We’re living in a digital world these days, and social media is where many people are spending their time online. More than half of small businesses in the U.S. are using Facebook, so it’s important for your practice to stand out from the crowd. With frequent changes to the social media landscape, this might seem difficult, but Fuel Medical Group is here to help you adapt to this ever-evolving online world.
The algorithm is always evolving
The Facebook algorithm launched in 2006, and like anything, it’s natural that there have been changes in 16 years. According to Buffer, the algorithm has seen almost 70 changes since it was created.
The goal of the algorithm is to show users content that appeals to them and keeps them on the platform longer. It does this by scoring each post based on factors like
- Whether it’s a text post, photo, video or link
- How frequently a person interacts with the account
- How someone interacts with similar posts
The highest scoring content appears at the top of a person’s Facebook News Feed.
It’s about quality rather than quantity
A decade ago, posting frequently was the name of the game.Sharing articles related to trending topics resulted in more users seeing your content. Now, however, these types of posts have seen a significant decline in reach and engagement.
The Facebook algorithm is giving priority to engaging and original content rather than frequent posts — and that’s where our new social media offerings come into play.
Create meaningful interactions with your patients, and potential patients
By expanding the reach of your posts, you’ll be better able to connect with both new and already established patients. Social Sprout found that 68% of users want to engage with images, and 50% want to engage with videos, which is why this type of content is a key part of Fuel’s new social media packages. When users like, comment and share these posts, this tells the algorithm that they are relevant.
Focusing on content that is specific to each practice will also facilitate authentic and engaging conversations with your followers as they respond to posts about new providers, practice news and significant milestones. The more custom posts that are shared, the more opportunities you have to build relationships with your followers. Because Facebook strives to “bring people closer together and build relationships,” these interactions will help your posts reach the top of your followers’ news feeds.
What’s included in Fuel’s updated social media packages?
Fuel will be launching new social media packages for members in May 2022 in response to changes at Facebook. These updated options will allow practices to better connect with patients and potential patients online.
Fuel is phasing curated articles out of the social media service packages and will replace them with enhanced social media content like videos and infographics. The new packages will also focus on practice-specific content, which has always been the highest performing type of post for Fuel members.
The new content will be a mix of custom, practice-specific and seasonal content. The custom content will include office updates, announcements, milestones and provider introductions. The Fuel-created content will include:
- Seasonal topic posts
- Infofacts (single fact infographics)
- Animated video
- Health awareness
- Holidays
The higher-level packages include more opportunities to connect with your followers.
“I’m excited for this change because it will allow us to work more efficiently with members in providing a custom social media experience for their audiences,” said Kimberly Espinoza, a social media specialist at Fuel. “These changes in social media services will enable Fuel to better help members meet their goals by providing enhanced content.”
Contact your regional team today to get started with Fuel’s new social media packages.