I’m sure, like me, you’ve had countless conversations about artificial intelligence over the past few years. Some of my peers are the first early adopters and feel incredibly energized by AI, whilst others feel exceedingly cautious. And some folks are deeply disturbed and quietly unsettled, even if they are not saying so publicly.

Beneath the noise of productivity hacks and automation tools, there is a deeper question emerging: one that feels far more important than ‘which platform to use’ or ‘how to write better prompts.’

The real question is this:

What does it actually mean to remain fully human in an age where machines can simulate almost everything we do?

That question is at the heart of my recent live conversation with my longtime friend Derek Rydall about his powerful new book, A Whole New Human: Ten Ways We Must Evolve to Survive and Thrive in the AI Age. Derek has spent decades guiding leaders, creatives, executives, and spiritual seekers into deeper alignment with their true nature. What he is offering now feels especially timely… not because he is reacting to AI, but because he sees AI as a MIRROR reflecting something far more fundamental about us. And I completely agree with his premise.

The full replay is embedded below. Would you like to watch it?

One of the most striking insights Derek shared during our live conversation is that the greatest danger of AI is not that machines will REPLACE us. The deeper risk is that we will slowly become more like them.

We may begin outsourcing our thinking, our discernment, our creativity, and even our personal authority, until what remains is a highly optimized version of our conditioned self… our ‘not-self.’ And that conditioned self is precisely what can be automated.

Build The Ark, A Flood Is Coming…

Years ago, long before ChatGPT entered everyday conversation, Derek experienced what he describes as a clear inner directive during meditation. The message was simple and urgent: build the ark, a flood is coming. At the time, the full meaning was not yet obvious. Looking back now, he recognizes it as a call to prepare humanity for an unprecedented acceleration of artificial intelligence and automation.

Like me, Derek is definitely not anti-technology. In fact, he has always loved tech. What he loves more, however, is the HUMAN SPIRIT. And I’m right there with him.

His perspective is not theoretical. In his twenties, Derek had a near-death experience while trapped underwater in a coral reef. In that moment of surrender, he saw clearly that the self he had been trying so hard to fix and improve was largely a construction of his own mind. Beneath that constructed identity was something untouched and whole. That revelation eventually became the foundation of his teaching on the Law of Emergence, which suggests that:

just as an acorn contains the inherent pattern of the oak tree, we each carry a unique blueprint that does not need to be manufactured, only aligned with.

When I listened to Derek describing this, I heard echoes of the Human Design system. A body of knowledge I’ve been passionately studying, now in my sixth year. In Human Design, the “not-self” is the layers of conditioning that accumulate through family, culture, and collective pressure. And one of the most powerful aspects is that each of us has our own inner or personal AUTHORITY. AI can replicate conditioned patterns. It can aggregate collective data. It can simulate consensus. What AI cannot replicate is your unique life code, your embodied experience, your lived authority.

The Ten Evolutions We Must Embrace Now

In his brand new book, Derek leads us through what he calls the ten evolutions we must embrace if we are to thrive in the AI era. Rather than simply listing threats, he reframes each technological pressure as an INVITATION TO EVOLVE.

1. AI Will Think for You: Think for Yourself
2. Robots Will Replace You: Become Irreplaceable
3. AI Progress Will Outpace You: Become a Visionary
4. Deepfakes Will Deceive You: Live by Insight, Not Eyesight
5. AI Will Expose You: Become Transparent
6. AI Will Widen the Wealth Gap: Build an Abundance Mindset
7. AI Will Commoditize You: Become the Artist of Your Life
8. AI Will Weaponize Intimacy: Upgrade Your Heartware
9. AI Will Increase Powerlessness: Reclaim Your Soul Power
10. AI Will Divide Us: Build Community

Each of these evolutions points to something deeply human that cannot be mechanized. Discernment cannot be outsourced without cost. Vision requires imagination and courage. Transparency requires alignment between what we say and how we live. Community requires presence and relational intelligence.

In my own field of social media marketing since 2007, I see this clearly. AI can now generate posts, outlines, ad copy, headlines, and even entire campaigns… not to mention complete end-to-end workflows with emerging agentic AI. (Something Mark Zuckerberg is laser focused on with the recent acquisition of Manus AI, for example).

AI can analyze trends faster than any human team. But what it cannot do is carry LIVED experience, LIVED personal authority. AI cannot transmit the frequency of someone who has tested ideas in the real world, made mistakes, refined strategy, and embodied the lessons.

Domain Expertise is Your Greatest Competitive Moat

I have seen firsthand how AI tools can hallucinate or misinterpret nuanced systems, including complex layers of the Human Design System. Without embodied understanding, training, and lived experience, we risk amplifying inaccuracies at scale.

One of the most compelling reframes Derek offers is around the so-called “AI alignment problem.” In tech circles, this phrase refers to the challenge of ensuring that artificial intelligence systems remain aligned with human values. Derek suggests that the deeper alignment issue is within us. If we are fragmented, misaligned, or disconnected from our own inner authority, then any tool we build will magnify that fragmentation. If we are coherent and grounded, those same tools can amplify our wisdom.

I’m sure you’ve come across AI hallucination, right? Here’s the thing: HOW do you know when AI is making a mistake—especially in the deeper layers of a topic—if you don’t already have deep, domain expertise? (Yes, I manually constructed this sentence complete with em dashes. I really don’t like how I’ve become self-conscious about use of certain grammar and punctuation, feeling concerned the self-appointed ‘AI police’ will call me out. Ha!! I wrote about this recently in my Social Scoop Facebook group).

Derek acknowledges that AI hallucinations remain a real problem. As AI makes it incredibly easy for anyone to create books, music, and chatbots, people who lack a deep understanding of the underlying craft, art, or science won’t be able to tell if the AI is just generating “crap”.

So, years of training and experience are actually your greatest competitive moat right now.

• Your domain expertise acts as a lie detector: Having deep knowledge and experience in a specific topic is a massive advantage because it allows you to immediately know if the AI is “BSing you”.
• Your domain expertise provides education and foundational skills that still matter: Derek strongly cautioned against skipping education, workshops, or building a knowledge base. It still deeply matters to develop your true talent and abilities. Without real expertise, AI-generated content simply becomes commodified “white noise”.
• Your domain experitse allows you to scale true wisdom: When you truly know your craft and have done the foundational work, you can use AI to scale your real knowledge and make a much bigger impact from an aligned, integral place.

The Greatest Single Opportunity of Your Lifetime: Billions of People Need the REAL YOU

In our interview, Derek stated that as we navigate the brave new world of the AI age, there will literally be BILLIONS of people who are “scrambling and afraid”.

These individuals will be desperately asking fundamental life questions, such as what they should study, how to get a job and make a living, how to heal, how to help their children, and ultimately, “who am I?” and “what am I here for?”.

For those who wish to be an author, teacher, coach, healer, creator, artist, leader, or changemaker, Derek emphasizes that this crisis presents “the greatest single opportunity of your lifetime“. He encouraged people in these roles to step in, utilize the personal development work they have already done, and live their destiny by helping these billions of people become what humans are truly meant to be.

YESSSSS!!!! This excites me beyond measure! Perhaps you feel the same way? Maybe you, too, have been spending years (behind-the-scenes or publicly) passionately studying and refining your craft. Whether it’s an additional layer to your existing expertise, or a whole new direction, our time is coming. This is the year!! This is our year!!

Want to take the Free Life Alignment Test?

This is where his free Life Alignment Test becomes practical rather than philosophical. The assessment helps you identify areas of misalignment across core dimensions of life.

When we are out of alignment, we often compensate through overwork, distraction, or external validation. AI can easily become another layer of compensation if we are not careful. But when we are internally aligned, AI becomes a supportive extension rather than a substitute for agency.

The Year of the Closing Door

From a Human Design perspective, this conversation feels especially relevant as we are currently in ‘the Year of the Closing Door,’ as Gene Keys founder Richard Rudd (among others) has dubbed 2026. That’s because on February 15th, 2027 the entire background frequency of our planet is making a massive shift, literally centuries in the making. On that date, planet earth and all her inhabitants (really, our entire solar system) completes a 412-year cycle and being a new one.

We are moving into an era where individual sovereignty, emotional intelligence, spirit awareness, and community coherence are becoming increasingly important.

This explains all the old infrastructure that is crumbling around us. But the new IS emerging. The new WILL emerge. Do not allow yourself to get sucked into fear. It’s not you!! It’s the background frequency and the manipulation of the masses. Stand strong, my friend. Lean into who you were genetically designed to be and flourish in this lifetime, bringing ALL your genius gifts to the world.

Human Design and Building Authentic, Aligned Communities

Derek’s tenth evolution, Build Community, resonates deeply with what I know about successful groups. In my 2+ decades of leading successful communities online and offline, I have seen that thriving ecosystems are not built solely on content or charismatic leadership. They flourish when members connect meaningfully with one another.

Only ONE THING matters to predict with 93% accuracy whether a community succeeds or fails… and that is how often members connect or collaborate with EACH OTHER.

~ Gina Bianchini, CEO & Cofounder, Mighty Networks

In fact, here’s another leader I respect, Tom Bilyeu CEO of Impact Theory. He said in a newsletter that STOPPED me in my tracks summer last year:

…roughly 90% of content posted daily will be AI-generated. In that world, if people don’t care who you are, you’re done. Smart creators are optimizing for community.

• Views disappear when AI floods the market. Community stays loyal when everything else becomes noise.
• Content is becoming a commodity. Community is becoming the only moat.

~Tom Bilyeu, billion-dollar entrepreneur & CEO of Impact Theory (source – Facebook post). (You can also learn more about this topic from Tom on his YouTube video).

No algorithm can replicate genuine peer-to-peer resonance.

It’s easy to approach AI from a place of fear. It is also easy to approach it from blind enthusiasm. What I appreciate about my friend Derek Rydall’s message is that it invites a third path. He acknowledges the immense power of these technologies while insisting that we must deepen our humanity in equal measure. He reminds us that we are not here merely to optimize output. We are here to evolve in consciousness.

If there is one thread running throughout my entire conversation with Derek, it’s this:

• AI can replicate what is generic. It cannot replace what is authentic.
• AI can process vast amounts of knowledge. It cannot metabolize lived wisdom.
• AI can simulate connection. It cannot embody presence.

We are not being asked to COMPETE with machines. We are being asked to REMEMBER WHO WE ARE.

YES, YES, YES! A thousand amens to that.

The machines are rising, but SO ARE WE!!! The choice is not between human and technology. The choice is whether we allow technology to pull us further into manipulation, control and conditioning, or whether we use this moment as a catalyst to return to our unique design, our unique personal authority, and our creative sovereignty.

If this conversation is stirring something in you, I highly encourage you to explore Derek’s brand new book: A Whole New Human. It offers both philosophical depth and practical guidance for navigating this extraordinary time.

I also recommend taking Derek’s free Life Alignment Test to gain insight into where you may be out of alignment and where your next evolution is calling you forward.

We are living in remarkable times, with extraordinarily powerful tools and an acceleration that none of us can ignore. Yet beneath all of that movement and momentum, the most valuable asset has not changed. It is your awareness, your integrity, your lived wisdom, and the uniquely coded way you move through the world.

That is something no algorithm can replicate.

And perhaps, in the end, that is the very point.

P.S. And if delving into esoteric and spiritual topics interrelated with AI appeals to you, you might also enjoy this compelling conversation I recently devoured: “TWO EARTHS” Is 6–8 Years Away… And AI Is the Trigger (ADAMUS Channeling / Geoffrey Hoppe). It’s definitely not for everyone! But if you can keep an open mind and heart, you might feel cellularly impacted after watching this video! I certainly did, as I shared on Facebook.

Affiliate Disclosure: the link to take the Life Alignment Test is 100% free with zero obligation. It is an affiliate tracking link. Derek may follow up with additional opportunities and if you purchase from him, I may receive a commission. Also, the link to Mighty Networks is an affiliate tracking link. You can get a free trial of the platform; but if you sign up for a paid account using my link, I may receive commissions.

Content Authenticity Statement: I used a blend of Fathom AI-Notetaker, NotebookLM, and ChatGPT to generate and structure some of the content of this article, entirely based on my interview (YouTube link) with Derek Rydall. Then everything was manually edited by me, fingers on the keyboard, with many additional segments added in. You’re welcome to read my company’s Generative AI Policy. As inspired by our friends at the Marketing AI Institute with their Creative Commons Responsible AI Manifesto for Marketing and Business.

The post Why AI Is a Catalyst for a New Kind of Human appeared first on Mari Smith.

***UPDATE December 17, 2025***

Since I published this blog post, social media consultant, founder of the Geekout Newsletter and longtime industry friend of mine, Matt Navarra, has added the following comment to my original Facebook post (emphasis added by me):

This is real.

Meta has confirmed to me that this is a limited test, not a broad rollout.

Meta confirmed the following to me:

“This is a limited test to understand whether the ability to publish an increased volume of posts with links add additional value for Meta Verified subscribers.”

Some additional context from people familiar with the test:

• The test limits how many organic Facebook posts with links some non-verified profiles can publish
• The number of allowed link posts varies by account
• Meta Verified subscribers are not affected by these limits
• This is designed as a learning experiment, not a permanent change

What Meta is trying to understand through the test:

• Whether the verified badge acts as a trust signal, especially when users see links from accounts they don’t already follow
• Whether people feel more confident in the quality and trustworthiness of links shared by verified accounts
• Whether higher link-posting capacity meaningfully increases the value of Meta Verified

Key point:

This isn’t enforcement or a platform-wide rule change — it’s a small, controlled test.

But it does reinforce a broader direction: Meta Verified is increasingly being treated as a trust layer, not just a badge.

If this expands, it would mark a meaningful shift:

Link publishing becomes a paywalled feature.

