The Backstory:

As the result of an enquiry by the ACCC, it was deemed that large tech corporations like Facebook had an inequitable concentration of powers, which was impacting news sources. The Government moved to create a code of conduct, and the legislation which Facebook is pushing back on is to give powers to enforce that code and more evenly distribute revenues, that come from Facebook using news in its feeds, to news creators. Facebook believes this is an overreach by Government and has withdrawn access to news services through its platform as of 18 February 2021.

The Impact:

The impact as of the day the news access was turned off was that the sweeping reach of the algorithm shut down everything that looked like news. So along with the commercial and public news channels, emergency services like the Tasmanian Fire Service, health services, the BoM, some union sites and other collateral damage such as domestic violence help sites, a host of small publishers and some completely random non-news sources were unable to be accessed or shared on the social media platform. Facebook said this was unintended, but given the vague wording in the legislation to include all news sources, it had made an algorithm that was a catch-all. In effect a chess move - make your legislation wording more specific or this is how we will respond.

How it Works:

The ban means that Facebook users will be unable to see or share news on their feeds. For business accounts that publish information, your content will not be shown or sharable on Facebook.

How it Impacts Your Business (and What You Can Do):

This stoush is likely to go on for some time. The world is watching as many other large nations including the UK, US and India have questioned the power Facebook has as a single global corporation. There is a lot of revenue to lose if many countries implement the same legislation as Australia is attempting to, so as a country with significant penetration of users (16 million active) but a relatively small population globally, we are a test case that Facebook can lose without tanking their business.

Business users are used to Facebook changing its algorithms on a whim, and this is yet another case. The single biggest message here is if you are heavily reliant on Facebook for communicating with your customers and sharing news (or what is deemed by Facebook to be news) is part of your strategy, its time to diversify. As long as you don't own or have control of your audience you will be vulnerable to the whims of a very large, very powerful organisation.

The reality of all this is that what Facebook is doing is changing our consumer behaviours. It has spent a decade or more training us to use its channel as a one stop shop for everything: news, shopping, catching up, entertainment, community building. We have all complied, and now, we need to find new channels.

The good news is that news hasn't stopped, you can go direct to the source and get the same news that has been coming on your Facebook feed, and choose the stories that interest you, not what the algorithm chooses for you.

Similarly, you can communicate with your customers from primary platforms that you control. The closest to home is your website, make it compelling, engaging, easy to navigate and of course easy to transact on. Next is building email lists and sending out newsletters and offers directly.

Use social media platforms as part of your strategy but not your sole strategy, migrate users to your mailing lists and site as much as you can rather than pushing information out via the social feeds.

Revisit your social and broader digital media strategies so you can see what needs tweaking and begin now. As Instagram and Whatsapp are owned by Facebook, these channels aren't any less vulnerable, so the same caveats apply. If you want support, why not book a coaching session with a Digital Ready Coach, if you are a Tasmanian business with an ABN, you can have four hours a year for free. Head to the Digital Ready Website and book yours now.

The Upshot:

Conscious uncoupling from a platform with a disproportionate hold over its users is not a bad thing. The gorilla which is Facebook may just have set in motion an exodus of users that actually restores some balance to the way we consume information and communicate with our customers. Know your business, know what your customers need, find creative and fun ways to give it to them on channels you control, and you may just be asking “Facebook who?” this time next year.