Social media posts are changing rapidly with each of the social networks. The days of just posting content may no longer cut it as stories, videos, and more evolve.
Not to mention, the old post it once and leave it days are long gone. Today social media is all about engagement with your unique audience.
It’s harder to get in front of a large audience as many accounts choose to be private or in groups only on various social platforms.
Now, you must promote and boost your social media posts along the way. It doesn’t matter which social network you use either.
From Twitter X to Facebook to LinkedIn and even Pinterest, the methods of social media posting are all evolving quickly.
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What Is A Social Media Manager To Do?
Keeping up with these changes is of utmost importance as what worked yesterday may not work today. Not only keeping up with the news but trying out the newer posting methods on one’s own social networks first is key to learning as you are doing.
Therefore, I’ve called my own social networks “the playground”. The playground is where I learn, test, analyze, and re-do all over again.
Then, what works well, I use it for my clients. What doesn’t work, I don’t use.
Of course, you must keep in mind what niche you are in. What may work in one niche may not work in another. It’s best to learn about the niches you work in along the way.
Oftentimes I do a lot of research in a niche that I’m working in as well.
Facebook Algorithm Changes and More
Recently it was announced that Facebook/Meta was making changes again.
The CEO has said Facebook in the coming years will be seen not as a social media firm but as a company focused on the metaverse.
And now, Facebook says it will allow users to have more control over their own feeds. “As part of this, people can now increase or reduce the amount of content they see from the friends, family, Groups, and Pages they’re connected to and the topics they care about in their News Feed Preferences.”
In 2022 Meta changed how advertisers target demographically. This made a huge difference in many advertising categories.
These changes affected options that refer to “sensitive” topics, such as ads based on interactions with content around race, health, religious practices, political beliefs, or sexual orientation.
As a matter of fact, I had a boost denied yesterday for the words “Big Hot Sale”.
What’s Happening With Facebook Posts?
It wasn’t long ago that Agorapulse wrote about sharing links in their Facebook posts.
They recommend you now do NOT use links in all your posts and put the links in the comments instead. (I’ve tried one with not-so-great results, more to come!)
Now, Facebook is putting greater emphasis on groups, videos, and more. Mark Zuckerberg at a conference emphasized the need for intimacy and privacy, turning from the idea of a “social media town square” to a “social media living room”.
Furthermore, the new Facebook interface places the focus on Groups, the much more private aspect of Facebook than, for example, public Pages.
The Events will have a more prominent place in the new version as well, with a new Events tab sitting right next to the Groups tab.
Facebook Video and Social Media Posting
Facebook’s updates to the video ranking algorithm will affect video distribution across the News Feed, Watch, and the “More Videos” recommendations. Facebook wants to ensure engagement with its videos in the newsfeed.
And now it’s all about reels on Facebook as they copied the successful Instagram reels.
“We will add more weight in ranking to videos that keep people engaged, especially on videos that are at least three minutes long,” wrote Facebook.
Videos are now being emphasized on Facebook if they are 3 minutes long and have original content. Even though you can make money by watching videos on YouTube, sharing from YouTube will get you nowhere on Facebook fast.
But hang on, Ryan Biddulph makes a great point on why you should still use YouTube.
I find Facebook videos perform better Lisa but that is where my tribe is. YouTube works well for SEO purposes. Think of your blog direction; do you want to go for SEO on videos, or to tap into your Facebook tribe?
— Ryan Biddulph | Blogging From Paradise (@RyanBiddulph) May 8, 2019
Facebook Messenger App
The other area of Facebook that will be changing is its messenger app. You can book appointments via the new app.
This newly redesigned app will also be able to highlight your closest friends and choose your current status. Fun or scary?
These upcoming changes will also make Facebook and Instagram more personalized social media services.
Instagram Updates
Instagram has been testing a new feature where people will not be able to like your posts. Imagine, Instagram doing away with likes.
Do you wonder why? I believe it has to do with all the apps created to have bots like this and that. Gaming the system is not what Instagram had in mind when they began their image social network. Yes, you can now hide your likes from your followers.
The videos from the Instagram desktop can be up to 1 hour long. A normal video on Instagram can only be up to 1 minute. However, you can’t post any reel videos from your desktop or any story features.
Speaking of reels they have updated the templates that you can use to create reels on the Instagram app like text transitions. They are also testing polls on reels.
Last, don’t forget about the Instagram stories video option – you have only up to 15 seconds to publish a video story. Stories are still a great way to generate some visibility on both Facebook and Instagram.
TwitterX Roll Outs Updates
Furthermore, Twitter X has not stopped with its recent updates. One of them is the ability to add a video or photo in a retweet or reply on Twitter.
Not to mention the recent Twitter camera that makes this network more like Facebook and Instagram. The Twitter camera apps give your tweet a “story feel”. As you can see below vertical photos will work best.
And just yesterday Elon Musk released the live video option in his own live X video.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 4, 2023
You can read more about the Twitter X branding and changes taking place. They are coming fast and furious.
