Facebook changes

Social media never stays the way it is for too long. In fact, as soon as we get used to some apps, features and functionalities, API changes once again. For those of you who don’t know, API is an application program interface, which in other words means a set of routines, protocols, and tools for building software applications.

Speaking of changes, just this past February we shared an article on the new Facebook algorithm and what we should expect from those updates. Today, we’d like to discuss yet another announcement made by Facebook on April 4, 2018.

Interested to know what Facebook API changes have been announced recently and how they may affect your social media marketing? Please keep reading!

Recent Facebook API changes You Need to Know About

Enhanced security and safety measures – At the base of the API changes lies the fact Facebook wants to limit third party applications access to your Facebook and Instagram account. To protect your personal information and content usage, a lot of those apps (e.g. Hootsuite, Buffer) need to adjust their functionalities to the new policy.
Third Party Apps cannot use the Instagram API Platform to crawl or store users’ media without their express consent. In other words, Instagram users own their media and that right needs to be respected. So far, a lot of affiliate platform functionalities that used like-based shopping (e.g. LikeToKnow.It) have been greatly affected by this update.
Facebook Login – if you don’t log in to your app in 90 days, the app will be blocked and you won’t be able to access your personal data until you re-authorize it.

For more information on API changes, please check out this article on Facebook for Developers and Facebook Business.

FACEBOOK’s COMMITMENT TO YOU:

“Innovation demands iteration; it requires constant change. And, while change is never easy, we believe the immediate platform updates we are announcing today will build stronger connections for people, developers and businesses in the future, while maintaining their privacy and security on Facebook.” source

Are you a social media marketer? What are your thoughts on these recent Facebook API changes?

Let us know in the comments how these updates affected your work.

Advertising Is Simple is a full-service marketing agency located in Wilmington, Delaware helping small to mid-sized businesses with all their digital marketing, radio and television advertising needs.

Advertising Is Simple | 302.407.0431 | info@AdvertisingIsSimple.com

It’s a fact. Social media is in constant flux. As marketers in this industry, our job every day is to stay on top of changes, which more often than not in result define and dictate finding new, effective ways of digital marketing.

Speaking of changes, if you’re one of the over 2.13 billion monthly active Facebook users, you probably already heard of the big announcement Mark Zuckerberg made last month regarding new Facebook Algorithm. If somehow you missed it, below is the full copy of the statement responding to the major News Feed update.

The question you’re probably asking now is how does the Facebook Algorithm actually work? Here’s the best way to explain it:

Screenshot from the Social Media Marketing World keynote session. Watch the full presentation here.

Well, if you remember the times when everything you posted on the platform was shown to your audience chronologically, we hope you know that’s a thing of the past. These days, Facebook News Feed is NOT based on time anymore. Instead, it’s all about the CONTENT you share. But not just any content…

Part of the new Facebook Algorithm strategy is to spark meaningful conversations among people, aka your audience/ page followers. In order to do so, Facebook now wants you to only post content that’s relevant and valuable. What it essentially means is that businesses need to rethink their digital marketing strategies and don’t solely focus on promoting a product or service they want to sell. What they should do is forget the numbers and shift their focus onto meaningful community involvement instead.

If you’re just trying to get a grasp of all the new Facebook Algorithm changes, we recommend watching this great Social Media Marketing World keynote session. During his presentation, Michael Stelzner, founder of Social Media Examiner and host of the Social Media Marketing podcast (also worth checking out), reveals in further detail how marketers should respond to the latest Facebook news and shares the hottest trends in social media based on brand new research from over 5,700 marketers.

WATCH: https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/smmworld/sample/

Some important takeaways from the Social Media Marketing World keynote session:

Post a mix of good content – don’t link just to your own website.
Post content that’s relevant and sparks meaningful conversations.
Educate, entertain and inspire but don’t spam. Less is more.
Shift focus on Community Development not numbers.
Invest in Paid Advertising.
Utilize “See First” feature.
Use Live Video consistently.

If you’re a business or a digital marketer who uses Facebook as part of your marketing strategy, we would love to hear your thoughts on this Facebook algorithm news!

Advertising Is Simple | 302.407.0431 | info@AdvertisingIsSimple.com

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