This is a guest post from Nikki of Simply Striving:
I am technologically challenged. Most of it is my fault. So when I began hearing rumors of Facebook changes and the battle cry to do something about it, I decided not to run away from what I didn’t understand.
Want to know what I did? I spent time in the Facebook’s Help Center. I read Message Boards and other blogs who do get the techie stuff.
What I’ve Discovered about the Facebook Changes:
Facebook is using an Organic Promoting Process to determine which posts go into certain news feeds.
Likes vs. Friends
:: Fact: Most of us have “Liked” a lot of pages. Most personal Facebook users have over 100 likes. More than half of those pages post something every day. Then think of how many friends you have and how many post something every day (that you know of). Let’s face it…Facebook can’t put them all into our news feed.
A lot of factors determine the process used to figure out what makes the cut. They’re using some extensive algorithms to ensure no one is especially favored.
If I’m being honest, it looks like a pretty good business model. For them.
How This Affects Your Blog Page:
How active your page is impacts the algorithms used to determine how many will see your post in a news feed. The number that mentions “how many are talking about you”? It matters.
Before a post has any likes or comments, the algorithm factors in how active your page has been in the last week as well as the content of your current post. Videos and Photos increase your percentage for how many will see it in an initial news feed. The link to your blog does not.
When someone likes your post, the algorithm increases how many news feeds it will show it in. Comments and shares increase the percentage even more. Guess what, personal Facebook pages matter more than another blog page liking or commenting.
The Thing about Organic Promoting:
Activity is key.
If your post is gaining activity, Facebook will show that post on news feeds for friends of fans that have added to the conversation. If someone that is not already a fan responds on a post, the algorithm goes nuts. (I have a particular post that was viewed by more than 200%!)
Another Thing: When you have a fan that adds to your activity a lot, they tend to always be in the percentage that sees your posts.
What It Boils Down To {The Key to Increase your Facebook Traffic}:
Activity. Effort.
- You personally need to be active if you want to see more in your own news feed.
- You need to make sure people are active on your own posts if you want to broaden your exposure.
Is There Anything More We Can Do?
After talking this over with Jennifer, and testing it with a group of kindred bloggers, the answer is definitively YES!
We can take advantage of the new feature Facebook offers: INTEREST LISTS.
I like to think of Interest Lists as a news feed you can control.
- If you follow pages and you want to ensure you don’t miss anything, you may add them to an interest list.
- If you have a community of bloggers whom you want to help by increasing their exposure, you may organize an interest list to ensure you are seeing their posts.
How To Add An Interest List:
When you are viewing a particular page:
- Hover over the LIKED box –> select ADD TO INTEREST LISTS –> follow the prompts.
- You’ll need to create a category or list type, which would help you stay organized if you plan on doing this for a lot of pages you like. (For those who like pictures, below is a step-by-step)
When you want to view those particular posts from those in your created interest list, you simply click on that category on your sidebar (it shows below the groups you’re involved in) in a category titled “Interests”. Your news feed will then display the statuses of those pages only.
Why Bother?
We have the capability to affect the algorithms!
If we joined together as a blogging community and made the effort to comment, like, and share each other’s posts, we could increase the algorithms used for each of us.
Interest lists make this easier to do. They help ensure we don’t miss anything on our own news feeds.
Who’s With Me?
Do you have a group of bloggers you could approach to see if they’re willing to promote community and help work around Facebook’s algorithms?
We can make a difference.
Questions?
Shed them in comments. We can work through them together!
Nikki is simply a loved wife, blessed mom, mere child saved by grace who strives daily to live like she deserves it. She spills her heart on a blog titled Simplystriving. There you will find her journey of seeking joy in the everyday while simply striving to become all that God has made her to be. Because we’re all striving, stretching, sometimes struggling. Why not help each other along the way?
She would love to have you join her along the journey. You may find her on her Blog, Facebook Page, and Twitter.
——–Now…LET’S LINK UP————-
Welcome to our 10th week of fellowship! We don’t know about you all, but we are loving this time to find new blogs, explore some fabulous writing and encourage one another! Thanks for all who participate!
Now let’s linkup!
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We do have one request: no food posts. That is right. No recipes or anything focusing on food. We have decided there are more than enough link-ups with a focus on food. Let’s save this space for anything and everything else.
Use this linkup as a chance to promote your blog and allow more people to read your story. While we totally get it, and we couldn’t agree more (we love linking up too!), we do ask that you don’t just drop and go! Take a moment, look around, be still, and fellowship! We have found so many great blogs (and the women behind them) when we have taken a moment to fellowship with others.