Plus this update from Navarra on Threads:

Sources tell me that the number of links available to Meta Verified subscribers will vary during the test and increases based on the Meta Verified subscription tier.

I believe only the Max plan has unlimited links during the test.

And another update from Navarra:

According to my sources…

– Links in comments are NOT included in this test

This means adding comments in links should still work.

But some are reporting links being converted to plain text (not hyperlinked) for some posts/profiles/pages.

I’m including below Matt’s full post on Threads with the additional updates in the comments:

View on Threads

My commentary on Meta’s input above:

Meta pushes its own agenda. Period. What the company say publicly and what the actual underlying intention is can often be completely different. (I’m simply speaking from my own 18+ years of experience and observations. I imagine you know what I’m talking about?!)

For instance, dangling the ‘carrot’ of the Meta Verified blue check badge as a ‘trust signal’ isn’t really the full story IMHO. Because what are the qualifiers? 1) You’re able to pay. 2) You’ve submitted ID. (Slightly more steps for business MV subscriptions). Okay, granted these two steps certainly help elevate the barrier to confirm we’re dealing with real people, right? BUT trust seems to be eroding across the entire internet these days with so much fake AI slop, bot accounts, bad actors… and even Meta knowingly allowing scam ads on its platforms.

Anyway, keep reading; I wrote further below about whether Meta Verified is worth it or not.

Original article follows:

What We Know, What We Don’t, and Why It Matters

This week I shared an emerging development on Facebook that has sparked significant discussion, concern, and (understandably) requests for citations.

Several people have asked:

“Where is the official Meta announcement?”

As of today, there is no formal Meta Newsroom post confirming a global rollout of this change. That distinction matters, and I want to be very clear about it.

What does exist, however, is something Meta often uses before public announcements:

On-platform notifications and emails to users in select regions.

Here’s the post I shared on my Facebook personal profile about this topic:

What Triggered This Investigation

Recently, several Facebook users began receiving direct notifications from Meta indicating a change to how links can be shared in organic Facebook posts.

Here is one such notification shared by Kylie Mowbray-Allen, a long-time friend and fellow social media marketing expert based in Australia:

Kylie shared that screenshot in the comments of the following post:

Facebook’s notification states:

Starting December 16, certain Facebook profiles without Meta Verified, including yours, will be limited to sharing links in 2 organic posts per month.

It also explicitly encourages subscribing to Meta Verified to unlock additional link sharing.

What To Do If You Are Affected By The 2 Link Limit

Notably, links shared in comments, certain affiliate links (unspecified what this actually means, so far, by Meta), and links to Meta’s own platforms do not appear to be affected.

If this test expands, the smartest approach will be to lean further into native content formats on Facebook, such as image posts, reels, and text with background color. Then put your ‘everyday’ links into a comment on your own post. This strategy has been around for probably close to a decade, tbh!

Save your actual ‘link posts’ for key business priorities like launches, webinars, or list-building campaigns. This is where the link is an actual preview (a true ‘link post’), or a link in the caption of a video/reel post or a photo post.

Organic Marketing STILL Works on Facebook!

Even with a limitation on link posts, you can still do a TON of effective organic marketing and true relationship marketing using all that Facebook offers. Encourage conversation. Spark discussions on your posts, not just between you and your audience members. But members speaking to one another in the threaded comments.

And get people into the DMs! This is gold. This is almost as good as having someone’s cell phone number because in the DMs you’re now in a 1:1 conversation with just that one person.

Important Context: The Link Limitation Is Likely a Test!

At this stage, based on everything I’ve seen and verified:

• This is almost certainly a regional or account-type test for select users only
• This does NOT appear to be a globally announced policy
• Meta has not yet published an official Newsroom update (and likely may not!)

This type of ‘stealth’ limited rollout/test is not unusual.

Meta frequently:

• Tests changes quietly
• Rolls them out by region
• Limits them to specific account types
• Observes behavioral impact before formal announcement

We’ve seen this pattern repeatedly over the last decade, right?!

What Is Being Observed So Far

Based on screenshots, notifications, and firsthand reports across multiple countries (Australia, parts of Europe, and select U.S. accounts), here is what appears consistent within the test group:

Accounts potentially affected

• Personal profiles switched to Professional Mode
• Public Facebook Pages (business/creator pages)

Classic personal profiles (non-professional mode) do not appear to be affected. No doubt because they are not typically used for commercial link sharing. So if you are simply using Facebook to connect with actual friends and family, it seems you can happily post links if you wish. Even so, link posts have long had the lowest reach across Facebook… so maybe don’t go too crazy and put your links in the comments.

A note on ProMode profiles: Facebook first began to test Professional Mode in late 2021 as an answer to those creators (and maybe small business owners/professionals) who did not have a Facebook business page, or did and gave up using it. Facebook saw that more and more people were using their profile for business reasons and the ProMode option created the ‘best of both worlds.’ ProMode gives you access to post and audience insights, the ability to schedule posts and boost posts, and monetization features (if that’s even important to you).

What types of links are limited?

• All external links shared directly in feed posts
• The apparent limit: 2 organic link posts per month

What is not limited

• Links in your own comments on your own posts
• Links to Meta-owned platforms (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp)
• “Supported affiliate links” (Meta has not clearly defined this yet)

Why This Actually Fits Meta’s Long-Term Strategy

Whether or not this test becomes a permanent feature, it aligns perfectly with trends we’ve all been seeing for years:

1. Facebook prioritizes on-platform engagement

Meta has consistently reduced reach on posts that drive users away from Facebook.

2. Link posts have had the lowest reach for over a decade!!

This is not new. Marketers adapted long ago by:

• Using first-comment links
• Creating value-first native content
• Focusing on saves, shares, and comments
• Sparking 1:1 conversations in the DMs
• Growing engagement in Facebook groups

Resource: check out Facebook’s quarterly Widely Viewed Content Report.

Where most Feed views come from

“98.1% of the views in the US during Q3 2025 did not include a link to a source outside of Facebook. For the 1.9% of views in posts that did include a link, they typically came from a Page the person followed (this includes posts which may also have had photos and videos, in addition to links).“

3. Meta Verified is being aggressively positioned

This appears to be part of a broader push to:

• Monetize professional usage
• Create tiered access for business features
• Incentivize creators and businesses to pay for distribution privileges

And, I rather suspect Meta is pushing hard to squeeze more revenue out of every possible corner of its family of apps and services… to supplement ad revenue.

OR, is it a move to get as many credit cards on file? I just read this comment on Jason Schemmel’s post:

It’s also a move to turn it into a payments platform by getting everyone’s credit card details and compete with the long term vision of X

Wow. Could that have a grain of truth? Hm.

(Don’t get me started on the $$billions of fraudulent ad revenue from China!)

View on Threads

A Crucial Clarification About Links in Comments

One nuance many people are noticing lately:

• Links are clickable when YOU add a comment to YOUR OWN post
• Links are often NOT clickable when added to someone else’s post

This behavior has been quietly evolving and reinforces Meta’s preference for creator-controlled engagement, not drive-by link drops.

Why I Shared This Before an Official Announcement

Several people asked why I posted about this without a Meta Newsroom citation.

Here’s my reasoning:

• I’ve been working in Facebook marketing since 2007
• I’ve seen hundreds of major changes over nearly two decades surface first via:
  • User notifications
  • Email notices
  • Limited regional rollouts
• Many of those later became official policy

My intention was not to declare this as a confirmed global rule — but to:

• Alert professionals early
• Encourage awareness
• Spark informed discussion

Which, clearly, it has.

Meta Verified Subscription Service For Creators – Is It Worth It?

Facebook’s parent company, Meta, first began testing its paid subscription service, Meta Verified, in February 2023, initially in Australia and New Zealand, before rolling it out to the U.S. in March 2023 for creators and later for businesses, offering a blue badge, impersonation protection, and support for a monthly fee. 

I tested Meta Verified on both my Facebook personal profile and Instagram business account for around one year from 2023-24. After which time, I wanted to change my Facebook personal profile picture… and discovered I could not. The spelling of my first name is slightly different on my ID (an extra, silent “i”). So I was stuck and the only workaround was to cancel my subscription. Besides, I found the benefits were nominal anyway.

Meta has since added more tiers and we now get into what I can only call ‘silly money’ for the higher ones. I imagine some creators and brands actually pay these levels, otherwise the tiers wouldn’t exist, right?

In any case, I broke down the tiers, their prices and how many links in reels you can include:

• Standard $14.99 USD/mo per profile = 0 Links in reels per month
• Plus $49.99 USD/mo per profile = 2 Links in reels per month
• Premium $149.99 USD/mo per profile = 4 Links in reels per month
• Max $499.99 USD/mo per profile = 6 Links in reels per month

Given these prices are PER PROFILE, we can assume the ability to add links to reels applies to Instagram and/or Facebook, yes? Hm.

The BUSINESS tiers of Meta Verified have similar names and link limitations with slightly different pricing and a few different features, such as multi-agent. (Manage large numbers of customer inquiries and orders more efficiently by connecting multiple devices to your account and assigning chats to your sales agents).

• Business Standard $14.99 USD/mo per profile = 0 Links in reels per month
• Business Plus $44.99 USD/mo per profile = 2 Links in reels per month
• Business Premium $119.99 USD/mo per profile = 4 Links in reels per month
• Business Max $349.99 USD/mo per profile = 6 Links in reels per month

So, is it worth it? It’s entirely up to you to test!! For me personally, nope. Not worth one penny. I might be gung-ho if there really were tangible benefits such as an increase in reach, views, engagement. But mostly that’s all subjective, tbh.

The Bottom Line (For Now)

Here’s the most accurate takeaway at this moment:

• No official global Meta announcement yet about the 2 link limitation
• Strong evidence of a live test
• Clear alignment with Meta’s long-term platform goals of preventing users from leaving the sites
• No immediate need to panic, that’s for sure!!

There are plenty of ways to adapt — as marketers always do!!

• Keep sharing your links in COMMENTS on your own posts
• Build value and intrigue in your image, video/reel, text/background color posts…
• Spark engagement in the comments
• Incentivize your audience members to engage in the DMs with you

I will continue monitoring:

• Official Meta communications
• Additional regions
• Policy documentation updates

And I’ll share confirmed updates as soon as they exist.

Over to You

If this test did roll out globally, would you:

• Adjust your content strategy?
• Consider Meta Verified?
• Lean more heavily into on-platform content and community?

I’d love to hear from you. And, as always, I’m committed to transparency, responsibility, and sharing what’s real as it unfolds.

As with all emerging platform changes, details may evolve. This article reflects information available at the time of publishing.

Additional Sources/Posts About This Topic

For some of these posts/sources, it’s worth clicking/tapping through to read the comments for additional context and intel!

From a Facebook friend, Jason Schemmel, based in Grand Rapids, MI – published December 16…

From my long time friend and fellow social media marketing pro, Molly Mahoney, published December 16:

From a Facebook user based in San Francisco, CA.

From a Facebook user back on December 5. This post mentions a start date of December 10 for the rollout:

And the following post (in Cebuano) on Instagram:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Grace Reyes (@gmavelino03)

…and with continued deep searching, I just came across this blog post by Emma Goode from ’24 Fingers’ in Essex, UK: Facebook’s New Two Link Rule Explained: What Small Businesses Need to Know

Content Authenticity Statement: This article was crafted with the help of ChatGPT using my original, manually crafted post on Facebook as the source. Then the entire article was reviewed, edited, refined and added to manually by me, fingers on the keyboard. Plus the hero image was created using Google Gemini Nano Banana and a super simple prompt. You’re welcome to read my company’s Generative AI Policy. As inspired by our friends at the Marketing AI Institute with their Creative Commons Responsible AI Manifesto for Marketing and Business.

The post Facebook Tests Limiting Link Posts to Just 2 Per Month appeared first on Mari Smith.

However, getting any semblance of a response from a real person at Facebook seems impossible, right? Ugh.

HOW exactly do you reach someone at Facebook and how do you actually get a response? I’ve got you covered in this directory that I first started in 2010 and my team and I keep updated!

Facebook used to provide a modicum of support via a series of email addresses, e.g. info @ facebook.com. However, in an effort to better serve its members and scale the support, the only way to reach Facebook is through a VAST array of custom forms. Thing is, all those forms are scattered throughout the Help Center and you can often go on a complete and utter wild goose chase attempting to find the right one. Grr!

FIRST, as a possible preemptive measure, you might consider subscribing to the Meta Verified service. This can provide you with a greater chance of reaching a real human at Facebook/Meta for the support you need. The fee is fairly nominal and you could always sign up for 1-3 months until you get a resolution. (Of course, if you’re already locked out of our account or you’ve been hacked, etc. then it won’t be possible to get Meta Verified). Learn more here: meta.com/meta-verified.

My team and I scoured Facebook (and Google!) for you and have compiled this helpful directory of Facebook’s contact forms. As we become aware of more, my team and I will add to this directory.

UPDATE: Use Facebook’s guide to show you exactly where and  how to report abusive content or spam on Facebook. How To Report Things.

Are we connected on Facebook?

First, to receive Facebook marketing tips, news, resources, and sense-making updates via , and/or to ask any questions you may have, please follow my Facebook Page here:

PLUS, my fellow small business owners, social media professionals, marketers and entrepreneurs, you’re invited to join my Social Scoop Facebook Group with 26k members and tons of peer support. My team and I moderate this group very closely to ensure a strong culture of high quality, positivity, transparency, inclusivity, compassion and helpful support. [Please note: this Facebook group is for marketers, business owners and entrepreneurs. It is not for seeking support with technical issues].

PLEASE NOTE: Comments have been closed on this post as I am unable to personally respond to requests for additional support with trying to contact Facebook. I do not work for Facebook.

To quickly search through this directory, simply use the “Find” feature on your browser (usually Ctrl + F on PCs or Cmd + F on Macs).

