.30 million Facebook users in early 2024 and still has the largest group of users between the ages of 25 – 44 with 52% of them being female. While these numbers indicate the average Facebook user is older than on other social media platforms, older audiences tend to be in a more mature life stage, which means, they potentially have more disposable income. This is important because they are more likely to make purchasing decisions, which is important for your business.
In short, Facebook is still a relevant marketing platform, and we do recommend keeping it as part of your marketing strategy. While it can be tempting to overlook it because of low engagement, it is still worthwhile staying active on Facebook – even if it’s just maintaining a presence. Alongside, a targeted Facebook advertising strategy, this channel can still work in delivering a ROI for your organisation.
NZIE has several great programmes that dive into Facebook Marketing – check out our range of courses here.
Written by Kristine Aitchison: Guest Writer and Content Specialist
Kristine Aitchison is a copywriting and content marketing specialist. Showcase your expertise with regular blog content for your website. Visit www.writeasrain.nz.
