Having trouble reaching your target audience on Facebook?

You’re not alone. Troves of small business are giving up Facebook as a free marketing platform.

Facebook pages used to be a great way for small businesses to advertise for free. Companies could previously build an audience for updates and special promotions by asking customers to “like” business pages.

Then came an algorithm update. Facebook dramatically reduced the free, or “organic,” reach of page posts this year.

A study done by Ogilvy & Mather found that page posts only reached 6 percent of followers in February. Some say that this number will be further reduced to 1 or 2 percent in the coming months.

The End of Free Facebook Marketing

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Facebook says that solution for declining page visibility is for companies to pay them money.

“Like many mediums, if businesses want to make sure that people see their content, the best strategy is, and always has been, paid advertising,” a Facebook spokeswoman said.

Facebook advertising can be a risky prospect for some businesses. This video shows how Facebook advertising can cause a page’s non-advertised posts to become even more obscure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVfHeWTKjag

Facebook Advertising is Not Your Only Option

Companies should not delete their pages or rush into costly Facebook campaigns because of the algorithm change.

Many marketers advise against deleting your Facebook page entirely because reaching a small percentage of your audience for free is better than reaching no one at all. Just don’t see your lack of reach as a failure.

There are several alternatives to Facebook advertising including Google Adwords, Tumblr, and LinkedIn. I recommend that small business owners figure out what networks their prospective customers use the most and start experimenting with small paid campaigns.

Don’t give up on posting non-promoted content as well. Experiment with different types of posts and see what resonates with your audience.