Facebook Security – Hacking, Phishing, Scams, Abuse

Please see this separate blog post packed with resources, tips and help to reclaim your hacked Facebook Account, Page, or Business Manager along with steps to protect and secure your account: Facebook account hacked? Business Manager hacked? Here’s how to get help.

• If you’re unable to get into your Facebook account because you believe it has been hacked, immediately go to facebook.com/hacked and follow the instructions.
• To report any kind of abuse or violation, go to Report Something on Facebook and find your specific issue there.
• Report a Page
• Report a Facebook Profile
• Report a Group to Facebook
• Report a status on Facebook
• Report a conversation on Facebook
• Report a Message on Facebook
• Report a live video on Facebook
• Report a reel or video on Facebook
• Report a photo or video in a story on Facebook
• Report inappropriate or abusive things on Facebook (example: nudity, hateful conduct, threats)
• How to make a report or complaint about harmful content under the Online Safety Act if you do not have a Facebook Acount
• Report an abusive photo on Facebook
• Report images that violate the privacy of a sick, hospitalized, or otherwise incapacitated people
• How to handle bullying, harassment, or personal attack on Facebook
• Support for substance abuse

See also these two resources for support on Security and Safety:

• Keep your Facebook account secure
• Meta Safety Center

NOTE: if you or someone you know is in physical danger of any kind due to bullying, harassment, stalking, threats etc., contact your local police immediately.

Facebook’s Page Guidelines

• Facebook Pages, Groups and Events Policies Guidelines

Facebook’s Brand Resources and Guidelines

• Facebook brand resources and guidelines
• Meta Platforms Trademarks

Facebook’s Terms and Policies

• Terms and Policies
• Statement of Rights and Responsibilities
• Data Use Policy
• Community Standards

General Support

Here are all the links to general areas of support:

• Facebook Help Center
• Facebook Location Basics
• Facebook for Business (previously Facebook Pages)
• I am having an issue with accessing my Page
• Manage Your Apps
• Facebook Developer Group
• Meta for Developers
• Meta Safety
• Facebook for Education
• Facebook for Business Hub
• Nonprofits on Facebook
• Connect with your community and achieve your goals with Facebook.
• Guidance for nonprofit organizations
• Contact Meta Verified Support for your verified account
• Report a Facebook Marketplace Scam
• Report a Facebook Marketplace Buyer
• Report a Marketplace seller
• Report inaccurate translations
• Report a custom AI character on Facebook

Page Name Change

• How do I change my Facebook Page’s name?

Report That Your Facebook Personal Account or Page was Disabled

Facebook disables both personal Profiles and Pages for violating its Terms of Use. The company can often be rather heavy-handed though – and that’s mostly because it’s all controlled by AI on the first pass. Use one of these forms as appropriate to submit a report:

• Your Personal Account was Disabled
• Report a Page Unavailable Error
• Use this form if your Page was hacked and you’ve lost Admin access

Report Issue with Confirming or Identifying Your Personal Account

• Recover an Old Facebook Account
• Report an Imposter Account
• Report your Hacked Account
• Report an Issue with Accessing Your Account by Confirming Your Identity
• Report an Issue with Verifying Your Account

Restore Content After Your Account Is Reactivated

• Report Content Lost During Reactivation

Claim/Find Your Official Page

• If you can’t find your fan Page in Search results, see this section: Page not Displaying in Search
  

Get Help With Facebook Groups & Events

• Can’t find Group in Search
• Report an Issue with Message or Invitation Delivery
• Report an unavailable Group or Event
• How to pause or delete a Group

Report Problems with Uploading Photos and Videos

• If you’re unable to select photos to upload
• Report an Issue with the Flash Uploader
• Fix problems with Photos or Videos
• Report an Issue with Disappearing Videos
• Video Uploading Issues

Trademarks and Copyright

• Report a Violation or Infringement of Your Rights
• What information you need to include in a copyright report to Meta

See also this INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Help Center page.

• Report Copyright Infringement
• Report Trademark Violation
• Counterfeit Report Form
• Retract an intellectual property report that you’ve submitted to Facebook

Get Help With Facebook Mobile

• Report a Login Issue
• Confirmation Code SMS (Text message) Issues
• Report an Issue with Verifying your Account
• Report a Problem

Get Help With Facebook Ads, Ad Credits / Report A Facebook Ad

• If you have a general question about Facebook Ads, contact the Facebook Ads Team here: Ready to Start Advertising?
• Submit Your Facebook Ads Success Story! If you’d be interested in having Facebook develop a Facebook Ads case study about your experience, write a description within 500 words as to how Facebook Ads helped you. You’ll receive a $50 Facebook Ads coupon if Facebook use your success story! Share Your Business Success Story!

• Facebook ad credits
• Report an ad next to a profile, group, photo or other page within the site
• Report an ad you saw when you were using a Facebook application
  

Get Help With Facebook Payments

• If the payments functionality has been temporarily disabled on your account, use this form: Disabled Payments.
• Report Unauthorised or unknown charges
• Payments Support form

Report Bugs and Error Messages

Include a screenshot whenever possible. There’s a browse/upload file for the image on certain forms where appropriate.

• Login/Password: Report a Login Issue
• Report A Bug on a Facebook (fan) Page: Report an Issue with Facebook Pages
• Friends: Unable to send or accept a friend request on Facebook
• Search: Report an Issue with Search
• Photos: Report an Issue with Photos
• Problems Sending or Receiving Gifts: Contact Facebook Gifts Support
• Video: Report an Issue with Videos
• Groups: Report an Issue with Groups
• Events: Report an Issue with Events
• Pages: Report an Issue with Facebook Pages
• Confirmation Facebook Account Error: Report an Issue with Confirming Your Facebook Account
• Site Maintenance Error: Facebook Will be Back Soon Error
• Database Down Error: Facebook Will be Back Soon Error
• Oops Error Message: Report an Issue with Messages
• My Contact File or Address Book Won’t Import to Facebook: Report an Issue Importing Your Address Book
• Remove Imported Contacts: Remove All Imported Contacts
• I Tried to Use the Friend Finder: I’m Being Told I Entered the Wrong Password When Importing Contacts
• Inbox Messages: Report an Issue with Messages
• Inbox Not Loading: Report an Issue with Messages
• I can’t see my messages in Messenger or connect to the Internet
• Home Page (other issues): Report Something Isn’t Working on Facebook
• Comment Disappears: Report Comment Disappears
• Older Wall Posts Do Not Display: Report Older Wall Posts Aren’t Showing Up
• Posts Not Appearing In News Feed: Report Posts Not Appearing in News Feed
• Wall Posts Disappearing: Report an Issue with Timeline
• Wall Is Not Visible to Friends: Report an Issue with Timeline
• Not Receiving Site Notifications: Report an Issue with Notifications
• I’m Not Receiving Email Notifications: Report an Issue with Email Notifications
• Wall (other issues): Report an Issue with Timeline
• Page Not Found Errors
• Chat Bar Not Loading: Report an Issue with Chat Loading
• Online Friends Appear Offline: Chat Appears Turned Off for Friends
• Messenger Chat (other issues): Report an Issue with Chat
• For developers only, see this bug tracking system: Bugs

Report Hacking, Malicious Links, Scams

• My Account Has Been Hacked And I Have Access To My Login Email
• Report a malicious link or website (phishing) — or you can always report strange emails to phish@fb.com.
• My friend’s account has been hacked
• Report Problems with Facebook or Instagram Advertisers
• How can I give feedback about the ads I see on Facebook?

Report Offer

• Report a Convicted Sex Offender

• Report Suicidal Content
• Violation of the Facebook Terms: Report a Violation of the Facebook Terms
• Report a Threatening Message
• Defamation reporting form
• Report a runaway or missing person

Report Unauthorized Content of Minors

• Report the Profile of an Underage Child (Under 13 Year Old): Report an Underaged Child
• Report the Profile of an Underage Child in South Korea and Spain (Under 14 Year Old – the laws are different in South Korea & Spain): Report an Underage Child in South Korea and Spain
• Report an Unauthorized Photo – Under 13 Year Old Child To advise Facebook of photos of your child that are unauthorized, please use this form: Report a Privacy Rights Violation 
• Report Unauthorized Non-Photo Content – Under 13 Year Old Child: Report a Privacy Rights Violation
• Notify your parent when you report something on Facebook
• SEE ALSO: Privacy information for Parents 

Report When A Friend/Family Member Dies – Memorialize a Profile

• Report a Deceased Person’s Profile (to have the profile removed or placed in a memorialized state): Memorialization Request
• Requesting content from a deceased person’s account
• If your own profile has been inadvertently turned into a memorialized state, use this form: Unable to Access Your Account

Submit Suggestions to Facebook

See the directory of Suggestion forms on Facebook here.

• Your Feedback About Places
• Your Feedback About the Home Page
• Your Feedback About Messages
• Your Feedback About Timeline
• Your Feedback About Graph Search
• Your Feedback About Events
• Your Feedback About Groups
• Your Feedback About Photos
• Your Feedback About Videos
• Your Feedback About Facebook Mobile
• Your Feedback About Pages
• Your Feedback About Privacy Settings
• Your Facebook Ads Suggestion
• Your Feedback About Notifications and Emails
• Your Feedback About Facebook
• Give Feedback About a Facebook Product or Feature

Delete Your Account

• Use this form to permanently delete your account: Delete my Account.

I trust this compilation is helpful to you!

Remember, you can often find solutions to your issues by doing a simple search of Facebook’s Help Center. Use the appropriate forms listed here in the event you cannot find a solution and need to contact Facebook.

PLEASE NOTE: Comments have now been CLOSED on this post. Please do not call or email my offices with Facebook issues, as I am unable to provide Facebook tech support, due to sheer volume and due to the fact I do not work for Facebook so am unable to provide direct assistance with various issues. If you are unable to contact Facebook directly through any of these forms, unfortunately, you just need to keep trying. OR, as mentioned above, see if you can sign up for the Meta Verified subscription service. Thank you!

The post How To Contact Facebook: A Directory of 120+ Forms appeared first on Mari Smith.

I recently hosted a free online training – Facebook Marketing in an AI World – which was an expanded version of the presentation I gave at the annual Social Media Marketing World conference on February 20 this year.

The following is a summary with key takeaways. And, you can watch the full replay here, embedded below:

The launch of Meta AI

On April 18, 2024, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO and co-founder of Facebook / Meta Platforms, announced with great pride the launch of an entirely upgraded Meta AI experience with the company’s new, state-of-the-art Llama 3 AI model.

“Big AI news today. We’re releasing the new version of Meta AI, our assistant that you can ask any question across our apps and glasses. Our goal is to build the world’s leading AI.

We’re upgrading Meta AI with our new state-of-the-art Llama 3 AI model, which we’re open sourcing. With this new model, we believe Meta AI is now the most intelligent AI assistant that you can freely use.

We’re making Meta AI easier to use by integrating it into the search boxes at the top of WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger. We also built a website, meta.ai, for you to use on web.

We also built some unique creation features, like the ability to animate photos. Meta AI now generates high quality images so fast that it creates and updates them in real-time as you’re typing. It’ll also generate a playback video of your creation process.

Enjoy Meta AI and let me know what you think!”

Mark Zuckerberg

I’m Mari Smith, premier Facebook marketing expert, often referred to as ‘the Queen of Facebook.’  I joined the platform on ‘Star Wars Day’ May the 4^th, 2007 and just celebrated my 17^th year ‘Faceversary.’ As much as Facebook can be frustrating for so many reasons, I’m still very passionate about the entire Meta empire and the positive good the company has done, and still can do, in the world.

Meta / Facebook turns 20

Meta Platforms, Inc. (formerly Facebook, Inc.) just turned 20 years old on February 4, 2004.

Zuckerberg shared a montage of achievements over the years on his company’s twentieth anniversary: February 4, 2024. The clip ends with a very young Zuckerberg (probably no more than 20 years old but looking more like 15!), saying that the goal was to get 500 members and now they have 100,000.

“When we first launched, we were hoping for, you know, maybe 400, 500 people. Now we’re at 100,000. So, who knows where we’re going next.”

Mark Zuckerberg

Meta’s stats today

Today, Meta Platforms boasts a whopping 3.2 billion people per day using at least one Meta app. That is, Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

Meta Platforms is a trillion-dollar company, currently number six in the list of the largest American companies by market cap.

Building the metaverse

A quick look back over the last few years, for context:

• 2021: Zuckerberg goes ‘all in’ on building the metaverse. Parent company changes from Facebook, Inc. to Meta Platforms, Inc.
• 2022:  The “year of efficiency.” Massive layoffs, tightening up budgets, streamlining projects, letting go of anything not producing.
• 2023: Zuckerberg declares a “Turbo-charged” focus on AI. Threads app launches.
• 2024: Meta plans to focus on Business Ais. “AI will be our biggest investment area in 2024,” stated Zuckerberg in late 2023.

Keep in mind that artificial intelligence is a component of the metaverse. No, Zuckerberg has certainly not ‘given up’ on helping to build the metaverse.

Zuckerberg has been playing the long game with AI for over a decade and is determined to lead the way in this field, no matter what.

In 2013, Mark Zuckerberg tried to buy British-American AI research lab, DeepMind. It was acquired by Google in 2014. Paul Roetzer and Mike Kaput talked about this just on a recent episode of The Artificial Intelligence Show podcast.

Meta started introducing generative AI features in 2023, including launching its ‘Imagine with Meta AI’ text-to-image creation tool. Personally, I was heartened that the company chose to automatically embed a watermark on all images. Meta is leading the way here. Should all AI produced content have some sort of watermark? What do you think?

AI’s future is about way more than generative AI or AI chatbots.

Mark Zuckerberg has long been obsessed with ‘Domination’ and top Roman emperors. He is determined to dominate in the field of AI – artificial intelligence. As well as AGI – artificial general intelligence. Meta is a trillion-dollar company.

