Facebook Events: the Cinderella content type that’s more glass slipper than pumpkin

Posted on by Marie Page

Along with Facebook Offers, Events are one of those under utilised content types.

And with Facebook’s recent announcement of a new standalone Events app, Events are likely to get a big boost in the algorithm.

We know that with the roll out of every new major feature (Check-ins, Facebook Live etc etc) for at least a limited time, that content type gets way more organic reach.

So maybe it’s time to start re-evaluating how your business uses events. It’s not just about parties and nights out!

I’ve done a bunch of research into Facebook Events in recent weeks as I was developing the content for a new Digiterati Academy Masterclass on the topic. And what I discovered was that even before my predicted algorithm shift in favour of events, they were getting an disproportionate level of organic reach already. It’s just that we see so few Events that they barely factor in the studies that have been done on the relative merits of different content types. 

Take this Social Bakers study. Sure, video is king of reach and photos suck but where are Events?

Nowehere to be seen in the analysis.

(And yes, organic reach really is that bad – this was a study of 670,000 posts across nearly 5,000 Pages.)

In researching events, doing some experiments on the Pages I run, and looking at how much reach they got as well as being aware of how events were surfacing on my own timeline, I concluded that Events are one of Facebook’s Cinderella content types. They are under utilised and often not even considered despite the fact that many brands could be using them.

You don’t need to be running a physical, real life event to take advantage of this content type. A product launch, a virtual Q&A, a Facebook Live video interview, A Page “Takeover”, a webinar or podcast are just the start of some ideas.

Events can be used to build buzz and anticipation. Their call-to-action (Interested/Going/Not Going) has a tendancy to keep cropping up in News Feed until you click something. We found this even in Group events where a user had ticked “No Notifications” from the Group. And when you have indicated a level of interest you will be surfaced reminders.

The Event “Page” also offers the opportunity for a brand to re-emerge in fan News Feed when it adds something to the Event – a photo, an update, an announcement.

I’ve gone into detail on the whys and hows of Facebook Events in our new Masterclass. Do check it out.

Marie Page

About Marie Page

Marie Page is one of the UK’s leading Facebook marketing experts. She is a founding partner of digital marketing consultancy The Digiterati and the Digiterati Academy e-learning portal for marketers and entrepreneurs. Her award-winning Master's Dissertation was the culmination of three years' academic research into Facebook that resulted in a book (and companion online course) 'Winning at Facebook Marketing with Zero Budget' that became an Amazon bestseller. Marie's work on the Facebook News Feed algorithm was featured in The Huffington Post. A recognised thought leader on social media, Marie is often approached by journalists for comment in articles such as this Telegraph article. She was also interviewed for ITV's Tonight show on Facebook privacy issues in relation to advertising. Marie is a regular guest on digital marketing blogs and podcasts including Social Media Examiner and Smart Insights. In 2018 she is speaking at Brighton SEO, Europe's biggest search and marketing conference. Marie is also author of two Smart Insights books: 'Smarter Guide to Facebook Marketing', now in its fourth edition, and 'Facebook Ads Guide', both edited by Dr Dave Chaffey. Marie is also a part time yoga teacher.

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