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4 Reasons I Now LOVE Edgerank as a Fan Page Owner

Posted 03 May, 2013

4_Reasons_I_Now_LOVE_Edgerank_as_a_Fan_Page_Ownerlove-facebook-edgerankFor a long time I was a big critic of Facebook's Edgerank algorithm -- and was VERY vocal about it.

Like many page owners, I thought Edgerank was garbage & was ruining my Facebook experience.

Today, however, I'd like to make a statement:

"Hi... my name is Scott Ayres & I now LOVE Edgerank!"

Glad I got that off my chest.

Why Do I Now Love Edgerank?

This shift in my thinking didn't happen overnight -- and honestly it was a surprise to me.

I guess it's easier to be a hater.

But now that we're officially reconciled, let me tell you why I changed my mind.

4 Reasons I Now LOVE Edgerank as Page Owner

1. Edgerank Rewards Pages w/Good Content -- Punishes Bad

The main goal of a Facebook page is to get engagement -- and to turn engaged fans into customers.

rewardrewardThe best way to get engagement is by posting good content -- ie. content that's relevant, appealing & has a call to action.

It's simple:

  • if you post good content, you get rewarded with better Edgerank & your posts get seen more in the news feed
  • if you post crap content, you get punished with worse Edgerank & your posts don't get seen

As a page owner, this is fantastic news!

To master Edgerank, all you have to do is post good content. :)

2. Without Edgerank, You're Drinking from a Fire Hydrant

Drinking From The Fire Hydrant

Twitter & Google+ don't use an algorithm to limit or optimize the posts you see in their news feeds.

This makes it nearly impossible to keep up with anything there.

For example, I follow about 700 Twitter accounts from my personal account. Even with that low number, I still can't keep up with every post that comes through.

The stream is constantly moving & I probably catch about 1% of it on any given day -- even though I keep TweetDeck open all day.

On Facebook I've:

  • liked around 3000 pages
  • friended about 650 friends
  • followed about 300 people
  • followed dozens of groups & lists

If every post from every connection came through in my news feed, I'd probably lose my mind -- and probably hate Facebook.

Instead, Edgerank makes sure I see a filtered view of posts from the people, pages, & groups I engage most.

Again, as a page owner this is fantastic news!

Why?

Because as long as you're posting good content, your page's posts will get seen by the fans most interested in your product/service.

Sure, there are reports -- even from Facebook -- that only about 16% of fans see any given post. And yes, when this was announced, marketers worldwide cried foul & got ticked off -- myself included.

hard-work-facebookWe worked diligently to get our fans -- why should only 16% get to see our posts?!

The truth is -- 16% is just an average.

Pages doing things the right way (posting good content) will see a higher -- sometimes much higher -- percentage.

But still... 16% is a good number, IMHO. It means about 1 in 6 fans see your posts & get the opportunity to engage.

On Twitter you're lucky if 1 in 100 followers sees your posts.

So embrace the filtering -- and again, post great content so more than 16% of your fans see your posts.

3. Edgerank is a Customized View

Facebook -- more than any other social network -- wants you to have a great experience on their site.

They achieve this goal via Edgerank.

Guess what?

Yep, this is fantastic news!

As a user it's awesome because you see (mostly) what you're interested in. So you love being on Facebook.

As a page owner it's awesome because your fans (like you) love being on Facebook -- and will be more likely to see & engage with your posts.

If users had to constantly scroll & chase posts to engage, they'd have a miserable experience & your posts would never been seen or get responses.

Are you embracing Edgerank yet?

4. Edgerank Keeps Users Engaged

Yes, I "see" every post made on Twitter and Google+... but do I engage with all of them?

Nope.

In fact I couldn't do so even if I wanted to -- because the stream moves too fast.

With a focused & filtered news feed, users are more likely to engage with the content that shows up in it.

huge-facebook-menu

When I go to a restaurant & the waitress hands me a 10 page (front & back) menu I get overwhelmed. I spend the next 10 minutes never truly looking at the menu items because there are too many choices.

When it's time to order I just order something I know I like & never try anything new.

Facebook is the same.

If users see too many posts in their news feed, they stop engaging because they don't have enough time to add valuable input.

Think of the Edgerank filtered news feed like ordering at Chipotle -- you only have a few choices to start (bowl, burrito or tacos), then you choose your meat and toppings. That's it.

Simplified. Streamlined. Optimized. Customized.

That's the beauty and power of Edgerank.

And that's why I've begun to embrace it.

Who's With Me?!

Are you on my side yet as a cheerleader for Edgerank?

Maybe not today, but if you're a smart marketer you will be soon.

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