Zuckerberg and team have tens of billions to invest in building a world class AI assistant for everyone in the world. Or at least everyone that uses any Meta app or service.

Will Meta’s AGI Model Crush GPT-4?

With the massive amount of money that Zuckerberg and team are investing into NVIDIA H100’s (graphic processing units needed to power AI), it’s certainly possible Meta AI will end up dominating the world of AI. To put the investment in perspective, it’s somewhere between $14-18 billion by the end of this year to buy the GPUs necessary to power Meta AI.

Here’s a clip from Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement on January 18, 2024, about Meta’s advances and plans with artificial intelligence:

“Hey everyone. Today, I’m bringing Meta’s two AI research efforts closer together to support our long-term goals of building general intelligence. Open sourcing it responsibly and making it available and useful to everyone in all of our daily life. It’s become clearer that the next generation of services requires building full general intelligence, building the best AI assistants, AIs for creators, AIs for businesses, and more that needs advances in every area of AI from reasoning to planning, to coding, to memory and other cognitive abilities.”

Mark Zuckerberg

“Over time I think a lot of us are going to talk to AI’s frequently throughout the day. And I think a lot of us are going to do that using glasses,” says Mark Zuckerberg wearing a pair of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses.

The Wolf is at the Door

Ben Angel, bestselling author who has predicted trends in business, health, tech and marketing for nearly two decades just recently launched his newest book: The Wolf is at the Door: How to Survive and Thrive in an AI-Driven World. I led a free live masterclass in March, interviewing Ben about his new book: AI Marketing Unleashed. Would you like to check out the replay?

From Ben’s book:

“Social media’s allure, deliberately crafted to seize our attention, pales when compared with the cutting-edge integration of AI and personalization.”

Ben Angel

Social Saturation and now AI Saturation

Everyone is in overwhelm. Trying to keep up. It’s exhausting.

“Everyone is shouting PIVOT! PIVOT! PIVOT! …when they should be shouting PILOT!
PILOT! PILOT!”

MARI SMITH

We must learn to discern the use of AI in marketing, not constantly shouting ‘PIVOT, PIVOT, PIVOT!’ feeling the need to try out every new AI tool.

Rather, strive to select only those AI tools that add value to your business and start shouting ‘PILOT, PILOT, PILOT!’ instead.

Identify relevant team members who can run pilot tests internally then roll out more widely when appropriate.

Consider the Piloting AI course from the Marketing AI Institute.

Meta AI recent launches:

Over the past six months or so, following are the various updates and new products that Meta has released pertaining to AI, including generative AI:

1. ‘Write with AI’ text prompt – to help craft your Facebook posts. Perhaps some folks are using this and finding it practical and enjoyable. MEH, MAYBE?
2. Imagine with Meta AI – first launched late 2023, this tool is now integrated with Meta.ai and baked into all Meta platforms. Image generation has improved over the past few months. Over time this could be a viable alternative to DALL•E, Midjourney, etc. So long as people can be made to look much more photorealistic. MAYBE?
3. AI Stickers – available inside Stories & Messenger. Probably not much uptake here. MEH
4. Celebrity AI chats – big PR stunt to draw attention to what Meta is doing with AI. NOPE!
5. Meta AI in Facebook Groups – automate responses, drawn from previous posts. Proceed with caution! This feature may not quite be ready for prime time. Some users are finding the AI is approving all kinds of posts and comments they prefer to keep out of their Facebook Group. Other Admins are finding posts made on their behalf without permission. Hm. MAYBE?
6. Custom AI chats for your business – coming at some point. There’s massive potential here for pre and post sales customer support, lead generation, nurturing relationships and more. YES!
7. Meta.ai – launched/upgraded on April 18, 2024. Now available on desktop in certain countries. More countries coming very soon. Massive potential here to become the go-to tool for billions of users around the world instead of any other AI assistant / generative AI platform. YES!
8. Meta AI integrated with all Meta apps – launched on April 18, 2024. Now available in certain countries. More countries coming very soon. Go to the search bar and see the Meta AI blue circle icon inside Facebook, Messenger, Instagram Direct (DMs), and WhatsApp. There’s huge potential here to become the go-to tool for billions of users around the world instead of any other AI assistant / generative AI platform. YES!
9. Meta AI baked into Meta Business Suite and Meta Ads Manager – no doubt coming soon! This will also be huge. Social media managers, marketers, creators, businesses, and brands of all sizes will be able to take advantage of real-time AI generated content. Imagine generating image, animation, text, voice + video, too (at some point no doubt!). Then schedule, publish and measure all without leaving Meta. YES!!
10. Meta’s AI-Powered Discovery Engine – per Zuckerberg’s opening remarks of the Q1 Meta earnings call on April 24, right now about 30% of the posts you see in your Facebook feed and more than 50% on Instagram are AI-suggested/recommended. This is often the bane of many people’s lives because they are no longer seeing content from friends, family and other people and pages they follow. However, suggested content is driving an increase in time spent on Facebook by 7% and Instagram by 6%. Having this element of ‘surprise’ – not knowing what you might see in your feed, keeps users coming back for more.

Note: if you see a meme doing the rounds on Facebook telling you how you can ‘turn off that annoying Meta AI chat’ – no, you cannot get rid of Meta AI. But if you have started a conversation inside Messenger with Meta AI, yes, you can mute it. However, Meta AI won’t proactively start chatting with you unless you engage with it first.

We are living in a time of infinite content with FINITE attention… 

Just because we can crank out hundreds of AI produced content now, it doesn’t mean more content is the answer. We should not be fire-hosing our followers with nonstop synthetic content.

“If your work isn’t more useful or insightful or urgent than GPT can create in 12 seconds, don’t interrupt people with it.”

seth godin

We are being programmed and it’s time to take back control

The message that all the main social media companies have been touting for some time now is that everyone can be a creator. Publish beautiful content and Meta (or TikTok or YouTube) will pay you a lovely big incentive.

However, this is really not a sustainable business model for about 95% of social media business users. If this is your revenue source and you’re happy with it, great – you’re an outlier.

But for most people/entrepreneurs/businesses out there, please focus on building your own business and not relying on third-party payouts! That’s just ‘bonus money’ if you do happen to get some viral content.

Build your ‘house’ (business) with bricks so the big bad wolf of AI cannot blow you down

Going back to Ben Angel’s book, The Wolf Is at the Door: How to Survive and Thrive in an AI-Driven World – his wolf is the one from Little Red Riding Hood. Where the cunning wolf deceives the little girl and her grandmother and gobbles them up.

Ben’s metaphor is to ensure we are all AI literate and do our own investigations and preparations to make sure we are truly ready for the massive onslaught of AI that is already happening.

I chose another wolf from a different children’s fable – The Three Little Pigs. A big bad wolf tries to blow down the houses made by three little pig siblings. One is made with straw, one with sticks, and one with bricks. The wolf easily blows down the first two, but the brick home is safe.

Do not let the big bad wolf of AI temptations ‘blow your house down’ by building with straw or sticks.

Don’t build your house with STRAW:

• Jumping on board every AI app
• Constantly pivoting to the next ‘new thing’

Don’t build your house with STICKS:

• Making inauthentic, synthetic content
• Clone yourself to be ‘efficient’
• Crank out 300 days of content in 30 minutes

Build TRUST & LOYALTY with these 5 BRICKS:

Keep building a strong foundation to prevent your business from being negatively impacted by the fast pace of AI development.

Brick #1: Stay focused.

FOCUS is your most valuable asset! (Says Ben Angel in his book, The Wolf is at the Door and I agree with him!) We live in the most distracted times ever. We must all learn to manage distractions in the digital age. Recommended reading: Indistractable by Nir Eyal.

Brick #2: Matter more.

Don’t strive to get more reach, shares, subscribers, etc. Instead, create content worth sharing. Create email newsletters worth subscribing to. See Jay Acunzo’s work on Instagram: @jacunzo.

Brick #3: Go deep.

“Most companies are trying to ‘boil the ocean’ with their video/small screen strategy,” says Joe Pulizzi, content marketing authority, founder of the Content Marketing Institute.

Instead, they would be “better off taking a step back and saying, ‘Let’s focus on being *great*!! And making a behavioral impact on ONE channel!!! THIS is what we’re gonna talk about. This is our mission, and this is our audience, and this is what we wanna say!!’”

YES! Go deep by creating more quality content on a few social channels rather than spreading yourself too thin across all channels.

Brick #4: Be authentic.

There’s an erosion of trust happening at great speed across all social networks. The antidote is to create authentic, humanized content vs. the temptation to crank out large volumes of inauthentic content. Don’t allow yourself to get overly reliant on synthetic, AI-generated content. Rather, focus on creating more thoughtful, relevant content that resonates with your audience. Authenticity is making a comeback!

With today’s age of AI, the more you can lean into transparency, honesty, even vulnerability, this helps to build trust and genuine connections. In-person events may become more prevalent as AI keeps advancing rapidly. People will crave certainty – knowing something is real or not – by being physically in person with one another.

Brick #5: Build community.

Create meaningful, connected communities through a Facebook group and/or possibly a third-party community platform, e.g. Mighty Networks, Circle, Heartbeat, Slack channel, etc.

Gina Bianchini, CEO & Co-Founder of Mighty Networks discovered something magical recently:

“Only ONE THING matters to predict with 93% accuracy whether a community succeeds or fails… and that is, how often members connect or collaborate with EACH OTHER.” 

GINA BIANCHINI, CEO & CO-FOUNDER, MIGHTY NETWORKS

I love this discovery by Gina so much.

It can take awhile, but it’s possible to create a ‘fly wheel of UGC’ as I call it.

My Social Scoop Facebook Group is incredibly active, supportive and meaningful. And 90% of the content and engagement comes from members. My team and I run a ‘tight ship’ ensuring everyone gets an answer, the culture is robust, and the crazies keep out. Lol.

What makes you unique?

For the past four years, my passion project has been professional studies of The Human Design System. It is a profound tool that is a blend of ancient and modern disciplines including astrology, the I’Ching, Kabbalah, genetics, biology, and quantum physics.

The tool can be used with incredible accuracy for understanding oneself and others, with personal and business applications. When you’re able to stand grounded in what’s unique, special, and different about you and be committed to your own truth, no matter what, it’s much easier to stay focused and not get pulled off track.

To learn more about The Human Design System, you’re welcome and encouraged to join my Superstars community, proudly built on Mighty Networks (aff).

Navigate to the Human Design Basics section for free introductory training and resources. Inside my Superstars community, I also have a free Facebook Marketing Success mini-course, and resources on the topics of social media marketing, AI and the future of business, personal development and deep work.

Be very careful of BSOS: bright shiny object syndrome!

It can be so incredibly tempting to jump on everything ‘new thing’ that comes out today – especially in the world of AI and social media marketing. But remember what I said above – do not be constantly shouting ‘Pivot, pivot, pivot!’ You’ll get dizzy! Lol. Instead, stay focused on building genuine connections with your audience.

“With masses of AI hype, volumes of content, and constant ‘push marketing’ (even though that last part is so 2005!), we need to emphasize connection, relationship building, and fostering strong communities more than ever.”

mari smith

1,000 True Fans

Remember Kevin Kelly’s concept of 1,000 true fans? It’s still just as valid today as it was all those years ago (2008).

You do not ‘need’ millions of followers, constant growth, striving for that viral hit and the ‘holy grail’ of reach, engagement, video view nirvana. Nope. Instead, what if you focused on cultivating connections with the people that truly matter? The ones who love you, love to follow you, and love to buy from you!

Remember what I said above about how we’re all being ‘programmed?’ We’re essentially ‘Meta Marionettes.’ Lol. Like puppets on a string, being manipulated by the AI-powered algorithms, showing us predictive content vs. what we’ve chosen to see. And, not only that, always being pushed into thinking it’s about more, more, more. There’s a reason your stats are red for down (bad!) and green for up (good). Hmph. Take back control, my friend!

Do you need help growing your business on Facebook & Instagram?

• Perhaps you’re struggling to make effective REELS that drive real results on Instagram and Facebook? (Maybe you’re not even sure where to start.)
• You may have a Facebook Group (or want to start one) yet you have no idea how to monetize your GROUP?
• Maybe you’ve tried running Facebook ADS but lost money or gotten plain stuck? (You’re not alone!) Yet, Meta ads could help you 2X or more your revenue this year!

I’d love to support you. Introducing my brand-new program: AI-Empowered REELS, GROUPS, ADS workshop. Coming up on May 20, 21, 22 and a bonus session on May 27.

• Discover how to grow your business by mastering the fundamentals of AI-Empowered Facebook and Instagram Reels, Facebook Groups, and Advertising on the Meta Platforms (even on a super-low budget!)
• Learn exactly how Meta AI impacts creators, marketers and advertisers, what the company is launching soon, and how you can stay ahead of the Meta.ai curve (without losing focus!)
• Plus, find out which AI tools you really need to help you be more efficient, productive, and successful with your social media marketing (and which tools you can ignore!)

Would you like to check it out and come join us?

Learn more at:  https://www.marismith.com/rga-workshop/

Some links in this article (Amazon & Mighty Networks) are affiliate tracking links. I may earn a commission if you make a purchase through the link.

The post Facebook Marketing in an AI World appeared first on Mari Smith.

[Updated 4.28.24] With Generative AI making a massive impact on social media marketers today, it takes even more effort to stay on top of all the changes and master your social media management.

Meta is absolutely blazing a trail with artificial intelligence with the recent announcement of Meta.ai. And these AI features are literally baked into (fully integrated!) Messenger, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.

So is it any wonder that social media overwhelm is among the top struggles faced by marketers today, especially when it comes to social media management. The digital world never stops. Changes are happening 24/7 and, as a result, marketers are left feeling like it’s impossible to keep up.

“There are just too many social media channels.”

