Prior to September 20, 2012 when Facebook changed its EdgeRank algorithm, photos had been hot in Facebook posts because they performed well. The graph below validates that hype as the median organic reach of photo posts from 30 fan pages that were surveyed was about 20% of total fans, compared to 13% for text-only posts – a difference of over 50%.
After the change in Facebook’s EdgeRank algorithm, the impact of photos dropped by 50% while text-only posts showed a small gain. But the overall impact was very dramatic: Text-only posts now out-performed photo posts by 40%.
Note: 10% of the surveyed pages saw photo posts perform better than text-only posts. While most pages saw a small increase in the performance of text-only posts, a few saw significant drops. And a couple lucky pages actually saw an increase in the performance of photos after the EdgeRank changes.
- Organic reach of photos was clearly higher for most pages before the EdgeRank changes on 9/20.
- Organic reach of photos dropped significantly for most pages after the changes.
- Organic reach of text-only posts increased slightly after the changes, but surpassed that of photos due to the sharp drop of photo posts.
- There are some pages that were exceptions. Check your Insights data to see what post types are performing best for you before and after 9/20 and adjust your Facebook posting plan according.
- Test out text-only posts and see how they compare to your most recent posts in organic reach. They should be higher!
- Keep in mind that Facebook changes their algorithm often, so take advantage of this before they make more changes!
- Pay attention to what Taco Bell does on Facebook. They’re a great example of a big brand who gets it.
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Charity Showcase
The Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind has provided free guide dogs to the blind since 1946. They train guide dogs and teach their new owners how to work with the dogs. Help the visually impaired by donating to http://www.guidedog.org.