Pinterest Updates To Make Shopping Easy
Let’s not forget the Pinterest social media posting. Back in March, they made their pins more shoppable. The updates there include personalized item recommendations for shoppers within the style, home, beauty, and DIY boards based on what they’ve saved.
In-stock product pins now appear at the top of search results, and a new “Shop a brand” section that appears beneath product pins enables a merchant like Levi’s to highlight other items within its own catalog.
Now, retailers can now upload their entire catalog to Pinterest to create Product Pins on Pinterest. Product pins enable consumers to see dynamic information about an item within a pin, including its price, availability, and where it can be purchased.
Consumers can click through a product pin to buy the item on the retailer’s website. This makes Pinterest better able to compete with Instagram’s shopping feature. Pinterest recently reported that a younger audience on their network is more engaged.
According to the report in Social Media Today:
In Q2, Gen Z was our largest contributor to overall engagement growth and the fastest-growing cohort, growing double digits and accounting for a larger portion of our overall mix. – August 1, 2023.
LinkedIn Coach
The new LinkedIn AI tool called “LinkedIn Coach” for writing relevant posts is now available. Not only does it write posts for you but it can write your profile and job ads.
Begin by accessing the tool on your LinkedIn account. Once you’re in, select the “Write a Post” option.
Next, input your topic or idea into the tool and let the AI analyze the content. It will then generate suggestions and recommendations for your post. Review the suggestions and choose the ones that align with your goals.
Then, incorporate them into your post, ensuring it remains coherent and relevant. Finally, proofread your post before publishing it on LinkedIn to engage your audience effectively.
However, imagine everything being automated on the social network by the coach. I’m not sure it would increase engagement. Have you tried it yet?
What To Do With Your Social Media Posts?
My advice at this point would be to use more videos. If you are extremely uncomfortable with video, then create images into videos with Canva or another service available out there.
At the same time, I would consider using some humor with some of your social media posts. You may have to be careful depending on what niche you are in. And of course, always keep humor in a clean taste!
Next, I would get more involved in Facebook groups and think about starting my own. Be sure to engage with others so they will in return engage with you. Keep your engagements on social media genuine. Of course, don’t spam in groups or you will quickly get banned.
If you are on Instagram spend a few more minutes a day engaging there. Not only will engaging give you more visibility but it will help you if the likes do disappear as Instagram is testing a no-likes Instagram feed.
Finally, use stories in your social media posting and marketing. People love looking at stories, they don’t want to miss out on anything. These stories disappear in 24 hours.
Of course, now the Instagram reels are all the rage as they compete with TikTok.
Your Turn – Changing Social Media Posts
I’d love to know in the comments below what you are doing to improve your social media posting with all the recent changes. Do you have a strategy in place?
Have you tried posting without links in your Facebook page’s feed? Or are you doing more videos? Let’s discuss it below.
She has 30+ years of experience in marketing/advertising with 12 years of experience in content marketing, social media, blogging, and SEO.
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Hello Lisa,
Social media is really changing with time. Facebook is responding by introducing algorithm changes to display fewer business posts and give priority to content from friends and family.
We can probably expect this trend to continue which means business owners will need to watch these changes closely and need to adjust their social media strategies to accommodate a changing platform. Eventually, thanks for revealing a light on this topic.
With best wishes,
Amar Kumar
The thing I don’t understand about Instagram and most of its users is that everyone’s talking about stories without talking about the video feature they already had. I like using that feature better; I can’t figure out why stories are so popular unless the majority are happy those videos disappear in 24 hours.
As it pertains to Facebook, even though I have a business page and a group page for diabetes, I think Facebook’s trying to destroy them all, to mold people into giving just what you mentioned, funny stuff without anything useful. I’m not sure that most of what I do can be considered entertaining, and I’m never going to get those viral numbers, which means my page and group will probably die a quick death. Good thing I don’t care as much about my personal feed.
Hi Mitch, people love the stories feature because of FOMO. Fear of Missing Out! They know if they don’t see they that they will disappear, like Snapchat! For the pages you really need to spend some money on doing ads. That’s the only way on Facebook and Instagram. Video also helps on Facebook pages, especially if they are 3 or more minutes long. Facebook reminds you of that if they are under 3 minutes. Have you done video on yours Mitch? I’ll have to check it out. You are right about the comedy / funny stuff. People love being entertained on Facebook too.
Thanks for your input on this one. Have a great day. I’m trying to recover from jet lag and travelling but I loved the trip!
I use humor whenever I can. But what I find gets the most attention is being vulnerable. With everyone showing off, being genuine really sets you apart from the rest. Explain your setbacks. But also explain what you learned from them. Not everything is jet planes and caviar.
Hi Hamilton, I like that – “not everything is jet planes and caviar”. I used to do that more here on the blog, write about my mistakes and mishaps. I need to get back into that one and I have a great idea for it, thank you! I hope you have a wonderful day and thanks for coming by and taking the time to comment here.
Hi Lisa,
It’s a great article, indeed! What I think about this topic is we should start using videos on social media soon. It’s a nice way to reach and interact with your audience.
