Social networks, such as Facebook, provide platforms which allow for rapid information sharing. Facebook specifically exacerbates the spread of information with algorithms which prioritize new, fresh, and popular content. While this feature is fantastic for spreading new and exciting information, it does not lend itself easily to branding content. In fact, recent data from Visible Measures shows that videos uploaded to Facebook receive 95% of views in the first week.
The primary focus of Facebook is to find and establish relationships with like-minded individuals, favorite celebrities, and brands. The search feature of Facebook has evolved over the years, but it has always been designed to allow users to locate other users. Brian Shin, CEO of Visible Measures, would prefer that the search engine be more advertiser-friendly. He says, “The search box is pretty much the first thing you see on Facebook on mobile and desktop. But people only do Facebook searching by name; being able to search by keyword or topic, that could solve the conundrum for marketers who want their entire portfolio [of videos] to be watched.”
It is possible for a marketer to have their entire portfolio watched currently, without Facebook changing anything, and many pages have successfully developed loyal fans. It requires that the promoter work with the algorithms currently in place, but more importantly, it requires the promoter to work with the fans themselves. Marketing is no longer a matter of simply plugging in the right formula and blasting a brand name into the collective consciousness. Successful social media marketing requires dedication to entertainment, new or re-packaged information, and active engagement.
However, Mark Zuckerberg has announced plans to develop Facebook’s search engine. Unlike Google or Youtube, his focus remains on the interpersonal connections of social media. Over the next five to ten years, Facebook will be creating a search engine which goes beyond keywords and phrases, into the fuzzier territory of meaning and intention.
Early tests of Graph Search indicate a goldmine of information to come. Zuckerberg commented, “So the first release [of Graph Search] indexed more than a trillion connections between all the people and interests and events and groups and things that everyone was connected to […] a trillion pieces of content is more than the index in any web search engine.”
Facebook is shaping up to be the most powerful marketing force on the planet, though it will take time to reach its full potential. In the meantime, advertisers have options for promoting their videos. One option allows marketers to only pay for ads which are 100% in view, while another only requires advertisers to pay if the user clicks the link in the ad. Facebook has also launched a suggested video feature, which is already allowing brands to show more of their content in a condensed space.