“There’s too much content to keep up with.”

“There are too many notifications to check.”

“There are too many DM boxes to check.”

“There are too many disparate tools and apps needed.”

“I can’t keep up with all the changes.”

“AI is moving too fast!”

Can you relate?

If so, I’ve got good news for you, my friend!! It’s time to say ‘goodbye’ to social media overwhelm for good, and ‘hello’ to social media management SIMPLIFIED!

I partnered with my good friends at Agorapulse to bring you my 5 Top Tips for Effortless Social Media Management.

Enjoy this special Facebook broadcast and slides below, where I walk you through my five top tips for effortless social media management, plus showcase a live demo of my own Agorapulse dashboard.

1. Schedule

Trying to hand curate and manually publish your content on a daily basis is INSANITY! I mean, seriously!

When you spend all of your time curating and publishing manually, it often comes at the cost of engaging with your community.

By scheduling out content across your favorite social channels, you remove the stress of knowing what to publish and when to publish. You have the security of knowing your content is going out consistently and you have the freedom to spend that extra time building meaningful relationships!

Agorapulse offers several options for scheduling your content across all social channels.

Scheduling FAQS

2. Listen

Effective social media management isn’t just about posting content. It’s about listening. You have to be listening for brand mentions, certain keywords, competitor content, and potential customers who are looking for your help.

The ways in which we listen differ depending on the social platform and its capabilities.

Agorapulse makes it really easy with their unified Social Inbox.

X (Twitter) can often be the most effective simply because it’s the most open. With Agorapulse you can listen for saved searches. You can even geo-fence any searches which is perfect if you’re a local business.

With Facebook, you are able to monitor public mentions of your page. This is a great opportunity to show your presence and appreciation for those taking the time to talk about your brand.

Instagram allows you to monitor up to 30 searches. This is significant. You can really tune into your ideal audience and jump into conversations with them.

The only platform that is somewhat limited is LinkedIn as they don’t provide access to any third party tools. Fortunately, you can still schedule your content on LinkedIn.

Content is King, but engagement is Queen and she rules the house! This is my most popular saying for the past 15 years or so. Sure we absolutely need to publish compelling content across our favorite social channels. BUT we really want to also engage with our audience. Relationships are very close to my heart and all that I do in the world.

On that note, you might enjoy this wonderful Q&A with my friends at Emplifi: Community Corner — Q&A with Mari Smith: Why content is king, but community is queen.

3. Discover

To be truly effective, you need to always seek out opportunities to discover more about your audience. Take the time to identify possible brand ambassadors, affiliates and ‘superfans.’

How do you do this?

Agorapulse allows you to add labels to individuals.

For example, on Facebook, if someone comments on your wall often or DMs your page, the label ‘Engaged’ applies. If someone is talking about you a lot on their own page, this could be a prime ‘Ambassador’ contact.

On Twitter, the same logic applies. Mentions tend to indicate an individual is ‘Engaged’ whereas if they are retweeting your posts, it means they are promoting you to their own audience. They would fall under the ‘Ambassador’ category.

By applying labels you can really hone in on your audience and turn your interactions into far bigger opportunities that are mutually beneficial.

4. Simplify

I don’t know about you but just the thought of signing in and out of every social platform leaves me feeling overwhelmed.

This is what I consider to be one the greatest features of Agorapulse. All of your social media channels in ONE hub!

• No need for extra Instagram apps
• No need for an editorial calendar + scheduling app + a listening tool + community management tool + reporting tool.
• Agorapulse has it all!

You only need one app for planning, scheduling, listening, community management and reporting! Think about all those hours each week you could be saving! Time you can use to invest in other areas of your business development… and/or some extra, much-needed self-care!

5. Delegate

You don’t need to do it all alone!

Agorapulse makes it really easy to delegate social media roles to team members. Roles include:

• Admin
• Editor
• Moderator
• Guest

You can also assign any comments and messages to team members. This can be really effective in situations where your team is handling your social inbox but come across a particular message that requires your attention.

It also works well for managing the content approval process.

Simply by implementing these 5 tips, social media doesn’t have to be overwhelming – especially when you have a tool to support you each step of the way.

Take A Test Drive with Mari

They don’t say ‘Mari like Ferrari’ for nothing! Take Agorapulse for a completely free test drive and SAVE 20% off any monthly plan for the first full year! (Teehee, okay, this is a Mercedes… during a wonderful influencer test drive day I had in San Jose back in 2015. Got to test a self-driving Mercedes, too!)

Simply go to agorapulse.com/marismith

Use code marisave20.

You can start with a full 14-day free trial if you wish… or you can even extend to 28 days upon request!

So what are you waiting for, friends? It’s time for you to reclaim your sanity, save time and manage your social media the effortless way!

FULL DISCLOSURE: Mari Smith is a paid Brand Ambassador for Agorapulse.

This post was originally published on 6.19.2019 and reviewed/updated on 4.28.2024.

The post How To Get Out of Social Media Overwhelm appeared first on Mari Smith.

Facebook got rid of the “trusted contacts” feature. You might’ve seen the notice in the Facebook app last year.

If you had the trusted contacts feature set up now your chosen friends will no longer be able to help you get back on Facebook if you lose access to your account. Ugh.

Most likely, this is yet another of the myriad features Facebook chooses to nix without explanation because not that many people were using it. Which could be tens of millions, but not hundreds of millions or a billion or more.

The way Facebook worded the notification, it was definitely confusing and not clear… typical FB. 

 “Trusted contacts ends soon.” — could be interpreted like it’s time to review, change, edit or update your trusted contacts… Certainly that was my very first thought. Hmph.

I would reword the notification to, “Facebook is removing the trusted contacts feature altogether (on xyz date). But, rest assured, here are 12 ways to protect your account and stay safe.” There, much better! 

SO, whether you had trusted contacts set up in the past or not, here is a solid checklist of all the actions you should absolutely have in place to ensure your Facebook account is super solid, safe and secure.

Follow These 12 Action Steps to Secure Your Facebook Account

On desktop or mobile, navigate to your Facebook Settings and follow these steps.

Step #1: Set up 2-factor or multi-factor authentication

2FA (two-factor authentication) or MFA (multifactor authentication) is an absolute MUST. In fact, get this: if you’re running ads, your ads will quite possibly perform better so long as EVERY admin of your Page has 2FA set up.

This is the most critical step. And, not only that, you might even see ever-so-slightly better organic reach so long as every admin of your Page has 2FA set up!! Yes, it’s that vital! So, get ‘er done, my friends!

You access 2FA under your Security and Login settings.

Most people utilize SMS to receive a code via text message. BUT, that is actually not the most secure way to set up 2FA as phone numbers can be spoofed. Ugh, I know, right?!

So, for optimal security, it’s much more effective to use an Authenticator app. I cannot stress this strongly enough! Google Authenticator (iOS or Android) and Duo Mobile are among the top authenticator apps.

If you’re not a techie and find it confusing to have a separate mobile app that generates codes for you to use to login to your vital sites, please get some help from a trusted person who understands this process. It’s really not that difficult, though!

Step #2: Only use long and cryptic passwords

Ensure your password is long and cryptic. If you can remember your password (for anything!), it’s not cryptic enough.

So long as you are using a strong password – along with 2FA – you shouldn’t need to change your password that often. But, some security experts suggest changing your password every few months.

Step #3: Set up a USB Security Key for maximum security

For maximum security, ALSO set up a USB Security Key.

For more information, suggested devices and instructions, here’s a helpful post on Tom’s Guide. What is a USB security key, and how do you use it?

Step #4: Always use a trusted password manager tool

Do not ever rely on your memory or a non-secure way of logging passwords. Always use a reputable password manager tool, e.g. LastPass, 1Password, etc.

Step #5: Do not share your login credentials

Never ever share your login credentials with anyone, for any reason.

To share access to your business page, use Business Manager or Business Suite and add Admins with appropriate roles, ensuring they also have 2FA set up.

Step #6: Enable login alerts

Set up extra security by enabling “Get alerts about unrecognized logins.” Select notifications on Facebook and by email.

NOTE: Facebook used to have the option to get login alerts via Messenger and/or SMS, but those two options are going away. Instead, only in-app notifications + email are options, which is still just fine!

Step #7: Check Logged In Sessions

Periodically check your Logged In Sessions and remove any that you no longer need. This is especially vital if you ever used a public or shared computer to access your Facebook account.

Step #8: Review connected Apps and Websites

Under Settings, periodically check which Apps and Websites are connected to your Facebook account and still have active access. Remove any you no longer need or use.

Step #9: Review your Business Integrations

Regularly review your Business Integrations – these are apps and services that you’ve used Facebook to log into. Again, remove any you no longer need or use.

Step #10: Large following? Consider hiding

You might want to hide your Friends and Followers on your personal profile if you have a large number of them. The setting is under the 3 dots on your Friends or Followers tab. This is particularly important for profiles that get impersonated as it looks very enticing to a scammer to be able to act as you and try to scam your entire network.

The bad actors create a new account with a name that looks very close to yours; they’ll use your profile picture, send friend requests to all your publicly visible friends and then spam them with scam links. This icky scam was very prevalent on Instagram for the longest time, causing some account owners to switch to a private account.

If your account ever does get impersonated on Facebook and/or Instagram (not hacked, but impersonated with a new/similar account name), all you can do really is report the offending account. And ask your friends and followers to report it for impersonating you.

Step #11: Be ultra careful with suspicious links

Always be very careful to check any links sent to you via DM and/or email that seem to come from Meta / Facebook (or even from trusted friends, as it’s possible they got hacked).

Phishing is rampant these days and the scammers are getting cleverer by the day; it’s all too easy to fall prey to something that looks too good to be true. If in doubt, do not click!

Step #12: Review browser extensions

Make sure to keep your web browser up to date and remove any suspicious applications or browser add-ons or extensions.

Bonus Step: Download your information

This setting allows you to download everything you’ve ever posted on Facebook and it’s a solid best practice for both your personal profile and business Page, as at least you would own a back up off of Facebook. (Just like you back up your website or blog).

I would recommend downloading your information a minimum of once a year, but maybe 2-4 times a year depending on how much you post! (See Step #9.9 on this post).

Related: Facebook account hacked? Business Manager hacked? Here’s how to get help

Hopefully you’ll be more confident about how secure your Facebook account is after taking these 12 steps!

Let’s connect!

Make sure you’re following my Facebook Page to stay up to date with all things Facebook and social media marketing.

For our fellow small business owners, social media professionals, entrepreneurs, marketers, agencies – if you’re not already a member, do join my Social Scoop Facebook Group for tons of wonderful peer support and access to me and my team. We keep over 22,000 members up to date on the latest Facebook & social media news, platform changes, updates, tools, and tips.

Need help with your Facebook marketing? Join the wait list for my most popular program #FBOMM: Facebook Organic Marketing Masterclass Season Five is coming soon!

The post 12 Steps To Secure Your Facebook Account appeared first on Mari Smith.

Reels are up to 30 seconds on Facebook and up to 60 seconds on Instagram. Some users may see the ability to create and publish Facebook reels of up to 60 seconds as well. (Side note: just as soon as reels really ‘take off’ on Facebook, what’s the bets Meta will start to increase the length up to ten minutes to keep up with TikTok?! Just sayin’!)

Check out this recent Facebook Live broadcast where I show quick and easy ways to make professional videos for Facebook and Instagram on DESKTOP using the powerful online video editing tool InVideo – from repurposed content you already have, as well as stock footage. And, no, you don’t have to be a professional dancer or lipsyncer or point to bubbles. LOL!

I’ve embedded the Facebook video below, but you can also catch it on YouTube. And, see my slide deck from this broadcast embedded below.

How To Create Reels with Facebook Live Video Replays

Here’s a suggested workflow to quickly create reels content for Facebook and/or Instagram using clips from your past livestreams:

• Select a Facebook Live video clip
• Use online video editing tool, InVideo
• Choose a Category > pick a 9:16 Template
• Swap out the media for your video (you can upload longer videos and just use a clip; or you can clip first and upload)
• Replace/adjust the text
• Click download (1080p)
• Then upload to Dropbox, Google Drive, or iCloud (so you can easily access the reel on your phone)
• Open up Facebook Reels (on your Facebook personal profile, business page or group)
• Select the file from your source, add FX, publish

How To Create Reels with Stock Video

You don’t have to use your own video content and you don’t even have to be on camera to make Instagram or Facebook reels. Here’s the same workflow, using stock video assets that you’ll find inside InVideo.io:

• Go to InVideo
• Choose a Category > pick a 9:16 Template
• Search to find the right stock video clips and replace (or use the assets in the template if they’re suitable for your needs)
• Edit the text
• Click download (1080p)
• Then upload to Dropbox, Google Drive, or iCloud (so you can easily access the reel on your phone)
• Open up Facebook Reels (on your Facebook personal profile, business page or group)
• Select the file from your source, add FX, publish

Remember to add a few relevant hashtags! Yes, they really do matter on Facebook.

Related: Using Hashtags On Facebook Can Help Increase Your Organic Reach

Can You SCHEDULE Reels?

Alas, the short answer is no. Not yet, anyway. Hopefully, Meta is working on opening the API so third party apps can provide an elegant solution for scheduling reels!! C’mon Meta, you can do it!!

Meantime, for reels on Instagram – one solution is to simply create and save as DRAFTS. Then set reminders for yourself for when you wish to publish and just select from your drafts.

Unfortunately, the drafts feature does not exist for reels on Facebook yet.

You may find there are some third party tools that allow you to do some of the heavy lifting of scheduling reels… but there is no complete automation. You’ll still have to manually publish your reels on either Instagram or Facebook.

