Facebook is hands down the most popular social media platform on earth. It boasts over two billion active monthly users and has become so much more than a platform for sharing posts with family and friends. In 2018, Facebook has had a considerable impact on the social media landscape with several notable changes, the biggest of which is the Cambridge Analytica Scandal.

The Cambridge Analytica scandal exploded news headlines worldwide in March when the British data analytics firm harvested a massive amount of Facebook user data without user consent and used it to influence the outcome of the US 2016 Presidential Elections. Following the backlash, Facebook faced massive pressure and scrutiny, which led to Mark Zuckerberg testifying before Congress. Facebook has since embarked on a mission to rebrand itself as a privacy-focused platform with a renewed focus on user data protection.

The change that came about as a result of the Cambridge Analytica Scandal was accompanied by a more tightened security system, which has generated significant implications for advertisers and marketers. Facebook has also significantly revised its algorithms to prioritize friends and family content in feeds, causing the reach of brands’ organic posts to drop dramatically. Companies have since been forced to pay more to advertise on the social media platform.

Another significant change in Facebook’s landscape is the introduction of a stricter policy – the ban on political adverts – in an effort to clean up political advertising and ensure fairer balance in opinion. While this is ideal for transparency and a fairer election system, it restricts companies’ political ads and could impact communication with their target demographics.

Conclusively, Facebook changes have evolved into a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the focus on privacy fosters trust in the platform. On the other hand, the shift towards a more closely knitted social sharing experience has forced brands to invest heavily in paid advertising to maintain visibility. As such, the impact of Facebook changes on advertising and brand awareness has been significant, and marketers must devise more effective and efficient ways to advertise to users.#14#