Facebook’s Price for Admission? Quality Content

Lauren Owens - August 28, 2013

Last week, Facebook announced an update to the algorithm that determines which posts get precious News Feed real estate, and which don’t. This new algorithm now places a greater emphasis on quality content.

For brands that are already creating quality content, this is great news – it means your Facebook posts have a better chance of being seen by your followers. For brands that are not creating quality content, it should be seen as a call to action.

What Is Quality Content?

Facebook, like Google before it, is interested in serving up the best possible content for its users. Before the algorithm update, Facebook says it surveyed thousands of users to understand what makes a post “quality.” They claim to have built their algorithm around those findings.

Some of the questions Facebook asked users about the content in their feeds include:

• Is this timely and relevant content?

• Is this content from a source you would trust?

• Would you share it with friends or recommend it to others?

• Is the content genuinely interesting to you or is it trying to game News Feed distribution? (e.g., asking for people to like the content)

• Would you call this a low quality post or meme?

• Would you complain about seeing this content in your News Feed?

In order words, brands that are creating thin, promotional or meme-based content are likely to be left off their follower’s News Feeds as the new algorithm rolls out.

Where Do You Go from Here?

If you’re not in the pool of brands celebrating the roll out of the “quality algorithm,” you’ve got some work to do.

First off, survey your posts from the last month. How many of them would you consider sharable, relevant or interesting? How many, on the other hand, are low quality, overly-promotional or meme-based?

Now, consider how you can begin creating content that will be relevant and useful to your users. Consider, for example:

• Who is your audience?

• What do they need?

• What do they want?

• Who do they trust?

• What will they share?

Then, begin to craft content that responds to your follower’s needs in a more effective way.