Hello, Nick Ponte here.
As a small business owner in Maui who specializes in marketing, I love to help my clients understand the landscape of online business and the digital marketplace. This often involves me explaining new trends and what they mean for local businesses.
Sometimes it is difficult to understand how something happening at Google headquarters affects us on the islands, but it really, really does. A few months ago I shared what I discovered about Google’s core algorithm update and how it affects search engine optimization for Hawaii businesses. I recently became aware of a change of similar magnitude happening over at Facebook.
I want to explain what the change is, what it means for online business in general, and what it means for businesses in Hawaii. I also wanted to explain how to respond. The goal is to make sure you understand how to thrive in today’s marketplace without fear!
Also Read: How Hawaii Businesses Can Prepare For the New Normal
Facebook’s Big Change
Facebook recently announced that on June 30th, they will do away with Analytics.
Facebook Analytics was a way businesses on Facebook could keep track of their data. Things like user count, demographics, retention rates, and more. If you have a business page on Facebook at all (which I recommend to all my clients), chances are you’ve used it at some point.
If you’re anything like me, you’re obsessed with the numbers, and Facebook Analytics was a fantastic way to see useful data. Best of all, it was free and built-in to Facebook already.
I was pretty shocked when I first read the news and even felt a twinge of fear. How could I help my clients continue to succeed on Facebook if it was going to get harder to track and measure their audience?
But you know what they say, necessity is the mother of invention. When the sun sets on one product, you can often find new and improved alternatives.
If you’ve depended on Facebook Analytics in the past, or you’re looking to expand your business’ presence on social media (which you should), there are a few ways to respond to this change.
Also Read: How to Bring Your E-Commerce to Instagram
How to Pivot Into Facebook’s Future
Thankfully, there are some things you can do to get the data you need and win on social media:
- Connect to Facebook’s Business Suite
Thankfully, Facebook isn’t leaving millions of businesses high and dry by keeping them in the dark about their customer data. What they’re trying to do is consolidate all of their business tools to make it as easy as possible for businesses to succeed on their platform. After all, if a business succeeds on Facebook, then Facebook wins, too.
They have been hard at work developing Facebook Business Suite, an attempt to connect all of your business’ profiles, ads, and data into one place. Though it’s relatively new, it’s poised to become a key tool for small businesses in the years to come. Click the link above to become an early adopter and get ahead of the rest.
- Use Facebook Insights
Once you’re set up on the business suite, you can use Facebook Insights. Insights will replace many of the functions of Analytics, but it’s a bit more tucked away in Business Suite’s interface.
To access Insights, go to business.facebook.com. If you’re set up on Facebook Business Suite, then the link will take you to an overview of your business.
Then, hit the hamburger menu toward the top left. Scroll down until you see the option called “Insights.” This will take you to the main screen, with much of the same data that you’ve come to know and love (or at least, I have).
- Use FB Ads and Events Managers
Located within that same menu will be analytics for your Facebook Ads and the events you host through Facebook. This data is separated from your main page data because it is relevant to specific activities of your business. I personally love the delineation.
You can use event analytics to determine who RSVP’s to your event, and maybe get insight into why people decide on (or decide against) coming. You can use Facebook Ads analytics to track the performance of your ad campaigns and make the proper adjustments.
With all that being said, don’t worry. It’s true that the sun is setting on Facebook Analytics; but in my opinion, that means it’s paving the way for a better, brighter tomorrow on Facebook Business Suite. Make sure you make the necessary adjustments to ensure your business keeps thriving on social media.
If you want help with your marketing on social media, reach out to us today!
Further Reading: The Definitive Guide to Pay-Per-Click Advertising
Photos Courtesy of Austin Distel and Carlos Muza