What Has Facebook Gone and Done Now?

Thomas Dock, BS, CVJ
Managing Editor, Veterinary News Network
Manager, American Society of Veterinary Journalists 

One of the hottest topics in the social media world right now is a shared sense of frustration among Facebook Business Page owners.   About 4 weeks ago, Facebook (again) changed its EdgeRank algorithm, which helps define what individual users see in their News Feeds.  Facebook says that they are "continually optimizing newsfeed to ensure the most relevant experience for our users" and that "organic reach may be impacted".

Unfortunately for Business pages, this has generally resulted in a decrease in their reach and number of views per post, sometimes drastically.  Many page administrators are openly discussing that Facebook must be doing this simply to drive more revenue through Facebook ads and Promoted Posts.  There is a great discussion about how the changes have impacted Business Page owners here.

Many Pages are now posting something similar to what I found on the Texas VMA page this morning:

So, is there a conspiracy to get you to spend money on Facebook advertising and are there things you can do to increase your engagement on Facebook?  Will asking people to be part of an "Interest List" help?

I can't speculate on what is going on inside Facebook, but I did reach out to multiple people and companies to get their take on this latest move.  Without exception, all of my "experts" concurred that Pages need to continue to provide engaging content on their wall and encourage interactions.  Most believe that it is not necessary to pay to promote your page or your posts.  (On a side note, I am doing an experiment with Facebook ads right now and hope to have some results to you by the middle of November).  I have discussed some of the "Best Practices" for a Facebook page in past newsletters.

As far as the Interest Lists, I think one of my contacts said it best: "just because people make them, doesn't mean they look at them. I never look at mine. If a user creates an Interest List that ends up not being extremely valuable - valuable enough to click on regularly, you are still out of luck".  That was very telling for me.  There is certainly no harm in asking your followers to create one of these Interest Lists, but the real questions become A) Will they bother to do this?, B) Will they return specifically to the list and look at it? and C) Will it have any impact on your reach?  

Dr. Jim had a VERY valuable insight during our recent lectures at CVMA.  "When it comes to social media, like many other things, you really need to build your house on multiple supports, not just one or two."   So, if Facebook is frustrating you, maybe this is a good time to take a look at other options, like Pinterest, Google + or even starting your own blog.  It's even a call to re-consider reaching out to traditional media sources and seeing how you can incorporate that into your marketing efforts too.  The main take away point here is that if you haven't already created an account on Google + (or Pinterest, etc) for your hospital, go claim your name before someone else does!  You don't have to dive into that particular tool and use it immediately, but it does give you options if you feel that one support isn't performing as you desire.

Remember, here at VNN, we are working hard to keep up with ALL of the social media options that could be helpful to you.   We maintain a presence on most of the larger sites and can usually get some sort of answer to you if you have a question.  We also can connect you with other VNN members who may have experienced what you are concerned about and they may be able to provide some advice as well.  Don't be afraid to contact us and let us lend our expertise and assistance!

Until next time...

Tom

Thanks to everyone who has "liked" or shared our latest VNN video story, "Veterinary Technicians...Trusted Partners in Your Pet's Care".   We had a lot of fun creating this video and I think it really highlights the amazing work done by both technicians and assistants:

Veterinary Technicians - Trusted Partners in Your Pet's Care

As we transition from summer into fall, be sure to review our VNN Calendar of Animal and Veterinary Events for upcoming holidays, celebrations and observances.  This monthly calendar is a great resource for thinking ahead and planning any publicity or marketing.  AND...if you have something we need to add, just email me and I will make sure it is included!

As we reach the end of October, it will soon be renewal time for a majority of our members.  Most of you have anniversary dates that fall in Dec, Jan or Feb.   Over the next couple of weeks, I will begin to send out emails and communications to all members about the renewal process.   You can always check your anniversary date on the My Profile page at MyVNN.com, just scroll down to the bottom and you will see something like this:



Now...if your membership is within 45 days of renewal, links will appear to pay via credit card or check.  If you are having any problems logging in or if you have questions about your anniversary date, I am happy to address those, please contact me and we can sort everything out.  Again, it may be awhile before you start receiving your individual email concerning renewal, but I want to make sure everyone is aware and that I will be contacting you over the next 2-3 months.

Finally, both Dr. Jim and I STRONGLY encourage you to connect with our partners at Veterinary Payments of America.   These two guys are sincerely interested in helping you save money on your credit card processing.  Dr. Jim discussed their business in a recent Media Insider newsletter and I am happy to say that a couple of our members reached out to them, but we would really like to see if they can help more of our members, including YOU.  Josh Finer and Joel Hellman can provide a full cost-savings analysis by reviewing just a month or two of your recent credit card processing statements.  These are the guys that Dr. Jim and I are using for our own practice and I think you will find them to be genuinely helpful.