24 Ideas for Reels

1. Repurpose evergreen content
2. Answer an FAQ
3. Meet my team
4. Show your workspace
5. Before and after
6. Micro tips
7. How-to’s
8. Unboxing
9. Trend
10. National/International Holiday
11. Introduce your passion project
12. Something about me you don’t know is ____.
13. Showcase your favorite product(s)
14. Introduce yourself – tell your story
15. Take your followers behind the scenes
16. A day in the life of
17. Sneak peek
18. Employee spotlight
19. Meet the team
20. Customer testimonial
21. Micro case study
22. Listicle
23. Favorite tools
24. Start or participate in a challenge

See also: 40 Reels Ideas + Templates from InVideo

Powerful Online Video Editor

You can easily batch create videos for every possible platform and use case using the powerful browser based video editor, InVideo. I’ve got you a special deal! Click here and use code MARI30 to save 30% off any plan, annual or monthly. Your rate is grandfathered in for the lifetime of your account.

Also, check out InVideo’s incredibly supportive user community on Facebook “Video Marketing And Creation Hub by InVideo” with over 30k members!

Here’s my slide deck from the live video, in case it’s helpful! Any questions, let me know – hop into the DMs on my Facebook Page or Instagram.

NOTE: this post contains sponsored content. I provide brand ambassador/influencer marketing services to InVideo. I do not make money if you click my link. However, InVideo is my client and I’ve negotiated a special 30% deal for you!

The post How To Easily Create Facebook Reels on Desktop appeared first on Mari Smith.

Finally!

The Facebook Hashtag Definitive Guide: What Marketers Need To Know

Jump to each section with the links below, or just read ‘n’ scroll!

• Post privacy: who can see your posts with hashtags?
• Tips for using hashtags on Facebook
• How many hashtags should you include in your Facebook posts?
• Use #SupportSmallBusiness on Facebook
• Join the challenge buttons
• Hashtag browse topic button
• Facebook auto-inserts links to Instagram hashtags
• Newly designed hashtag post feed pages

Hashtags on Facebook first launched clear back in 2013 with an update in 2016. And, frankly, hashtags never really seemed to take off, and never made much difference on Facebook. In fact, I recall seeing some reports over the years showing that using hashtags on Facebook might lower organic reach. And, for many users that auto-publish Instagram posts to Facebook, complete with a ton of hashtags, it never looked right.

That is, until now!

Heck, if we can get even a teeny bit of increase in organic reach, I say use hashtags liberally on Facebook!!

You may have seen a notification on Facebook like this prompting you to add hashtags to your posts to improve your reach? LOVE that! Thank you, Facebook. Many members of my Social Scoop Facebook group have reported seeing a slight increase in reach with the use of hashtags.

Post privacy: who can see your posts with hashtags?

Before we go any further, let’s talk about the all-important topic of privacy!

As with all content on Facebook, the author/owner controls the privacy settings. So, if you publish content on your personal profile to friends only, then only friends can see that content. Makes sense, right? If you include hashtags in a personal profile post, with privacy set to friends only, then that post *can* be surfaced in the hashtag post feed page … but, will still only be visible to your friends.

Same thing with private groups. Including hashtags in your Facebook group posts is a good practice now, given Facebook is stating you’ll get better reach. This likely goes for all types of posts. However, with group posts, yes they can also be surfaced in the hashtag post feed page, but ONLY for members of that group.

So, don’t be alarmed if you go to check the feed of a hashtag you’ve used in a private group, and you see your own post at the top. You’re seeing it there because you’re in the group!

You can always check the little privacy icon next to the time stamp on any post. The globe is always public. The group of three people is groups. Two people is friends. The gear icon is custom settings which you may see on personal profile posts and/or business page posts, meaning visible to only specific audiences.

Tips for using hashtags on Facebook

Here’s what to know, so far, about using hashtags on Facebook:

• You can easily discover what hashtags are in use on Facebook by typing in the search bar on either the desktop or mobile apps, just like on Instagram.
• Plus, on the main Facebook mobile app, just start typing your desired hashtags and Facebook will make additional suggestions:

• Definitely include hashtags in your Facebook posts!
• Build your own sets of hashtags to paste into various posts for specific purposes, just like on Instagram.
• Use Meta’s Creator Studio (or Business Suite) and you’ll see the option to click the ‘#’ symbol where Facebook provides a place to search, save and add hashtags.
• Also, when you create posts for either Facebook or Instagram using Creator Studio (or Business Suite), typing the # sign and the start of a hashtag automatically populates with suggested tags. You’ll see the number of posts that include that hashtag to give you an indication of its popularity.
• If you weren’t already, you can certainly link your Instagram account to crosspost to Facebook, and your Instagram hashtags now (finally!) actually have more impact on Facebook.
• Recommended: use a mix of wildly popular hashtags in the millions along with some in the 100k’s and some very niche ones.
• Consider creating your own unique hashtag as well to add to all posts.

On Facebook’s latest design, whenever you begin to type a hashtag, Facebook automatically suggests hashtags for you. Just like on Instagram.

How many hashtags should you include in your Facebook posts?

As many as you want! (The character limit for Facebook posts is a whopping 63,206!) But, generally I would suggest adding 3-5 key hashtags. And then maybe expanding to 10-15 if you wish. More if you really want. Test to see what works.

I would also place hashtags mostly at the bottom, similar to Instagram. Also, if you just place a bunch of clear lines before your hashtags, Facebook removes the clear lines. So, again, just like on Instagram, you might place several “.” periods to create hard line breaks.

HOT TIP: Consider going back through some of your best performing Facebook posts and ADD hashtags! PLUS, be sure to add a comment and see if some of your friends/fans can add a comment, too. This activates Facebook’s “Story Bump” algorithm introduced on August 6th, 2013 and could help more people discover your content easier, especially video posts.

I tested this tip myself recently by sending an email to my subscribers drawing attention to a popular post about helping small businesses network in my Social Scoop Facebook group. When I went back to check the #supportsmallbusiness hashtag page again after a week, my Social Scoop post was back up at the top!

In other words, the post was at the top whilst it was fresh and getting good engagement then it got pushed lower down as the days went by. However, by giving the post a ‘bump’ with more comments, the post gets more visibility. You should totally test this on your own profile, group and business page posts. Let me know what you find!

Use #SupportSmallBusiness on Facebook

In May 2020, Facebook introduced a series of features to help support small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. 

We’re releasing a “Support Small Business” sticker on Instagram and a #SupportSmallBusiness hashtag on the Facebook app to let people show their love for small businesses. Creators on Facebook can also use a new “in support of” tag to promote small businesses to their fans. —Facebook for Business

The use of #SupportSmallBusiness hashtag is very popular.

On Instagram, the same #supportsmallbusiness hashtag has over 16M posts. Of course, historically, hashtags have simply been much more widely utilized on Instagram vs. Facebook.

Follow button

Another major difference, for now, between hashtags feed pages on both platforms is that Instagram allows users to follow a hashtags, whereas Facebook does not have this feature. I’ll be curious to see if and when they add it!

Create Post CTA button

Facebook encourages visitors to hashtag pages to add their own post with a big blue call-to-action button.

The same invitation appears on mobile underneath posts that include the hashtag, as you can see from this screenshot shared with me by my friend Michael Stelzner.

Join the challenge buttons

Facebook also has ‘Create Post’ buttons on posts with certain challenge hashtags such as this one pointed out by my friend, social media industry commentator, Matt Navarra:

Hashtag browse topic button

There’s also a ‘Browse’ button on the foot of posts to discover more about an included hashtag.

Facebook auto-inserts links to Instagram hashtags

For some popular hashtags, Facebook automatically inserts the full URL in parentheses encouraging users to check out the same hashtag on Instagram.

That Instagram URL and the [ ] and ( ) were added automagically by Facebook, not by the user.

Facebook feed pages for #hashtag posts

The hashtag post feed pages are nice and clean and easy to navigate. Just type any #hashtag in the search bar.

Will users make more use of these hashtag post feed pages by searching and browsing? Time will tell. However, even if use of these pages is fairly limited, the bottom line is we want to include relevant hashtags in all posts now in order to reach more of our audience. Like I said earlier, even if this gets you just a teeny increase, it’s worth the effort.

FWIW, here is Facebook’s small help section on using hashtags.

Your thoughts? Have you seen any other notifications for hashtag use or new hashtag features? What would you love to see to really improve the use of hashtags on Facebook?

[This post was originally published on 7.14.2020. Updates were added on 3.1.2021 and again on 3.24.2022]

The post Using Hashtags On Facebook Can Help Increase Your Organic Reach appeared first on Mari Smith.

If you’ve been locked out of your main Facebook account and/or your Facebook Business Manager due to a hacking incident, you’re certainly not alone.

Over the years, my social media and email inboxes get flooded on a regular basis with folks seeking help with lost access, often due to hackers. Sadly, Facebook’s own support is infuriatingly difficult/impossible to get any resolution for the vast majority of users.

BUT, there is hope, my friend!! After recently experiencing a hacking incident myself, I’ve put everything I know about retrieving and securing your account into this post. And, I’m doing my level best to get Facebook to tighten up its security settings AND customer service!!

If you don’t have a hacked account, there is much you can do to absolutely lock down your Facebook personal and business presence.

CONTENTS

Click any topic to jump down to that section. In this comprehensive post, I cover the following:

1. Is there a vulnerability inside Business Manager?
2. Scam ads – examples
3. Hackers (from Vietnam?) wreaking havoc
4. $20,000 in scam ads
5. Look for these red flags
6. How to get your hacked Facebook Business Manager back
7. How to get your hacked Facebook Account back
8. Paid third party services – are they legit?!
9. How to secure your Facebook personal profile
10. Best practices to protect your Facebook business Page
11. How to secure your Facebook Business Manager
12. Are Business Suite and New Pages Experience more secure?

I don’t work for Facebook and never have, despite folks thinking I do. I run my own corporation and have been the top Facebook marketing expert since 2007. Yes, I have independently contracted with Facebook on many occasions between 2015-2018 for the Boost Your Business multi-city tour and co-creating Blueprint curricula, among other projects.

Yes, I do have high level contacts at Facebook. But, alas, I’m unable to pull in favors for the literally thousands of folks who reach out for support. Besides, Facebook is incredibly siloed.

Seriously, my heart breaks for anyone whose business (or personal life) is heavily impacted by the loss of access to a Facebook Account, Business Manager or Ads Manager.

I’m always astonished by how many people fall prey to hackers gaining access to their social accounts, almost always because of a lack of taking the proper security measures. (Details on proper security steps are listed in sections #9, 10 and 11 below).

However, my astonishment turned to myself recently when MY OWN FACEBOOK BUSINESS MANAGER GOT HACKED. Serious wtf moment. Yes, I had every security setting properly configured to the max. As did my other Admins.

So, what the heck happened?

(I did manage to regain full control of my Facebook Business Manager and Ad Account within 48 hours. See section #6 below for similar help with this issue).

1. Is there a vulnerability inside Business Manager?

Certainly, securing your PERSONAL Facebook Account should be a cinch, predominantly via 2FA: two-factor authentication via text or an authenticator app. More on that in section #9 below.

But, how can a hacker gain access to Business Manager? Well, somehow they first add themselves under your Users > People settings. This should create a notification to Admins that the hacker is showing as a ‘pending user.’ If this happens, you would immediately cancel their request and lock everything down with changed passwords. (More steps in sections #9, 10 and 11 below).

This screenshot shows a hacker attempting to add themselves to a Business Manager. Invariably, the email address might look somewhat legit… or it might look like garbage. In this example, there really is a supportfacebook.com domain. It’s owned by Facebook and redirects to their Help Center. So, the hacker is trying to look like they are coming from Facebook.

In my research, it turns out there was a significant security issue in Business Manager some five years ago. A cyber security expert uncovered the exploit and was apparently rewarded a $16,000 bounty.

2. Scam ads – examples

The bad actors that got into my own Business Manager did craft two random scam ads and try to run them.

Thankfully, Facebook’s AI kicked in and promptly shut down my Ad Account before any money was spent. Honestly, this is the one time we actually WANT Facebook’s AI to act promptly and shut down your account.

The above image shows the notifications for two scam ads in my own Ad Account. (Neither ad actually ran, thankfully. As mentioned above, the AI caught them and temporarily shut down my Ad Account).

By the way, notice the third notification in my screenshot above – “Tolo Tv ?? blocked your video…” – this was yet another big red flag for me this day. Why? Because the video this Page reported was my own livestream (via Zoom) into a PRIVATE Facebook Group. Wtf? How on earth can a public Facebook Page even get access to a video inside a private group they have not joined? The content was entirely my own coaching.

Fortunately, I was able to dispute the copyright claim and Facebook accepted it a week later. But, during that week, the video was not available in my group. Crazy.

3. Hackers (from Vietnam?) wreaking havoc

I did some significant research in preparation for this blog post on the two Pages that attempted to run ads from my account, and I discovered a vast number of hacked Facebook Pages with scam posts, many of which are/were running scam ads as well. All Pages have a variation on the names.

It seems there is quite a ring of scammers out of Vietnam. Or at least purporting to be. (And, this has been going on for some time – the person on this Reddit thread experienced a very similar situation a year ago).

Searching Facebook for the first part of the “Winona” Page name showed me an ACTIVE ad from the same Page – likely running from someone else’s hacked Ad Account. See screenshot below – the video in the ad had millions of views:

And, for the second ad in my Ad Account – run by a Page called “Trung Tâm Hoa Giong Quoc Gia” (Vietnamese for “National Flower Seed Center”) – I came across a LARGE NUMBER of variations of this name as active, recently hacked Facebook Pages.

One quick glance at each Page Transparency section and we can see that the hackers changed the Page name – significantly.

This makes no sense to me how these scammers are so easily able to take over a page and change its name so radically. Historically, it’s often extremely challenging to change a Page name even moderately. Here’s an example I came across in my searching:

The First Baptist Church of Jackson actually has been able to regain control of their hacked Facebook Page, thankfully.

