You’ve no doubt heard about the most recent Facebook scandal. If you’re not paying for Facebook advertising, listen up. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook creator and CEO, recently wrote a post detailing what exactly happened and apologized, saying that “[Facebook has] a responsibility to protect your data, and if we can’t then we don’t deserve to serve you. I’ve been working to understand exactly what happened and how to make sure this doesn’t happen again.” Many thought that this response, posted five days after news media started reporting on it, fell way short of rebuilding public trust to remedy the situation for the social media giant. You can read the full post here. Go ahead and take a moment to read it.
Back? That’s right. British political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica harvested information from tens of millions of user profiles beginning in 2013. Not only did Facebook know about this breach of trust, the company has been doing its own mining for user data, including records of phone calls and SMS messaging.
Though these revelations further tarnish Facebook’s already splotched reputation, it’s not likely to have any long-lasting effects. But many small business owners and entrepreneurs are wondering—what does this mean for my business page?
If you’ve been paying attention to the news, then you’re already aware that earlier this year Facebook changed how business-related content reaches platform users. Added to the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook becomes a less attractive space for small businesses to focus their marketing efforts (in the traditional sense). But before you go and erase your presence from the social platform, here’s what you should know.
Some Users Leaving Facebook
Shortly after the news about Facebook and Cambridge Analytica broke, the hashtag #DeleteFacebook began trending online. It’s unclear just how many users have decided to delete their profiles, but it could affect your business’s Facebook advertising and marketing efforts if your followers decide to leave the platform.
But is that likely?
Many have speculated about the impact that this scandal might have on Facebook (and on businesses that use it to stay in touch with customers and clients and don’t pay for Facebook ads). Users are angry right now, but as Facebook continues to take steps to rebuild trust, an insignificant percentage of users are likely to leave.
Facebook Advertising Takeaway
What can you take away from all this? If you’re doing social media right, the fallout from this scandal will not affect your business. Facebook is still an effective place to promote your business. It’s a place for your business to be social with your customers; it’s a space to show customers and clients the people behind the business, make connections and engage. It’s a place to let your audience know about events, happenings and what makes your business and team interesting. As we have said many times before, social media is…social. By building a community interested in what you do, you’ll be less reliant on any new rules or posting algorithms Facebook might dream of next.
Want to do social media the right way? We’d love to talk to you! Call or text 305-702-0112.