Facebook implement changes to compete with Google

It is not unusual for Facebook’s site changes to cause controversy between their users but with the recent release of Google Plus as a public network their decision to make these sudden changes could be considered a risk on their part.  Their decision to force users to see “top news” first on their homepage appears to have alienated a large amount of their market which seems to have migrated to Google Plus in its wake. Facebook has further enraged it’s users by implementing a box, or “ticker”, keeping you up to date with every comment a friend makes across the whole site. 

Still, Facebook’s rash decisions do have repercussions for followers of social media marketing. Engagement will now be the key resource of social media optimisation with there being ever more pressure for owners of fan pages to appear on users feeds. The decision to shop “Top News” first on a users home feed means that it is important to increase user interaction in order to appear in the Top News on a friend’s feed. The ticker also provides ample chance to be noticed by relaying every post  a users friend makes in real time. This means that if a user leaves a post on your fan page it is likely to come up in their friends’ tickers, potentially increasing awareness of your page.

Whilst Facebook’s changes may have promising effects on social media marketing it is still unclear from their fan’s reactions whether the recent Facebook adaptations are here to stay. There have been reports that Google has increased its average daily use per user from 10 minutes to 13.55 in recent weeks whilst daily usage time on Facebook has dropped from 30 minutes to just 25.
 
Google Plus’ hybrid take on social networking, combining elements of Facebook with Twitter, has made it clear that social media optimisation has changed from simply encouraging the click of a “like” button to placing more importance on user engagement. Facebook’s decision to follow suit in the downplaying of their like button seems to be enforcing this further.

Whoever wins the social networking battle, SEO Junkies’ social media optimisation team look forward to seeing what changes it will hold for the world of social media marketing.

To find out more about how social media optimisation can increase your brand awareness contact SEO Junkies on 0845 373 0595 or sales@seojunkies.com