BUT, it’s shocking to me that Facebook is not being responsive about helping this church revert back to its proper name, per this post…

UPDATE: just before I published this blog post, I checked back again and thankfully, on October 20th (11 days later), the team at the First Baptist Church of Jackson got their Page name back. Hurrah!

It’s really tragic that Facebook doesn’t have a significantly more effective system in place to prevent such bad actors wreaking havoc.

4. $20,000 in scam ads!

My good friend, live video expert Molly Mahoney experienced a very similar Business Manager hacking last month where the scammers were somehow able to add themselves to her account. Then, they quickly racked up a whopping $20,000 USD in scam ads before she knew it.

Molly has been able to recoup most all of the money, and get some semblance of resolution. But, it’s not fully resolved and she’s still dealing with the aftermath. She’s only received rather scant support from Facebook.

And, right around the same time period, fellow social influencer Adryenn Ashley had a big hacking experience. The bad actors took control of a large number of Facebook Pages she administers, including her own blue-check verified public figure Page, which she has still been unable to regain control of, despite following all the steps and speaking with her Facebook reps.

Also, in my research, I emailed my subscribers to get a sense of how commonplace hacked Facebook Accounts and Business Managers are. I was amazed to receive dozens upon dozens of replies all with very similar stories. Some fellow Facebook Page Admins – and agencies – had the exact same experience: scammers out of Vietnam gaining access to Business Manager and, in some cases, racking up large sums of ad spend.

5. Look for these red flags

Okay, so let’s switch gears and get proactive. In the following sections I will describe everything I can to help you if you’re facing a similar situation.

For starters, ANY and all suspicious activity whatsoever should be careful monitored and acted upon. Between yourself and all other Facebook Page Admins*, definitely keep a close eye on your Notifications, whether you receive these on Facebook, via email and/or via SMS. If your Notifications preferences are not enabled properly, go in to your Page Settings > Notifications.

*EVERY Facebook Page should have at least TWO Admins, each with full 2FA (two-factor authentication) – more on this in section #10 below.

If you use Business Manager or Business Suite, definitely review your Notification Settings on those tools as well. Go to Business Settings > Notifications.

POSSIBLE RED FLAGS INCLUDE:

• Someone you don’t recognize has been added to your Ad Account (or is showing as Pending)
• Someone you don’t recognize has been added to your Business Manager (or is showing as Pending)
• Your Admin role gets demoted to a lesser role in Business Manager (you may or may not receive a notification)
• You lose Admin access entirely to your Facebook Page – in this instance, Facebook should send you a notification and/or email (such as they did in Adryenn‘s case)
• Any activity in your Notifications that looks suspicious
• An unrecognized login alert notification/email from Facebook
• A password reset code email from Facebook that you didn’t trigger
• Friend requests are being sent out to people you don’t know
• Posts you don’t recognize have been published to your wall
• A new ad is running that you don’t recognize
• Your Ad Account suddenly gets deactivated
• Direct messages in your personal inbox or business inbox asking you to click on a link. Be careful!
  • Even if the message comes from someone you know it’s possible that their account was hacked and you’re getting a scam/phishing message.
  • Often the message is along the lines of ‘Hey, is this you in this photo/video?’ – do not click!!!
• Emails asking you to click on a link that you’re uncertain about – be extremely careful of phishing attempts where the scammers end up stealing your login credentials.
• Anyone offering you money (via DM) to advertise on your page. They will meet with you on Zoom to walk through the ‘approval process’ where you would inadvertently reveal a backdoor link to add an admin. (This is what happened to Adryenn Ashley; she states, “FB should make this linked masked so you can see that you are about to reveal a back door link.” Yikes).
• One more possibility is attempting to connect with you via the Collabs Manager (inside Facebook’s Creator Studio). In all the years Facebook has had this feature, I’ve rarely seen any actual compelling offers. I do see a ton of invitations in my own Collabs Manager, but they are invariably for low or no fee so it’s a giant #ignore from me. Still, there may be occasional decent offers for some folks. Just be careful! The hackers will try any means to get to you.

6. How to get your hacked Facebook Business Manager back

When my own Business Manager was hacked, the scammers ‘demoted’ myself and my Admins to ‘Employee.’ So, even though we lost all Admin features, we could still get access to support.

NOTE: if your Ad Account has been compromised, you may want to immediately contact your credit card company, bank, PayPal etc. to alert them of the breach and potentially cancel the card/payment method as appropriate. Especially if you are no longer able to access the full Business Settings in your Facebook account.

If you still have Admin/Employee access, you should be able to go in to Business Manager and get help.

Click the question mark icon in the bottom left and this opens up the Help panel on the right.

You should see “Contact Support Team” in the middle of the Help panel. Then follow the prompts and you should get a fairly prompt response.

It may be that this Contact Support Team feature is not available inside ALL Business Managers yet. If you don’t see this option, try the alternative solutions listed below.

First, use this form if your Page was hacked and you’ve lost Admin access. Facebook automatically populates this form with any Page it knows you had Admin access to previously and don’t at the moment.

And/or, try the standard Facebook help system for hacked accounts at https://www.facebook.com/hacked.

Then, also use any of the following forms, as appropriate:

• Request Review of Restricted Business Account
• Request Review of Restricted Ad Account
• Disabled Payments & Ads Manager
• Request Review of Restricted Page
• My business has lost access to our app
• Troubleshoot Unrecognized Activity on Your Ad Account
• See also my own Directory of Facebook Contact Forms

Facebook used to offer access to support via Chat for all Advertisers and Businesses on the Business Help Center. Then that support changed to only ‘Media, Publishers or Public Figures‘ for ‘Special Support’ where you can send an email. There is a Messenger Chat that is almost permanently grayed out (at least I haven’t seen it active – but maybe it only shows active for those specific Page types, seeing Facebook knows everything).

If you can’t find the Support option INSIDE your Business Manager, this Business Help Center option is definitely worth trying.

If your Facebook Ad Account was hacked, follow some of these same steps above. See also my friend Ezra Firestone at Smart Marketer for his team’s experience with a hacking incident last year: What To Do When Your Facebook Ad Account Gets Hacked (Like Ours Just Did)

Of course, it goes without saying that if you have a Facebook Account Rep/contact that can help you with any issues regarding a hacked account, then for sure reach out to them immediately. Nonetheless, you may also need to follow several of the steps detailed here anyway if your person is unable to resolve the issue for you.

7. How to get your hacked Facebook Account back

You might find yourself reading this blog post because your PERSONAL Facebook Account got hacked and you’re struggling to regain access.

Although this article predominantly focuses on the business Page and Business Manager side of Facebook, I want to also address personal Facebook Account attacks. Because that is a very vulnerable area if not properly secured. And, invariably, it’s the personal accounts where hackers first gain access. (Unless there really is a security vulnerability inside Business Manager, which I’m convinced there is).

Are you still able to login? If so, immediately go to the Security and Login section and i) change your password and ii) log out of all sessions just as a precaution. You can always log back in (and you’ll need to anyway once you change your password).

If you can no longer login, this means the hacker has changed your password and, unfortunately, probably changed your email address to their own.

Follow the steps on Facebook’s Help Center at How do I secure a hacked account?

Or, go straight to: https://www.facebook.com/hacked

And/or follow the Hacked Wizard guided tool.

Also, ask a few friends if they could please check your profile on Facebook and see if your name or profile picture has been changed. And if the hacker has made any posts on your wall. Ask these friends to report your profile as a hacked account.

If you have not previously verified your ID on Facebook, you may be asked to upload ID. Refer to this section: What types of ID does Facebook accept?

Next, you’ll probably need copious amounts of patience. Don’t give up hope. Try the Hacked form again.

Or, you can try other measures – see section #8 below.

NOTE: if someone has CLONED your Facebook Account and is impersonating you, this is not a hacked account. It’s a separate account and needs to be reported. Here’s how: Go to the imposter’s profile on desktop or mobile, click the 3 dots, select ‘Find support or report profile,’ then follow the prompts from there. I would also recommend that you have a few friends report the imposter profile as well.

8. Paid third party services – are they legit?!

If you don’t hear back from Facebook within a reasonable amount of time, there are all manner of third party services out there that can help. I do not personally know any of them, nor can I vouch for them. However, if you’re in a desperate situation with zero support from Facebook, you might want to explore this avenue. Please be careful, though.

It may be that Hacked.com is a popular service – it’s cited in this recent Washington Post article: Recovering locked Facebook accounts is a nightmare. That’s on purpose. As of time of writing this post, Hacked.com home page shows a ‘half price special’ of $249 for personal accounts. Business Accounts have higher fees. [To reiterate, I have zero knowledge or experience of this site/group or any other like it. You’re on your own with these types of services, so caveat emptor!!]

There may be a whole slew of legitimate third party services out there that offer paid support to immediately recover your hacked Facebook or Instagram account. Some look polished and run full service media agencies. Others look like full on black hat Ninja Warriors operating out of someone’s basement. Ha!

How are they able to gain access to the back end of Facebook and Instagram and ‘flip a switch’ to get your account back? Who the heck knows. I certainly don’t. But, if you’ve exhausted all other avenues and you want to spend the money, then I imagine for a lot of Facebook business users, in particular, it’s worth it.

Sigh. If only Facebook would come up with its own level of service like AppleCare+, I know hordes of us business users would gladly pay. Seriously.

Oh, speaking of paying, some folks cottoned on to the fact they could simply buy an Oculus headset and immediately get customer support from Facebook from a real person. And then, just return the unopened headset. However, that ‘back door’ has been nixed, so it seems.

Anyway, a quick search on Twitter regarding hacked Facebook or Instagram accounts and you’ll likely come across all manner of folks recommending various ‘ethical hackers.’ Many of these folks offering such account retrieval services are active on Twitter, with even more active on Instagram, it seems.

Speaking of Twitter, our friend Matt Navarra stumbled across ads for this third party service…

…and I agree with Matt’s sarcasm here. I looked up the ads running on this Page and am gobsmacked that the AI has approved them with so many defaced images of Zuck himself.

In any case, just be careful out there, friends!!! You might end up forking over a boatload of your hard-earned money only to be scammed. Do your due diligence. Don’t let your emotions get in the way of reason!

9. How to secure your Facebook personal profile

Okay, you’ve made it this far. Whether you’ve ever been hacked or not – or you know anyone that’s been hacked or not – I IMPLORE YOU TO TAKE YOUR OWN RESPONSIBILITY FOR LOCKING DOWN THE SECURITY OF YOUR OWN PERSONAL PROFILE!

Sorry for shouting, but this is the #1 best way to prevent hacking in the first place. That is, hacking of your personal profile or Business Manager or business Page. EVERY single person and partner in your Business Manager, and Admin on your Page, *must* have 2FA enabled.

Locking down the security of your accounts goes for Facebook, Instagram, any social profile, and certainly any other critical online accounts – specifically your EMAIL and any online banking/financial accounts. With email, if a hacker gains access, just think – they could trigger password resets for pretty much ANY of your online accounts. Ugh. Never let that happen!!! 2FA is your friend.

On desktop or mobile, navigate to your Facebook Settings and follow these steps:

1. Ensure your password is long and cryptic. If you can remember your password (for anything!), it’s not cryptic enough. Use a reputable password manager tool, e.g. LastPass, 1Password, etc.
2. Set up 2FA – two-factor authentication, or MFA – multifactor authentication. This is done under your Security and Login settings. Most people utilize SMS to receive a code via text. However, for optimal security, it’s much better to use an Authenticator app. Google Authenticator and Duo Mobile are among the top apps. (See: The Best Authenticator Apps for 2021 by PCMag)
3. So long as you’re using a strong password – along with 2FA – you shouldn’t need to change your password that often. But, some security experts suggest changing your password every few months.
4. Set up extra security by enabling “Get alerts about unrecognized logins.” Select notifications on Facebook, via Messenger and by email.
5. Set up extra security by adding 3-5 trusted contacts. If needed, your trusted contacts would send a code and URL from Facebook to help you log back in.
6. Periodically check your Logged In Sessions and remove any you no longer need.
7. Under Settings, periodically check which Apps and Websites are connected to your Facebook account and still have active access. Remove any you no longer need or use.
8. Also, regularly review your Business Integrations – these are apps and services that you’ve used Facebook to log into. Again, remove any you no longer need or use.
9. Download your information – this setting allows you to download *everything* you’ve ever posted on Facebook and it’s a solid best practice for *both* your personal profile and business Page as at least you would own a back up off of Facebook. (Just like you back up your website or blog). I would recommend downloading your information a minimum of once a year, but maybe 2-4 times a year depending on how much you post!
   1. On your personal profile, go to your Settings > Your Facebook Information (top left menu) > Download Your Information. Follow the steps. Or, easier yet, just go to this link to view your information and then there’s a link at the foot to download a copy: https://www.facebook.com/your_information.
   2. On your business Page, go to Settings > Download Page (towards the bottom of that first General section).
10. Consider hiding your friends and followers on your personal profile if you have a large number of them. This is particularly important for profiles that get impersonated as it looks very enticing to a scammer to be able to act as you and try to scam your entire network. They bad actors create a new account with a name that looks very close to yours, they use your profile picture, they send friend requests to all your publicly visible friends and then spam them with scam links. (As mentioned above, if you’ve been impersonated, immediately report the profile).

Also, review Facebook’s Safety Center – Safety@Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/safety

See also this helpful Privacy Basics section.

And, periodically run Facebook’s Security Checkup.

10. Best practices to protect your Facebook business Page

The first best practice to ensure your Page is locked down is to absolutely ensure that EVERY ADMIN has gone through all the relevant steps outlined in section #9 above.

So long as anyone has Admin access to your Page at any level/role via their personal profile – which has always been the default and only way for years – it’s critical that they have 2FA set up as a minimum security best practice. (But, see below on Work Accounts coming!)

