Facebook has been under fire as marketers seek better ROI metrics from the network, but new upgrades to the site help brands better position their content. In early November 2012, a Page Notifications feature was unveiled on the platform, which allowed users to view all posts from any given Page in one window. The feature works similarly to the “Close Friends” option for personal accounts, and funnels updates into a separate frame. The Page Notifications function helps companies ensure fans see important updates, enhancing brands’ organic reach on the network.
More recently, Facebook released a “Pages Feed” to complement Page Notifications. The feature is a news feed exclusively for Page content. Similar to how the traditional feed works for Facebook users, the new option compiles all of the latest updates from brands a user follows, and ranks those posts from most relevant to least important to provide members with easy access to information. The new Pages Feed button is located to the left of the navigation bar, and the feature is available to all users who visit the unique feed URL.
Facebook’s efforts to improve its service and make lead generation through the site simpler might encourage marketers to get more involved. According to MarketingProfs’ “B2C Content Marketing: 2013 Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends (North America)” report, 86 percent of B2C marketers will use branded content in 2013 to reach prospective and current customers, and 84 percent of survey respondents will embrace social networks to facilitate media.
The percentage of marketers planning to use social media and content creation in conjunction with one another raises questions over whether sites like Facebook can provide the ROI marketers expect. The report from MarketingProfs shows that 90 percent of B2C brands distribute content via Facebook, and the new Page features make it easier for businesses to get their content in front of the right audiences.
Content marketing is a growing practice among B2C marketers, and well-written blog copy often encourages social sharing Developing a strategy that speaks to the inherent needs of a targeted consumer base is the best way to reach prospects. With Facebook’s new focus on highlighting custom content, promotional efforts have the potential to convert a higher percentage of leads via the social site.
