On January 11, Facebook made an announcement regarding changes to their News Feed algorithm, which will now prioritize content from “friends, family, and groups.” What does Facebook’s Algorithm Change mean for nonprofits? Unfortunately, it means nonprofits will see a decrease in organic reach to their followers.

The Facebook News Feed is already overly crowded as organizations compete for attention. This update to the algorithm will make things even more competitive. This change will force nonprofits to not only spend more time creating high quality content, but also increase their advertising budget for promoted posts. The good news is although posts will have less exposure overall, nonprofits have the opportunity to reach more engaged and high-quality audiences.

So, what can your nonprofit do to stay in front of the right audiences?

• Ask your followers to prioritize your social content and turn on notifications for your posts by editing the “Following” settings on your nonprofit’s Facebook page.
• Take time to create a social media strategy that not only spreads awareness, but also engages users.
• Post quality content that encourages conversation. This will work much better than posting a high quantity of posts all about the same topic.
• Share more videos! This is the perfect time for your nonprofit to experiment with videos and Facebook Live, if it is not already a part of your social media strategy.
• Increase your budget for promoted posts and ads. It is more important now than ever for nonprofits to know how to target the right audiences, and ensure the right people are being reached.
• Don’t forget about Instagram. Although no official announcement has been made regarding the Instagram algorithm, we predict Instagram isn’t far behind in making the same change. Your organization should be prepared to make similar adjustments to your strategy on this platform.

What Facebook’s Algorithm Change Means for Nonprofits By Michelle Defaz, Director of Insights and Systems, Sanky Communications