I will start publishing videos soon on my social media accounts. As I am more active on Twitter and Facebook, I would prefer to use them first.
Btw, It’s the first time I read & comment on your blog. Glad to be connected with you!
Regards,
Aakash
Your video looks great, Lisa! I’m a big Instagram user and am not too happy about their changes, especially eliminating the “likes” feature. Don’t want to switch to a business account and pay for exposure! It’s hard to keep up with all the Facebook changes, too. Thanks for the info!
Thank you Debbie. We will see if their test ends up being what they actually do with the likes feature. You could keep your personal and make a business account. I wish I had done that but I made the switch and it’s been good. I love being able to see insights and paying for boosts now and then too. I agree, it’s been lot to stay on top of Debbie. I remember when we first started blogging, these changes would be every 6 months, now it seems every 6 minutes!
Have a great day!
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for the latest scoop on the changes going on with social media. I use Facebook a lot and I have been posting links in the comment section for the longest time. I am glad they made this change because it reduces spam. Furthermore, I like to pay to play on Facebook. Each time I have run a campaign, targeting people, Facebook hasn’t failed me yet. The opt-in rates were great and so were the purchases. Most of all, video is the way to go on Facebook and across the social media platforms. I have not been as active as before because I’m teaching people the how-to’s on a one to one basis when it comes to video. I’ll be back on track soon.
-Donna
Hi Donna, you are welcome. Really? I hadn’t noticed. I will have to take a look. Did you notice a difference in traffic or engagement with that change? I’m on it now. Yes, the targeting options are pretty good and pretty inexpensive. I’ve noticed Instagram costs more though. I’m with you on that, I have appointments for today as I’m ready to head out. I’m working on being certified by the state to teach social media. Lots of hoops to go through but I know I’ll enjoy that. Thanks for coming by and I will be emailing you soon about August. Have a great day Donna!
Looks like many changes coming, Lisa. I appreciate you sharing them with us. Personally, I’m still not a video person. It’s much easier for me to secretly read content versus listening to a video while on the job. And when on the go, watching a video can drain more cell life than just reading content. See, I’m still an anti-video person. I also don’t agree with IG losing the like feature. That bugs me! I know Twitter has been making some changes with the #NewTwitter and I keep trying it and going back to Legacy.
In your opinion, are these applications focusing more on businesses than the average person looking to communicate and get news updates? I almost feel that way. I know many that hardly ever get on Twitter anymore simply because the majority is links.
Sometimes I think if it’s not broken, don’t touch it. But that’s just me. I’m still the girl who keeps hoping the cell phones will be banned and we go back to the 70’s.
Thanks for the updates! The weekend is almost here!
Bren
Hi Bren, I was like you too about video until I was no longer in a cubicle. I want to learn to do them with the words like Neil Patel and Katie Lance, I love how they do them that way! I’ll get there soon I hope.
I have both for several Twitter accounts I manage and I’m liking the #newTwitter more and more as I use it.
Yes, you are right on about that Bren, It’s about these social networks making money! Right? It can’t always be free. They spend a fortune on the websites and services. Otherwise we would have to pay to subscribe to them. I still love engaging on Twitter.
I hear you on that, these changes are coming way too fast. I’m getting ready to train a class in 2 weeks and I’ve had to make changes to the presentation already 3 times. I’m sure they will be more before it is here. Thanks for your input on this Bren and have a great day. I’m happy to see the sun is still out here in our neck of the woods!
Hello Lisa,
Great Post. Social Media is constantly growing and we also see some major changes there. Facebook is now banning website links if you use it repeatedly. However, Facebook is still king when it comes to social media advertising as it have large audience base. I am also using Pinterest for quite some time now and it also have good potential to drive traffic. You are right Videos are playing a great role in web promotion espcially when it comes to social media marketing. However, I haven’t made any videos right now. But will definitely give it a try.
Have a Great day.
Vishwajeet
Hi Vishwajeet, thank you. It sure is! I didn’t hear about them actually banning the links? Wow, amazing! I agree about Pinterest, I am generating traffic from there now that I use Tailwind. If you want an invite for free do let me know!
Don’t be shy with video, I know I have been but I’m getting used to it more as I do them. More to come! Thanks for coming by as always Vishwajeet and have a wonderful day ahead. I can’t wait to see what you do with video.
So cool Lisa. I just watched your Facebook video previewing your post a few minutes ago. Then, I came across your Tweet. It’s why I do video daily and became super active on Groups, on Facebook. FB is giving juice and exposure to video creators and Groups. People love video on phones, and Groups are communities; we are moving toward community-based tribes more and more. Thanks for shouting out my tweet.
Hi Ryan, thank you. Yes, you are such a natural today on it – you could make a movie all about blogging! Are you doing more of the 3+ minute videos now and at a particular day and time? I just started a private group yesterday and am learning the ropes on using it, etc. I started it from my page. You may see an invite soon! Thanks Ryan and have an awesome day there.