Facebook Algorithm Change Increases Brand Reach in News Feed (Maybe…)

After months of hearing complaints from brands regarding the huge drop in reach on Facebook, it looks like Facebook is giving us the opportunity to get a few of those precious brand impressions back.  Well, maybe.  You’ll just have to make sure your legal team is cool with you using other brands’ trademarks or celebrity personalities in your social media marketing efforts without permission. So, uhm, thanks, Facebook?

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Tagging Other Brands Increases Facebook Reach

As of yesterday, when a Page tags another brand or celebrity Page in a Facebook post, that content will surface in the Facebook News Feed for people who Like either Page.

For example, when Brand A tags Brand B in a Facebook post, Brand A’s post will now organically show up in the News Feed for Brand B’s fans even if Brand B’s fans do not Like Brand A.

Of course, there’s still that pesky News Feed algorithm that will determine which of Brand B’s fans get served up Brand A’s post but the change means potential for Brand A to significantly increase its organic reach among non-fans.

Easy Way to Increase Organic Reach On Facebook?

Sounds simple right? Just start tagging away and your organic reach will explode! (Here’s a short list of the most Liked brands on Facebook to make your job easy, peasy!)

Okay, wait. Seriously, stop. Before you do this, go talk to your legal team. I know, I know, you’re a smart social media marketer and they don’t even know how to log into The Facebook. However, they probably know a thing or two about ad law and, assuming you’re posting to Facebook on behalf of a brand in order to reach consumers with that brand message, you are marketing and those silly laws apply to everything you say.

What you’ll likely hear from your favorite corporate lawyer is that the precedent on many social media marketing topics is less than established, so some brands are comfortable taking the risk of mentioning celebs or other brands in their daily social content.  Others are more conservative and interpret these mentions as an implied endorsement or unauthorized use of another brand’s trademark or a celebrity’s likeness.

So, Can We Tag Another Brand on Facebook or Not?

We’re advising our clients to apply the same rules they are already following when it comes to mentioning other brands or celebs on Twitter.

If your legal team prefers the conservative approach to mentioning others in social media content, requiring a partnership or other form of permission to do so, then you’ll need to add this to your list of asks for influencer engagements, media partners and celebrity sponsorships.

However, if your legal team has advised you the risk is low enough that mentioning other brands or celebs in your Twitter content is okay under certain circumstances then you’re probably okay to do the same on Facebook. It basically works the same.

LONG-WINDED LEGAL DISCLAIMER THAT WAS NOT WRITTEN BY A LAWYER: Ignite Social Media does not provide legal advice and nothing in this blog post is intended to serve as legal advice for you or any brand you represent. We are simply marketers with our hearts set on transforming the marketing world through social media. So, while we’d prefer to break every rule in the book just to earn a little buzz, our lawyer friends protect us from getting ourselves in trouble. Thanks guys! 



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