Facebook Changes

November 25 2020

No More [Random] Location Tagging from Third-party Apps to Facebook and Instagram

Cassie Witt Digital Marketing, Facebook Changes, Instagram Changes, Social Media News 0

On November 2, Facebook rolled out a change to the API for both Facebook and Instagram that is, in a word, frustrating. Before you could attach a location that was not your own to an image, video, or even just a block of text you wanted to post from a third-party app. Now, you can’t.

I regularly used this feature to tag job locations for a client who refinishes and refaces cabinets to show that they not only did work in that area, but also that they could do work in that area. It helped answer a common question that they receive about what areas they service. It also allowed my client to show up if someone typed that city or town into search, which could lead to a bigger audience.

Why does this matter? Because a lot of Digital Marketers, Social Media Specialists, or anyone who is in charge of social media use third-party tools like Buffer, Hootsuite, and Sprout Social to help them save time. Third-party apps allow their users to create posts on their site that can be added to multiple platforms at once, or even scheduled to those platforms in the future. They’re a huge time-saver. Because these third-party tools connect through the API to publish those posts, this feature is no longer available to them.

To be clear you can still tag other locations when making a post on Facebook or Instagram itself. How many of us, Digital Marketers, though, use third-party software (like Buffer or Hootsuite) to schedule out posts ahead of time? Honestly, I don’t know anyone professionally, who doesn’t.

There is a sort-of pseudo-fix that Buffer has added to their platform. However, it only allows you to use the location attached to your Facebook Page (if you have already set that up). If you’re wanting to use a location that’s not attached to your Facebook Page, then you are out of luck.

So, your turn. Did you use this feature a lot? If so, what are your feelings on the fact that it’s gone?

September 22 2014

Facebook Newsfeed Update: Posts Get More Timely

Cassie Witt Facebook Changes, Social Media News facebook changes, facebook for business, facebook newsfeed update, facebook page, fan page, social media, using social media

Facebook has updated its newsfeed again. But this time, it’s looking at posts in your newsfeed in a different way. Most of Facebook’s newsfeed updates revolve around what type of content shows up there. This time, however, Facebook is focusing on the timing of that content. Here’s an example. Let’s say that one of your friends graduates. They post their obligatory parent/graduate picture. It gets a ton of likes, comments, and shares within the first couple of hours. It might continue to get more engagement throughout the day and into the next. Sometimes, the engagement goes a little further, but not much. This particular post was very popular in and shortly after that moment, but not really later on. In other words, the timeliness of user’s behavior is starting to factor into how often and when Facebook shows posts in your newsfeed.

Don’t Screw it Up!

Okay, marketers, I know we all like shiny new things. We love to hear about the latest ways we can squeeze just a little bit more out of something than we could before. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Just remember that this is not meant to be used all the time. You may get more eyeballs on your content, but it might not be the right eyeballs. Your goal isn’t to always increase the Reach of your Facebook Page, but to always increase the engagement of those people who really care about your business.

Tweet This: You may get more eyeballs on your content, but it might not be the right eyeballs

As a marketer you have the power to connect people with your brand in ways they wouldn’t have before. Use your power responsibly, and you’ll be more effective at your job.

Here’s How I Would Use It

First of all, this blog post is about a trending topic. So it’s likely to get more views because it’s about a recent news story. It’s also about a Facebook newsfeed change, which tends to throw marketers and social media managers into a frenzy. However, it is also very much apart of my brand and my target audience. Since I’m trying to reach marketers and social media managers with my content, it’s likely to be seen by those people. Remember this rule when you’re using this tactic on your own Facebook Page.

April 29 2013