Follow these three security steps:

1. Triple check that ALL Admins of any role have set up 2FA. If an Admin tells you they will set up 2FA, make sure they definitely know how to do this and that it’s properly configured (see step 2 in section #9 above).
2. Remove any Admin of any role/level that is no longer relevant to your Page. Whether you use Business Manager, Business Suite or neither, navigate to settings and check ALL Admins/Page Roles at any level and make sure every person is still completely relevant. You may find there’s someone that you provided access to a long time ago and they’ve left the company, for example. Also, it might be time to prune your Admins if there are simply way too many that have access that don’t really need to.
3. Ensure your Page has at least two Admins. If you’re the sole Admin on your Page, definitely add one other trusted person as your back up Admin. Even if it’s a close friend, partner, colleague and they’ll never actually access your Page. It’s just for a backup.

Facebook recently started testing a new type of profile called Work Accounts (hallelujah, about time!).

Facebook will also begin testing something called “Work Accounts,” which will allow business owners to access their business products, like Business Manager, separately from their personal Facebook account. They’ll be able to manage these accounts on behalf of employees and use single sign-on integrations.

Work Accounts will be tested through the remainder of the year with a small group of businesses, and Facebook says it expects to expand availability in 2022.

TechCrunch 9.16.21

So, as and until Facebook rolls out these Work Accounts more widely, every person that has access to your Facebook Page, Ad Account, Business Manager, Business Suite is doing so via their own personal profile. This is just the way Facebook works for now.

(On that note, is it any wonder folks set up at least one other additional Facebook profile just for administering business products on Facebook. Even though it’s against Facebook’s TOS to have more than one account. Crazy. I wonder just how many of Facebook’s almost 3 billion monthly active users are duplicate/additional accounts?!)

In any case, to emphasize again, it’s vital that each person has their own personal profile security super tight per section #9 above.

11. How to secure your Facebook Business Manager

The steps to secure your Facebook Business Manager are very similar to section #10 above on securing your Facebook business Page. However, there are a few more places that you really ought to review regularly.

Remember, Admins have full control over your business. They can edit settings, people, accounts and tools.

Make it a habit to periodically go through your Business Settings in all Facebook Business Managers that you run (for many professionals/agencies, this will be multiple FBMs!), and review the following:

1. Users
   1. People – make sure these are all current, active people that should legitimately be inside your Business Manager. Do any Admins need to be changed to Employee Level? Also, check all Assigned Assets that each person has access to and change permissions if needed.
   2. Partners – review to make sure these are current and relevant. Check their Assigned Assets, too.
   3. System Users – review anyone under this section as well to ensure these are active and relevant people with the right roles.
2. Security Center
   1. Set ‘Who’s required to turn on two-factor authentication?’ to Everyone. This is an additional layer of protection from the personal profile 2FA.
   2. Check that you have at least one other Backup Admin Added. If not, definitely add a trusted person as your backup Admin.
   3. If you have not yet verified your business, start the process here. This can help add a layer of protection to your Business Manager and Page.
3. Notifications
   1. Enable all notifications. Monitoring notifications carefully can help catch any suspicious activity quickly per the Red Flags section #5 above.
4. Business Info
   1. Review the My Info section towards the bottom of the Business Info section. Make sure you’re seeing notifications from both your Page and Business Manager.
   2. Test your two-factor authentication by clicking ‘Control how you’re sent your login code.’

12: Are Business Suite and New Pages Experience more secure?

It’s quite feasible that Facebook’s new Business Suite hub (first introduced in September 2020), along with the company’s NPE – New Pages Experience (first introduced in January 2021) – has some additional safety/security features baked in.

Over time, Facebook intends to replace all Classic Pages with NPE. And, Business Manager will eventually be replaced with Business Suite.

Business Suite is a free tool that lets you manage your Facebook, Instagram and Messenger accounts in a single place. Learn more about Facebook Business Suite here.

And, with NPE, your Page may have already morphed over to this new format. Learn more here (although that post states ‘New Pages Experience for Government, Political and Nonprofit Organizations,’ the information there is relevant to all).

Okay, that’s all for now, friends.

I trust this post is valuable to you and your community. Please do share this post across your networks – thank you!!

Stay safe out there. And, do your level best to stay sane!! Facebook can be utterly crazy-making on the best of days. Take a deeeeep breath, try to remain poised, and focus on anything and everything positive in your life!! It’s simply not worth getting physically stressed out.

Let’s connect!

Make sure you’re following my Facebook Page to stay up to date with all things Facebook and social media marketing.

For our fellow small business owners, social media professionals, entrepreneurs, marketers, agencies – if you’re not already a member, do join my Social Scoop Facebook Group for tons of wonderful peer support and access to me and my team. We keep 20k members up to date on the latest Facebook & social media news, platform changes, updates, tools, and tips.

Need help with your Facebook marketing? My next Marketing Masterclasses with Mari Smith are coming up very shortly. Members of my Social Scoop Facebook Group will be the first to know!

Meantime, I’d love to invite you to join the wait list here for my next #FBOMM: Facebook Organic Marketing Masterclass. Season Two will be launching soon!

The post Facebook account hacked? Business Manager hacked? Here’s how to get help appeared first on Mari Smith.

For years, Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, has been telling investors of a strategy to transform his company into a “video first” organization. And, he’s directly called out YouTube a couple of times on earnings calls as Facebook’s #1 competitor … when it comes to video, anyway.

 YouTube and Facebook are the most widely used platforms among video marketers — used by 85% and 79%, respectively. ~HubSpot / Wyzowl

A recent major development with video on Facebook is they are preparing to launch officially licensed music videos in the U.S. starting August 1st, 2020, in a direct challenge to YouTube.

This news is potentially great for musicians/artists! And, for businesses, marketers and advertisers, too. Because, the more Facebook can keep users on site for longer periods of times, the more engagement, the more eyeballs, the more of a captive audience for your business.

“10 years ago, most of what we shared and consumed online was text. Now it’s photos. And soon, most of it will be videos. We see a world that is video first, with video at the heart of all of our apps and services.”

~ Mark Zuckerberg, CEO Facebook, Q2 2016 earnings call

UPDATE: What are the best Facebook and Instagram video formats?

After leading this Facebook live, I’ve added this next section for ease of reference. See this super handy Facebook Ads Guide by Facebook as well as this Video Requirements for both Facebook and Instagram, also by Facebook!

• Square video is best for Instagram feed, but also works just fine in the Facebook feed.
• Landscape 16:9 is best for Facebook desktop or mobile feed. Although if placed in Stories ads on either Facebook or Instagram, your landscape video will be placed in the middle of the portrait screen.
• Vertical/Full Portrait 9:16 is best for the Stories format, but can also be used in the Facebook feed.

If you’re not regularly creating and publishing video on your Facebook page, it’s time to get going!

• VIDEO gets the best organic reach
• VIDEO gets the best engagement
• VIDEO gets the best conversion
• VIDEO is the most affordable ad unit (video views)
• VIDEO is the best performing top of funnel content

Facebook has been determined for years to become the next digital streaming television. At least a major player in the video world. There’s mega billions to be made in ad revenue as more budgets move from mainstream television to online video services. Or, at least embrace both/and.

“The best marketers understand that people watch video differently in mobile feed. The goal is to create what we think of “thumb stopping creative” — videos that grab attention in the first few seconds, even without sound.”

~Sheryl Sandberg, COO Facebook, Q2 2016 earnings call

The most savvy marketers do exactly what Sheryl describes above. And, one of the best mobile apps I’ve discovered recently to create thumb-stopping, eye-catching short videos in the palm of your hand is BOOSTED: Video Maker by Lightricks.

Boost Your Video: Exciting New Challenge & Contest

I’m delighted to team up with Lightricks, a wonderfully successful creative mobile app company. (Lightricks is the company that makes Facetune, Enlight Videoleap, Enlight Pixaloop and more.)

To celebrate and showcase Lightricks’ newest app, BOOSTED: VIDEO MAKER, I’m hosting a fun contest and 21-Day Video Challenge!

Boosted Video Maker is the best app to quickly and easily create all types of pro videos for your social channels right on your PHONE!

It’s super fun and easy to participate in the challenge and enter the contest. Here’s the quick short scoop:

1. All you need to do is download the Boosted: Video Maker mobile app (iOS or Android).
2. Then create one (or more!) videos, and publish on your social channels with the hashtag #BYV21 over a 21 day period. We have fabulous prizes lined up!!!
3. Come join our pop-up Facebook group for all the details.

You could win big PRIZES! Or, just go have fun using the app and easily create awesome video content for your organic and paid campaigns using the Boosted mobile app.

The most commonly-created types of video are explainer videos (72%) presentation videos (49%) testimonial videos (48%) sales videos (42%) and video ads (42%).

~Wyzowl’s Video Marketing Report 2020

I recently lead this fun Facebook Live to show off the Boosted Video Maker app, and unveil the contest and challenge.

21-DAY CHALLENGE DATES:

Day 1: Tuesday, July 21st, 2020

Day 21: Monday, August 10th, 2020

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

STEP #1: Get the app

Download the Boosted: Video Maker app (iOS or Android) using this special link: https://theboostapps.com/mari/ This link lets you claim your 3 months of Boosted Premium for just $4.99!

(Or, you can use the app for free. Just tap the ‘x’ at the top left of the offer screen to close it).

STEP#2: Create videos (easy!)

Create your best videos!

• Boosted has tons of templates with business-specific assets and messaging already made for you.
• You’ll be able to easily & quickly create videos in ~3 minutes.
• Use their assets, or yours, or a blend of both.
• Keep the default assets within the templates. Or, Premium users get Getty assets at a discount in the app.
• Easy peasy! Your own video editor in the palm of your hand!

STEP #3: Share on social with #BYV21

Post one (or more!) of your videos on your social channels with the hashtag #BYV21 between July 21st and August 10th, 2020.

Included social channels:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• YouTube
• (You’re welcome and encouraged to publish video content on any other channels as you wish. However, they won’t be counted as a contest entry.)

STEP #4: Celebrate in our Facebook Group

Each day, come back to our Facebook Group and show us your creations!

All participants/contestants will have an opportunity to post a link to their video in the comments of each day’s post.

PRIZES

We have awesome prizes for many lucky winners!! Winners will be selected at the end of the challenge and announced on a Facebook Live on my business page on Thursday, August 13th, 2020.

Grand Prize: Marketing Makeover with Mari!

1 winner: receive a complete assessment of your social media marketing & online presence with key strategic recommendations to improve your reach, results and revenue! Meet with Mari and team 1:1. (value $7,500)

Agorapulse: top social media management software

1 winner: a free year of Agorapulse Large plan! (value $1,900) [We are long time power users of Agorapulse here at Mari HQ, and love it!]

Facebook & Instagram Marketing Assessments by Mari

6 winners: receive a personalized video with recommendations for strategic changes to help improve your social media marketing efforts. (value $550 each)

Boosted: Video Maker app

3 winners: Lifetime Premium Plan! (value $120)

Tailwind: #1 Instagram and Pinterest scheduler and analytics tool.

1 winner: free year of Tailwind App for either Instagram or Pinterest, your choice (value $120)

Be.Live: Professional live streaming platform for YouTube and Facebook

2 winners: free year of Be.Live Standard+ plan (value $300)

Lights, Camera Gear, Microphone, ACTION!!

Ring Light Kit

1 winner: a Neewer 18″/48cm Outer 55W 5500K Dimmable LED Ring Light, Light Stand, and Carrying Bag

iOgrapher: accessories and cases for your mobile device

• 1 winner: Starter Live Bundle for Mobile Phones (value $95)
• 1 winner: Premium Live Video Bundle for Phones (value $175)

Blue Yeti Nano USB Microphone

1 winner: Blue Yeti Nano Premium USB Mic for Recording and Streaming – Cubano Gold. (value $120+)

Clapboard with whiteboard markers & eraser

Teehee, and just for fun!!

1 winner: an Acrylic Film Clapboard Dry Erase Director 10×12 with two colored whiteboard marker pens and whiteboard eraser (value $18)

More prizes added!

CONTEST RULES, TERMS & CONDITIONS

• No purchase necessary.
• Making a purchase does not increase your chances of winning.
• Contest period: Tuesday, July 21st, 2020 at 12:01 AM Pacific time for 21 consecutive days, ending on Monday, August 10th, at 11:59 PM Pacific Time.
• Eligibility: contest is open to adults age 18+ around the world. The contest is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Void where prohibited by law.
• How to participate: create video content using the Boosted: Video Maker app (which can be used for free), publish on social media with #BYV21 in the caption. Only public posts and public social media channels are eligible. Private accounts and private posts will not be included. Only videos posted on any of these social channels with #BYV21 in the caption will be counted as a contest entry: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube.
• Selection & notification of winners: prize winners will be chosen after Mari Smith and team have reviewed entrants’ videos and selected winners based on use of assets (contestant’s own, or from the Boosted templates, or from Getty in-app purchases), compelling and relevant creative, and captions. Winners will be contacted via DM on social media and/or via email and announced on a Facebook Live stream on Mari Smith’s Facebook Page on Thursday, August 13th at 12:00 PM Pacific time.
• Prizes: see above for our full prize list.
• Prize sponsors: where indicated, prizes generously donated by Agorapulse, Tailwind, and iOgrapher.
• Contest Host: Mari Smith International, Inc., 11956 Bernardo Plaza Dr., San Diego, CA 92128.
• Contest sponsor: Lightricks Ltd., Professor Racah St, Building 5.4, Jerusalem, Israel, 9190401.
• This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook.

GOT QUESTIONS?

Just let us know.

My entire team and tribe are here to serve and support.

Let’s do this.

Most of all, HAVE FUN and let’s get you a nice increase in reach, results and revenue by publishing more VIDEO on Facebook!

The post Boost Your Videos on Facebook and Instagram With This App appeared first on Mari Smith.