There’s a rumor going around among Facebook page owners that says something like this:

“Fans of pages need to like, comment or otherwise interact with a page by 10/31/11 or they will no longer see that pages updates.”

As with most rumors, this is a half truth. Let me explain…

Facebook’s mission

This is the mission statement of Facebook, as found on their page:

“Facebook’s mission is to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected.”

Facebook is making some changes, as you have already seen, but they are all to make this mission statement a reality, while enhancing the experience of the user. There is a key phrase in this mission statement that every business needs to pay attention to: “Give people the power.” What you need to understand is that Facebook is not designed around businesses, it’s designed around people. That is also the approach that you should take to your business page – it should be about the people, your customers, instead of about your business.

Facebook uses something called “EdgeRank” to determine how people-centric your page is. I won’t go into detail about this since you can easily Google it, but basically if someone interacts with your page (via likes, sharing your content, commenting, etc), then your page is more likely to show up in their NewsFeed than a page that they do NOT interact with.

No one likes commercials. That’s why we have DVR’s  to fast forward through them, and preset buttons on the radio to switch stations when they come on. Facebook is no different. If you’re page updates read like advertisements, then no one will interact with your page and this rumor will be true for you. But, if through your page you simply seek to get to know your customers, help them when they need it, provide solutions to their problems, and care about their experience, then you will never have a problem with visibility on Facebook – no matter what changes they make. Why? Because people will like your business. Not just “Like” your business as a Facebook fan, but like your business as a loyal customer.

Facebook Likes Small Businesses

Facebook is not out to kill the small business. On the contrary, small businesses are near and dear to their hearts. Here’s proof:

-Mark Zuckerberg’s (The creator of Facebook) father is actually a small business owner and has his own Facebook page. He’s a dentist, and you can visit his page here.

-Facebook has a whole section of resources on their site that are dedicated to helping businesses with their Facebook presence.

-Facebook CEO Sheryl Sandberg released this statement just last month:

‘Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy and we believe that Facebook can be a tremendous tool to fuel their growth and success.’

-Earlier this week, Facebook released a new update that actually gives MORE visibility to Facebook pages. Read more here.

I hope this information puts your mind at ease and convinces you even more of the powerful resource Facebook can be for you business. But listen, the key thing I want you to take away from this blog is this: You MUST be intentional with what you post on your Facebook page and you should NEVER sound like a commercial. Otherwise, you’ll be working against the system and your efforts will fail. If you need help figuring out how to make your Facebook page likeable, email me, post a question on my Facebook page, or tweet me. I’d be happy to help.

Brittany Botti