New Facebook Changes:
How to Get Your Stories Seen

On September 21, 2011, Facebook officially rolled out a new design of their homepages. Prior to the new design, both updates and stories were displayed in one main window in the center of your page. Facebook has now divided content that was all previously displayed in the center of the screen into two sections: The News Feed and The Ticker.

How Will the Ticker Affect Me?

We’ve known for a while now that one of Facebook’s algorithms, known as EdgeRank ^*, affects how people see content in their News Feeds. How users interact with your brand, how popular your posts and updates are (i.e., the amount of likes and comments you have) and what type of content you deliver all play a role in whether your updates ever make it to someone’s News Feed.

With the Ticker, your updates may be getting shoved into that tiny little box in the top-right corner. Facebook has radically shifted its focus from most recent updates to Top Stories. This change could mean your updates and stories are going unseen by your fans.

Find out how to maximize your brand’s exposure on Facebook’s new design with these three easy steps that won’t cost you a dime.

Top 3 Steps to Maximize Your Exposure

It is possible for you to maximize your brand's exposure on Facebook by following these simple and easy steps that won't cost you a dime.

1. Ask your fans to mark you as a Top Story.
   
   Post an update that tells your fans how they can be sure to get all the latest updates on their News Feed by marking your business’s updates as a Top Story. This can only be accomplished from the News Feed, but its effects are powerful.
   
   In the News Feed, hovering your mouse over your post will reveal a blue triangle in the top-left corner. Clicking the blue triangle marks the posts as a Top Story. When your fans mark your post as a “Top Story, they are telling Facebook that your business’s updates are important to them, and Facebook will continue publishing your stories on their News Feed.
   
   



2. Write short posts with headline news.
   
   Just because some of your fans will mark your posts as Top Stories doesn’t mean everyone will. And you’re trying to appeal to everyone, right? In the Ticker, the posts that will catch users’ eyes will be short, to the point, headline updates. The Ticker is very similar to Twitter’s news feed. It updates quickly for users, so they don’t have time to read long paragraphs. Create a short and exciting lead-in or headline and your users will crave to know more.
   
   Not-So-Eye-catching Post:
   
   
   Eye-catching Post:
   
   
   
3. Ask your fans to add you to their lists.
   
   Facebook has had lists for a year now, but lists are just now becoming important features. Users are now interacting with their lists more than ever, and they are relying on lists to keep them updated. Shouldn’t you be a part of that?
   
   Though it does take users a few extra steps to create a unique list compared to marking your posts as Top Stories, adding your page to their lists can be just as effective. Once your page is in a user’s list, every time you update, they will receive a notification that you’ve posted. Facebook will also know that this user values your posts and is more likely to publish your stories on the News Feed. It’s a win-win!

At the end of the day, none of these steps will matter if you’re not delivering compelling and relevant stories to your fans. The key to success is creating and distributing engaging content. These three steps can increase your visibility, but without good content, what’s the point?

Do you have any other tips you've used to maximize your Facebook exposure? Share them with us in the comments below.

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As always, if you have any questions relating to Facebook's changes or need help marketing your brand online, please call us at 501-374-4638 or toll free at 1-800-995-2747. Visit us online at AristotleInteractive.com.

^*Find out more about Facebook’s EdgeRank system.