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This post was happily shared with Faith Filled Fridays and Amy’s Finer Things, Weekend Whatever, Time-Warp Wife, Tackle It Tuesday, Our Simple Country Life, Delightful Order, Deep Roots at Home and Thrive at Home, Monday Musings, A Holy Experience, Miscellany Monday, Making Your Home Sing, Domestically Divine, On Your Heart Tuesday, Growing Home Blog, Titus 2sdays, MercyInk
About Nikki
Thanks so much, girls, for hosting and for these GREAT articles! I can’t wait till I can read them all and chew on them a while!
Auntie Em recently posted..Auntie Em’s Famous Gumbo
Oh I like how you think! Chew away friend, but be sure to let us know your thoughts and/or questions.
Leigh Ann @ Christian Mommy Blogger recently posted..The Key to Increase your Facebook Traffic & Fellowship Fridays
Yeah, Nikki! Your rock, girl!
Mandy recently posted..Is It Worth It?
Thank you, Mandy! And thank you for helping test my theory!!
Nikki recently posted..Stop. Look. Listen. ~ Five Minute Friday
Nikki, how lovely to see you here today!
Thanks for this very valuable information. I just want to put it out there that I’m fulling willing to like, share, and promote any like-minded bloggers status updates in Facebook. Also, I’ve been using GrabInBox as a method for scheduling regular status updates throughout the day. I do notice a difference when I’m actively posting on the page. Sometimes I worry that I’ll turn off followers because of overwhelming them with constant posting, but then I remember most of them aren’t even seeing it anyway.
Rosann recently posted..31 Days to SuperMom {Day 18: Becoming a Gardening Mama}
Thank you, Rosann! You are about 4 steps ahead of me…I don’t use GrabInBox or anything…
(If you don’t have anyone take you up on your offer, let me know! I’m already putting you in an Interest list, but I’ll see to it you get on more) : )
Nikki recently posted..Stop. Look. Listen. ~ Five Minute Friday
Great post Nikki! Thanks for sharing
Crystal @ Serving Joyfully recently posted..It is Written: Resisting Temptation
Thank you, Crystal! Good to see you here
Nikki recently posted..Stop. Look. Listen. ~ Five Minute Friday
Great post!!! Such valuable information!
One more quick tip – if you don’t want to have to scroll down or select “more” to see your list (yes, I am lazy), just hover over the list name, and click on the pencil that shows up. When you do that a drop-down menu will appear, and you can select “add to favorites”. This way it will appear right at the top of your lists on the left side of the screen – a special “Favorites” section. Then, no scrolling or searching!
Kayse Pratt recently posted..31 Days to Humility: Others
You are brilliant and resourceful, Kayse! Thank you! Clearly Facebook can work well for us as long as we take the time to learn all these tricks! And I have to believe they get easier and easier to understand with every new enhancement
Thank you!!
Nikki recently posted..Stop. Look. Listen. ~ Five Minute Friday
Thanks for adding more clarity to this recent FB change. I find myself disheartened, however. I maintain my business page completely separately from my personal page.
It appears that in order to maintain and grow readership, I must be willing to merge my personal life with my work life. Along that line, I did notice there is no “interest” button available when I am visiting pages I like from my “Too Darn Happy” page. Is this a correct view, or am I misunderstanding the change? Thanks!
Kim recently posted..Mom & Dad-I want to be a Navy SEAL, Part 2
I think you’re correct. I have created lists and made them private on my personal page so I can check in. Then, switch to Christian Mommy Blogger or Intentional By Grace when I see one I need to promote. It’s a little bit of a pain, but I’ve found this to work pretty well. Does that make sense?
Leigh Ann @ Christian Mommy Blogger recently posted..The Key to Increase your Facebook Traffic & Fellowship Fridays
I think so. I will need to noodle around on FB to check this out. Thanks.
Kim recently posted..Mom & Dad-I want to be a Navy SEAL, Part 2
I love it! Go noodle away!
I think that’s the only way to figure it out and find what works best for you. 
Leigh Ann @ Christian Mommy Blogger recently posted..The Key to Increase your Facebook Traffic & Fellowship Fridays
I am heading off to share this post in my blogging group. They are going to LOVE it since we have been talking about the algo a lot lately. Thank you!
Tabitha (a.k.a. Penny) recently posted..Weekend Potluck: October 19th ~ 21st
That makes me so happy, Tabitha! A group I’m involved in has been testing it for a week now and we are all seeing increased traffic from it. Trust you see the same results!
