Facebook's New Layout

When Facebook first announced its intent to make yet another series of changes to user interface, marketers instinctively began buzzing about what these alterations would mean for them. Some were excited about the new buttons, such as "Want" and "Own," believing that Facebook users would be able to interact more directly with each other. Consumer brands, on the other hand, recognized that the new interface could potentially enhance their ability to reach more qualified customers..

A recent study by PageLever, an analytics firm, surveyed the changes 300 separate brands on Facebook experienced. Across the board, PageLever found that companies were experiencing wider levels of exposure, though the number of messages being posted to individuals was reduced.

This is good news for marketers, who are always searching for new ways to expand their reach, as well as for Facebook users, who may openly communicate that they "like" a company but not feel the need to be updated on its actions several times each day. In fact, too many updates cluttering up their news feeds is among the top reasons many users choose to "unlike" a company page, even if they are fans of the company and its products.

"Facebook is showing you to more people but less often per person," Jeff Widman, co-founder of PageLever, told AdvertisingAge. "I would say it's actually much better for brand pages now. As a marketer, I'd totally rather reach more people every day [than reach the same people more often]."

With this interface change by Facebook, the new focus for social media marketers could begin to shift to finding new ways to create that initial exposure point for a social media user. With the new Facebook "Want" and "Own” buttons promoting a wider level of outreach, each individual user is a valuable tool for garnering even more exposure.

Semcasting provides a solution for social marketers with their innovative facebook microTargeting. Facebook microTargeting helps marketers to expand and target their outreach to influential individuals who can now provide further exposure by sharing among their own friends. The targeting works by using predictive modeling and extensive demographic and psychographic data from existing customers to create models of the most qualified prospects. Once these look-alikes are created, companies can use the models to target Facebook users based on their locations and their own interests. By tapping in to these influential individuals, a company can further its reach and gain an edge over the competition.