If you’ve been on Facebook for even a few days, you’re guaranteed to have run into “engagement baiting.” This is the general term for any post that shamelessly begs you to like, react, comment, or share. While many users detest the practice, it has proven to be an effective way of increasing visibility.

All of that is about to change, however.

In a move to crack down on meaningless content, Facebook has introduced a policy that will penalize pages frequently baiting users. Posts that show clear signs of engagement bait will be filtered out of users’ feeds. The idea is to reduce spam and make Facebook feeds cleaner and more personal again.

But what does all of this mean for social media marketing?

Though it may seem like a game changer, this policy will benefit pages that are already following best practices. For pages that have a history of engagement baiting, practicing good behavior now will remove this penalty. Ultimately, this policy helps teach organizations to advertise correctly. Though engagement baiting can increase visibility, it ultimately hurts your brand. The kind of engagement you get from users will be shallow and meaningless, increasing your visibility without boosting your business.

Further, the less empty content users see, the more they will be open to engaging with meaningful posts. The proliferation of engagement bait cheapens well-crafted content. Many users are reluctant to engage with any page after being begged for likes, comments, and shares from one. This policy will make Facebook a friendlier platform for robust and meaningful marketing.

Jon Russell explains more about Facebook’s new policy in this TechCrunch article.

This move is consistent with a larger trend to clean online marketing. These days, nearly everyone has an adblocker installed. Though it can be frustrating for advertisers and website owners alike, it’s hard to blame someone for blocking shallow and malicious ads. This dilemma has started a movement to focus on quality. Ad content should be meaningful and respectful of a user’s experience. These new guidelines have turned the advertising industry on its head. Read more about why traditional advertising isn’t enough on our blog.

If you’re looking to run a successful online marketing campaign in 2018, it will take effort and craftsmanship. Contact us at ASTRALCOM today and let us share our years of experience in effective content marketing with your business.