Nikki recently posted..Stop. Look. Listen. ~ Five Minute Friday
Thanks for explaining in such an easy to understand manner! As a blogger, I find that I definitely get more interaction when I put more effort into building those social media relationships with fans. It takes work, but it’s worth it!
Tiffany recently posted..Simple Savings Series: Packing snacks for school
Oops! Forget to say I was stopping by from Finer Things Friday!
Tiffany recently posted..Simple Savings Series: Packing snacks for school
It is worth it, isn’t it, Tiffany. Fans appreciate it when we make it personal!
Nikki recently posted..Stop. Look. Listen. ~ Five Minute Friday
Thank you for clearing up some of the mysteries about using Facebook to promote my blog. I’m eager to try some of these tips and especially to be more active with posting on my blog FB page.
Elaine recently posted..No More Wet Sleeves
Glad to hear it, Elaine! Enjoy the increased interaction!
Nikki recently posted..Stop. Look. Listen. ~ Five Minute Friday
This was really helpful…I have a question though. Do you have to do the “Interest” list thing or is it enough to make sure “Show in Newsfeed” is checked? Because that’s the option above the Interest list option…even if I check the “Show in Newsfeed”, am I still going to see less posts?
Elizabeth@Warrior Wives recently posted..9 Years Ago Today…
Great question, Elizabeth. Sadly, the “Show in Newsfeed” right now is defaulted for every page you’ve ever liked. And they can’t put every page into your newsfeed. If you don’t ever want to see a certain page but still like it, this is the place to uncheck. But if you want to ensure you see every post from a page, adding them to the Interest list is the only way to guarantee you do. If you’d rather not do that, then make sure you stay active on commenting on the posts they do display because the algorithm will then keep it in your mix! Did that help or did I confuse you more? I’m confusing myself!
Nikki recently posted..Stop. Look. Listen. ~ Five Minute Friday
Thanks…that does help. Why is Facebook so stinkin’ complicated now?!?! Grrrr….
Elizabeth@Warrior Wives recently posted..9 Years Ago Today…
THANK YOU! This post makes so much sense and makes me feel so much better about Facebook’s algorithm now. It gives me some things to work on, instead of feeling helpless.
Bonnie Way recently posted..HolyClothing {review}
Woo hoo! Nikki is a smart one
Leigh Ann @ Christian Mommy Blogger recently posted..Increase Your Blog Traffic with a “Tweet This” Link
Thank you! I’ve heard about these changes but wasn’t sure if it really helped to have my fans create interest lists. This was very timely! Thank you for doing the research for me.
Excellent! So thankful Nikki shared her knowledge with us!
Leigh Ann @ Christian Mommy Blogger recently posted..The Key to Increase your Facebook Traffic & Fellowship Fridays
Thanks Nikki. I am not as confused as I was the other day
I am going to spend some time on Facebook today and make some lists!
Barbie recently posted..I Hear You!
So glad, Barbie! Hope they work out as well for you as they are me!
Nikki recently posted..Stop. Look. Listen. ~ Five Minute Friday
Hi Nikki,
Would you mind telling me how much gluten free flour
to add to a GF pumpkin cake recipe that asks for 2c.
The gluten free flour mixture (in recipe) has 2c rice flour, 2/3 potato
starch, 1/3 cup tapioca four, xanthum. Am I suppose to add
2 cups of this mixture
or the whole amount
Think of the GF flour mixture as a separate recipe. Make it and then take 2 cups of it for this recipe. I make the GF in bulk and freeze it so I can take 2 cups out here and there as the recipe calls for. Yum!
This is great info! I am meeting up with some women that want to discuss the Facebook changes at Allume. I’ll be sure to share this with them.
First step is to understand, the next step is to develop a mastermind group….so much to do!
Diana Denis recently posted..LOOKING AWAY
Perfect plan, Diana! Wish I could join you on the mastermind group
Trust you’ll come back ready for action!
Nikki recently posted..Steady My Heart
Thanks for the info. I’ve heard a bit about this but appreciated learning more. The problem, of course, for so many of us is TIME! But praise God – HE is in charge of that. In the meantime, I’ll keep plugging away, learning great lessons like this and exercising my brain in the process. Always good for all of us, especially boomers and seniors like me. Have a blessed week
Kaye Swain – SandwichINK for the Sandwich Generation recently posted..Leaving a Sweet Spiritual Legacy With Faithful Thoughts and Sounds
This is so helpful! THanks for putting this together and sharing with us all! I’ll be sharing this for sure!
Glad you found it helpful. Thanks for taking time to encourage us!