Facebook to punish posts that ask for ‘likes’ and shares
The platform is addressing user complaints that newsfeeds contain spam and other unwanted content. Marketers must craft their message with care to avoid offending the algorithms.
Some calls to action are no longer welcome on Facebook.
The social media giant has introduced new code to penalize posts that it determines to be spam or “engagement bait.” Now posts that explicitly ask for “likes” instead of offering desirable content will have their reach downgraded by the platform.
In a post in its newsroom , Facebook wrote:
People have told us that they dislike spammy [sic] posts on Facebook that goad them into interacting with likes, shares, comments, and other actions. For example, “LIKE this if you’re an Aries!” This tactic, known as “engagement bait,” seeks to take advantage of our News Feed algorithm by boosting engagement in order to get greater reach. So, starting this week, we will begin demoting individual posts from people and Pages that use engagement bait.
The guidelines for what kinds of language will land a post in Facebook hell are vague.
Facebook has said some types of content will not be subject to the new rules.
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