Graph Search Lends Sophistication for Facebook
With the recent changes and additions to Facebook, mastering your Facebook strategy couldn’t be more important in 2013. In 2012 Facebook surpassed more than 1 billion active users. If you’re looking to target your consumers where they’re at, it’s most likely on Facebook.
So What’s New in 2013?
Mark Zuckerberg gave a big announcement on January 15 to introduce a third pillar to the lineup of Timeline and Newsfeed: Graph Search. To recap, Timeline got its debut in December 2011 and gave a whole new meaning to the digital autobiography. Newsfeed has been around for a lot longer (since 2006), but got a spark of attention when Facebook updated its EdgeRank Algorithm – the formula that determines what shows up in your Newsfeed based on importance and interest to the user – in September 2012.
The newest pillar is one that could have huge benefits to brands. Still in beta, Graph Search is a more sophisticated search feature that allows you to tailor your search to find even more information on Facebook. For example, you could search for “friends who live in San Francisco, California” and Facebook would bring you search results of friends who have chosen to share that information with you.
But How Will This Impact Brands?
Even though Graph Search will take time to reach all users (you must join the waitlist currently), it will give brands a reason to remain engaging on the platform. Too often Facebook strategies fall flat because brands don’t focus enough on content. Graph Search will open the opportunity to target users who don’t visit your page often or haven’t yet liked your page.
Brands will want to gain as many Likes as they can in order to increase the chance that it appears in the search results. For instance, if a user is looking for a new restaurant to try in their local area, Graph Search will bring a list of restaurants that have been liked by the user’s friends. This brings new exposure to your business, opportunities for conversation and more fans to endorse why they love your brand or company.
Take Away
The key here will be to keep your information current and updated, focus on engaging posts, generate Likes, and simply watch how the beta version does with users.
Once Graph Search increases in users, how will your company revise your Facebook strategy in 2013? Check out Strategic America’s Facebook page.
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