I need your help with the So Sew Easy Facebook page. Have you heard of the term ‘algorithm'?
al·go·rithm
ˈalɡəˌriT͟Həm/
noun
a process or set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving operations, especially by a computer.
“a basic algorithm for division”
It's a set of rules that a computer program uses, and is typically used these days to describe how posts and articles are displayed when you search for things such as the Google Search Algorithm, and it decides what results to show you based on a number of factors.
Facebook has an algorithm too, and it uses those rules to decide what articles to show in your news feed. Have you noticed recently that you are seeing the same posts from your friends over and over again, or seeing all sorts from certain people and then nothing at all from half of your friends? If you go to their pages, they have been posting, but Facebook has decided that you aren't interested in them and don't show their status updates in your news feed any more.
Well the same applies to the So Sew Easy Facebook page too. Over 35,000 people have ‘liked' the page, which is great, thank you. But of those people how many do you think Facebook actually shows the status updates to? Half? 25%? 10%?
On a typical status update, Facebook initially shows that update to less than 1% of the people who follow So Sew Easy. Usually less than 200 people. That's just sad. Sad for me when I'm trying to share great sewing content with you and sad for those who signed up to follow along but aren't being shown the updates.
See those blue Boost Post buttons – Facebook actually wants me to pay to show the articles to more people and I just can't do that. That's why I need your help in sharing them for me.
Why don't you see the updates?
It's all down to this Facebook algorithm. If you were shown several updates and just scrolled on past without interacting (or ‘engaging' as Facebook calls it), then Facebook thinks you aren't interested in that and never shows it to you again! Even if you liked the page and actually want to see them. Same with your friends. Stay in touch or FB thinks you don't like them any more!
How can you fix it?
There are three ways you can fix it so you see the updates, and help to keep the page alive.
1 – use notifications.
You can set Facebook to send you an email notification when there is a new status update. Sometimes there are quite a few updates in a day depending on how much cool stuff I find to share with you, maybe 5-8 items so be aware of this if you do decide to sign up for notifications.
To sign up, go to the So Sew Easy Facebook Page here. Click on the LIKE button at the top right there, just under the picture. Then check Get Notifications. Now you will get an email with the status update and can decide whether to visit and take a look.
2 – Set updates to the top of your news feed.
You can set Facebook to show the So Sew Easy articles at the top of your news feed when you login so that you don't miss them if there are a lot of updates. This might or might not work. If Facebook has already decided not to show updates to you from So Sew Easy then setting them at the top won't make any difference.
3 – engage with the updates. The best and most ‘organic' way to tell Facebook you like sewing.
The best way to make sure you see updates from time to time but without being overwhelmed by too many emails, is to beat the Facebook algorithm by actually telling it what you want to see. In order to do that you need to ‘engage' with those articles you find interesting and re-teach the algorithm what you like.
In order to do this there are several ways to engage:
- Share the post to your own wall, or to a group you are a member of. This gets top marks from Facebook – sharing it mean that you found it interesting or valuable.
- Click-thru, like or comment. By clicking on the link, leaving a comment or ‘liking' the post you also show Facebook that you found it interesting. This isn't such a strong recommendation as a share, but can still work.
Visit the So Sew Easy Facebook Page
So pop on over to the Facebook page now and take a look. Consider leaving a comment, liking some posts, clicking some links and sharing the best stuff to your wall or a sewing group. You can even share it to our sewing chat group too – that works.
And next time you see some So Sew Easy status updates, please consider giving it a share or a like, or leaving a comment.
How can you help?
This can really help the ‘reach' of the Facebook page. When the algorithm sees that the first few people are engaging with the status update, that notifies FB that it's worth sharing to more people. If you like it then they might like it too. So then FB shows that update in the news feed of more people who have liked the page. If they then go on to engage with the update in some way, again FB recognises it's interesting and shows it to more people – and so it continues.
It will never reach all of the people who have ‘liked' the page but the more people see it the more FB values the So Sew Easy page and the more likely I'll be able to spend more time there updating with lots of free patterns and great sewing content I find for you.
So please give me a hand in keeping this page alive and reaching more people who had signed up to see it. All of your sharing is very much appreciated and very much needed to keep the site ticking over nicely.
Thank you everyone. Every time you pin one of the articles, patterns or tutorials to Pinterest, or share it on Facebook or even tweet about it you do me a great favor and it makes my day! Look, there are ready made sharing buttons right underneath this article that you can use. Next time you read a tutorial that you love, find a project or pattern you like, please consider giving it some social-media love 🙂
Facebook is so confusing if you are not on it all the time. Which I am not!
If I was on it all the time, I would see more things, but as I do not have time to scroll through all the diversions, I do not see much. My husband and I see different things from family members that we are both “friends” with. How strange is that?
I do understand that businesses using F need to keep up with it all, but I couldn’t do it. So good luck with it.
I agree Deby. Facebook is incredibly frustrating. I have actually given up on facebook as a way of directing traffic, which is just so sad. Sad that I can’t see the content I want to, sad that I see content I don’t want to (sponsored ads), and and sad that we stick around even though they continue to disappoint us. I applaud you for bringing it to your readers attention and fighting the good fight!
