A retort: why brands and publishers should stay on Facebook

As a social media manager, this is my argument against my colleague Ashraf Stakala’s — a Digital Project Manager — case for why brands and publishers should start leaving Facebook.

Algorithm changes: a win-win situation

Often Facebook is seen as a monster but I believe Facebook still has a lot to give. Yes, organic reach is currently at 5%, but Zuckerberg and his team still have the users’ experience as their primary objective.

This is something ALL brands should appreciate and work toward achieving too. The algorithm changes are about making money for Facebook yes — but it’s a business and that’s what business is about.

However, the changes in Edgerank are forcing all brands to up their game and improve the quality of their content offering. In my opinion, this can only benefit brands – when the customer is happy, you’ll be happy too. Right?

A sense of community and brand awareness

The Power Facebook yields in creating a sense of community for a brand is undeniable.

This hub of fans that gather online for several hours a day, enjoy banter with each other on your brand page. More importantly, they engage in debates you’ve sparked and this is what social marketing is all about!

It’s really taking your brand to the ‘streets’, the social streets that is. Remember, word of mouth? Yeah that.

Facebook is cost-effective

It’s a wonderful idea to think that every brand has access to the kinds of resources that are required to not only build their own platforms where they’ll own all user information. But, the costs in sustaining this are numerous because development isn’t cheap. Not if you want it done right.

Facebook is therefore the cheaper alternative. It doesn’t have to be a choice, either Facebook or not. You can make the most of the benefits that come with Facebook and still drive your own website, the one feeding the other.

Engagement and referrals

While Facebook users come to a brand’s site and spend less time commenting there, Facebook is still a HUGE traffic driver. It’s the biggest referral from social media and this is certainly adding and not detracting from the people who come to your sites via search engines and other sources.

Human behaviour is an important factor and you cannot simply scrap a platform that is such a huge traffic source. It would be like biting the hand that feeds you.

In closing, Facebook isn’t going anywhere anytime soon and brands will continue to leverage this platform for maximum exposure. So, if algorithms are merely a set of assumptions, then surely staying abreast of what those assumptions are is the formula for success?

Image: Marco Paköeningrat via Flickr.