The recent news that Facebook is reducing the visibility of posts on Business Pages has had the small business community in uproar.
I’ve seen people deciding to give up their Business Page, ranting about Facebook, worrying that all their hard work will now go to waste, and more.
It appears that posts made on Business pages could now reach as little as 2% of ‘likers’ – I have almost 2500 likes, so this means that my posts could potentially only reach 50 people each time I post. For someone with only a few hundred likers, this number would be in single figures – hardly inspiring is it?
However, there is an answer. It involves a little work on the part of the Business Page owner, but it’s worth it in the long run if you want to make the most of your page without paying for promoted posts.
Currently your posts will only appear in the newsfeed of a small percentage of your likers. But did you know that your likers can CHOOSE to see your posts and be notified when you post? That’s personal choice and Facebook can’t get around that.
The problem is that most Facebook members don’t know about this facility so you’re going to have to tell them.
How do my Likers get notified?
When someone likes a page, a drop down box appears:
If your liker clicks the ‘Get notifications’ option, a tick will appear next to it, and any post you make will appear in their notifications along with details of friends posts and updates. It’s THAT simple!
So what’s the catch?
Well, you’re going to have to let your current and future likers know. Which means individual messages to each of them, either telling them this or pointing them to this blog post (I recommend the latter 
) It’s going to take time if you have a lot of likers, and not everyone will take you up on the offer, but it’s definitely worth doing if it helps you to increase your reach.
What should I say?
A simple message saying something like this should do:
Hi, as you know, Facebook have changed their rules recently so that even if you like my business page you may not see updates. However, there is a way that you can ensure you see my posts – simply click on the ‘Like’ button and when the drop down menu appears, tick ‘Get notifications’. For more info on this please see http://www.nikkipilkington.com/how-can-i-get-more-people-to-see-my-posts-on-my-facebook-business-page/
A few of these messages sent out a day should see your potential reach increase massively.
I don’t have time for that!
You could use a VA to do this, or someone like me. I’m offering this service as a part of my ‘Let me show you Facebook can work for you – for free!‘ offer. I’d recommend sending out 20 or so a day and monitoring your insights to see how your reach has increased.
Please do share this post on your Business Page, and other Social Media, so all small businesses can see how to get around this.
And of course you can Like my Business Page and follow me on Twitter 