Hi Deby, thanks for the insight. (But I think it’s even more complex.)
I like following the So Sew Easy posts on facebook. And I am sorry to say it but I get too many of them on my front page (approx. 95 percent of all posts shown to me there). While scrolling through all these posts I can’t find my other friends (people I really know) anymore. (And I am sad about that!)
I only visit facebook about twice a week. (I just don’t find more spare time to browse around.) Every time I am burrierd in new posts….
I definetly won’t go for notifications, since facebook pesters me with these already to much (for lots of stuff I am not interested in…).
I have tried to manipulate facebook already to show or hide some topics, but I fear It will stay a long (and losing) battle!
I wish everyone great luck with telleng facebook what to show and what to hide!!!
Yours, Daniela
Thanks for sharing this info. I was wondering why I hadn’t seen certain posts, now I know. To be honest when I check my f/b I always go to my page and check out my fave groups. (Deby you are at the top). I will make sure I’m more active with my likes and shares. You go girl. Love your new pattern The Graffiti dress pattern.
Val
Thanks so much for following along Val, you are a star.
I need Facebook 101. I want to support websites I like, especially small businesses.But sometimes when I engage, I end up with unwanted notifications. For example, I might see you did a great tutorial and comment on it, but I don’t really want to know that 20 other people said the same thing. Also, I don’t know how many people follow me really, but none of them sew. Any further simple suggestions to help me manage my Facebook account and support small businesses like yours? Thanks
Ah yes I know what you mean about the comments and then you get all the follow up comments too. There is an easy way to fit this. The little grey download arrow at the top right of a post, if you click there you get a series of options and one of them is to turn off notification for this post. You can also use it the other way to turn on notifications for things that you do want to follow but haven’t commented on too. It’s hard to find the correct balance between keeping up to date with want you want to see and not being overwhelmed by seeing everything!
Will do. Love all you do. Thanks!!
Hi there, I have just signed up to your site via Craftsy, I’ve liked the Facebook page (and all the awesome sewing t shirts) but I don’t go on facebook often at all. I know they use algorithms etc to decide what you see but I didn’t know to what extent. I shall now make sure when I do visit to check on the pages of the bloggers and small businesses I follow to like and share stuff to help them and you out. Sharing what you do is such a help and inspiration to people like me so it’s the least I can do.
Thank you, it’s a complicated subject how computers and algorithms are starting to make decisions for us, what we see, what search results we get, what friends we keep up with. Does make you wonder about the future! Maybe the Terminator films aren’t too crazy after all!
That’s just WRONG with FB!
I for one got my personal account locked up by them for no reason other than they wanted to force me to “PAY” for an account! Just telling the truth here folks.
That is very underhanded and greedy!
My friends thought something happened to me and I told them what happened when I bumped into them at various places I go to.
I’m hating FB as I had over 300 people and lost them all, but I do always try to read or click on your posts when I see them if I have time.
Many times my phone is slow and it blocks internet content which is something I have to go to my provider to help me figure out why my phone is messed up. it’s been getting worse but I’m trying as this is my busy time of year where I don’t have the extra free time to look at many posts right now.
I fully support you Deb and have been with you since inception pretty much. You have blossomed into an amazing business and offer much to everyone!
Keep up the great work and I will have more time to interact down the road.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS and GOD BLESS!
BIG HUGS girlfriend,
Rhonda
Wow…social networking…they are ruining it all!!! But.. I do notifications, but usually only look to see if anyone commented on my posts Other than that I usually literally just scroll through the posts every morning (sometimes night too!) and comment or like what is of interest to me (many clothes issues aren’t as I don’t do clothes anymore but will at least like it). I’ll mention the page on my blog if that is okay… encourage anyone to join, is that okay?
Thank you Cheri, you are too kind. Links and shares are always appreciated. That NFL quilt is great – I’m pinning that to my pinterest board.
I think I see most of the posts – will go to your page to see if I am missing any. I do routinely ‘like’ most posts – do not share because this is the one group that is interested in the same things! Perhaps I will look for another group so I have someplace else to share to!
I have been liking and commenting on post, but didn’t know all this. I will try to engage more too!
Thank you very much for your participation Freda. Much appreciated.
I’m one of the fortunate ones who have been getting regular notifications from So Sew Easy, and I’m glad–I enjoy them!
I’m also glad to learn something new–I’ve long suspected that Facebook definitely was doing something with posts, but I wasn’t sure what–now I know. Won’t I look smart when I try and explain it to all my friends? LOL. Thanks for the explanation and the reminder. We want to support good FB pages!!
Absolutely, it affects your whole feed and hides important status updates from friends that you would really love to know about. I missed a dear friends engagement announcement and was so upset to only hear about it weeks later. So ‘engage’ with those you want to see more often and stay in touch.
Thank you for this post. I had no idea how this all worked and I will try to ‘engage’ more often!
Thanks Judith, every little bit helps.