How The Facebook Algorithm Has Hindered Your Growth

So you started your business page on Facebook a while back, but your reach has been decreasing. You may be asking yourself, what have I changed? The answer is nothing, and that’s the problem.

Society is continuously changing, and with it, so is social media. In trying to keep up with the times, creators of Facebook are adapting the algorithm to suit users feedback and current needs. In recent years, Facebook has promoted posts in individual news feeds from family and friends over those from business pages. So unless it’s a service you’re trying to sell to your Mum and her best friend, what you’re doing is probably not working.

Today, the Facebook algorithm focuses on relationships, putting posts from users frequently interacted higher up in the news feed. Also, considering posts popular with the user’s friends and family and recency of the content posted, in theory, newer posts do better.

Community platforms are becoming an increasingly popular choice over platforms like Facebook, on the Ugenie blog, you can read about the benefits and drawbacks of a membership business model to further consider moving away from Facebook.

The Differences In Facebook's Algorithm Since 2016

In the past five years, Facebook has been home to several changes. In June 2016, the site’s core values determined reach; posts from friends and family had top priority, followed by informational and entertainment value posts.

Then came December 2017, where Facebook began demoting engagement bait posts in the newsfeed. Posts that included polls and encouraged sharing and tagging would no longer perform well. Pages could still do these things, but they would no longer significantly impact growing reach.

The following January, Facebook began promoting posts that sparked conversations and meaningful interactions. You could’ve connected with followers, encouraging discussions under posts and being an active part of the discourse to gain traction.

Another change to the algorithm again promoting posts from friends and family was seen in May 2019, which focused on whom individuals interacted with most. If you were trying to reach new followers, you were pretty much at a stalemate.

What Does Facebook’s Algorithm Mean For You?

Since changing Facebook to be a place of friendships and togetherness, organic reach on the platform is suffering. From 5.5% at the end of 2019 and 7.7% the previous year, in 2021, it’s only at 5.2%.

It’s challenging to reach potential new followers without them already knowing who you are and having previous interactions.

Maybe Facebook is no longer the platform for you.

And that is why you need to tap into Community 2.0, which you can read more about on our blog.

Acquaint yourself with the idea that you need to move your community to a better-suited platform, such as Ugenie. We help people like you take their business from outdated websites to a platform that helps build communities and reach your best potential. Start your 45 day free trial now!

And if you're still not sold on the idea of Community 2.0, why not hear a message from our founder.