Facebook Update 8/2018: Say Goodbye to Reviews
Posted: September 5, 2018 - By Elizabeth VelezIn August 2018, Facebook launched yet another update that affected local businesses and their pages. The first social media network to include company pages removed the Reviews feature that gave businesses their star ratings, and replaced it with the Recommendations feature that was launched in Fall 2016. Their goal: to make it easier for users to connect with local businesses. Let’s get into the details.
Will my business lose the reviews it has?
No, even though Reviews will no longer be an option, your page’s reviews will continue to show. They will also include the star rating that the user originally gave. So if you were proud of the comments your business had that were paired with 5 star reviews, don’t worry.
How will my feedback rating be calculated now?
You may have noticed that your rating adjusted slightly this month. It’s not because of a new review, but actually due to this update. Now, your total rating is based on how many people recommend or don’t recommend your company, as well as any past ratings and reviews it may have.
Will is still be easy for my customers to leave me feedback?
Yes, leaving a recommendation is still a very prominent call-to-action. Your audience can easily choose either yes or no, so there is no more room for wishy-washy feedback. Each recommendation requires a response, and will be capped at 25 characters. This limit could encourage more accurate and concise opinions.
Why did Facebook make this change?
The team at Facebook broke it down to three main reasons:
- Your business will have a better chance at reaching people as they are searching for your product or service.
- In the spirit of keeping Recommendations authentic, it will be easier to report spam, fraudulent, or paid-for content.
- Recommendations will help others easily get a feel for your customer experience with tags, photos and text.
Of all the updates Facebook has been putting out there this year, this one seems to be the least harmful. Your business and it’s ratings are still protected, and your customers now can only offer more straight-forward feedback.
https://www.mdgadvertising.com/marketing-insights/facebooks-new-recommendations-feature-what-local-businesses-need-to-know/
