Earlier this month Facebook announced it would be changing its algorithm to place more value on “meaningful social interactions.” Posts from friends and family are already prioritized, but users can expect to see less public content from businesses, brands, and media.

What this means for your business: Posts with higher engagement, particularly comments and shares, will get preferential treatment, making it even more difficult to compete for organic exposure (because let’s face it, by Thursday that Daily Sandwich Special post is looking a little stale).

While this may not be great news for your business’s newsfeed, there are some steps you can take to give your Facebook marketing efforts a boost.

1. Take a hint from the boss himself

In his announcement, Mark Zuckerberg said, “the public content you see more will be held to the same standard — it should encourage meaningful interactions between people.” Now more than ever you should dive deep into your data. Learn who your key audience is and what they value. Take note on what engages them and make your content relevant. Focus on creating a connection and sparking conversation. Quality is greater than quantity.

2. Don’t try to cheat the system

It may have worked like a charm in the past, but Facebook is cracking down on solicited and spammy engagement. While they have their uses, don’t expect vote style posts asking users to ‘like’ for yes or ‘comment’ for no and contests requiring a ‘like’, ‘comment’, or ‘share’ for entries to be your way around the new algorithm. This type of content doesn’t make for meaningful interactions and won’t rise to the top.

3. Lights, camera, engagement

Perhaps the biggest change we’ve seen on social media in the last year is the increased popularity of video, and many businesses have taken advantage. Unfortunately, with its new interaction and conversation based algorithm, Facebook now considers video a passive experience, especially public video. So what’s a business to do? Go Live! Not only are you able to connect directly to your audience without the production effort, but Facebook Live video receives 6 times more interaction than static video content.

4. Get Local to get found

To really up your Facebook game, it’s time to think outside the feed. Enter Facebook Local, a new Yelp-style app designed to help users easily find what to do, where to go, or where to eat, driven by the recommendations and activity of their friends. The app shares code with Facebook, so the best way to take full advantage is a check up on your Facebook business page, making sure your information is up to date, your customer reviews are favorable and plenty, and there is user-submitted content (photos are a biggie). The app also features events, making it worth your time to turn your relevant happenings into Facebook official events.

5. Become a connector

With the new algorithm, talking at your audience isn’t going to cut it. The focus needs to be starting conversations with your audience, and your newsfeed is not the only place the magic can happen. Facebook recently launched Messenger Chat Bots, which not only allow you to integrate Messenger into other marketing tools (like your website), but give you the ability to communicate one-on-one or facilitate group chats to drive promotions, purchases, and bookings. While they may not be a new concept, many businesses are also turning to Facebook Groups to build interest, spark conversations, and unite like-minded customers. These tools take your business from being just another brand to being a connector, and have proven to increase engagement and conversion rate.

Bonus Tip – You can still pay to play: It’s important to note that the new algorithm applies to organic content, meaning it (currently) doesn’t affect paid posts.