Shared Links on Facebook: You've Lost the Power
Recently Facebook page administrators (including me) have noticed a glitch in the way the are able to share a link and edit the image and metadata on the fly. They can no longer do it the way they're accustomed to. Admins no longer have the ability to change the image, title, or paragraph snippet that automatically pulls from the originating site's metadata.
What does this mean?
1. More attention should be paid to enhancing every facet of one's website. For smaller entities, this is the type of minutia they A) have no time for, B) have no employee trained for, or C) simply don't understand.
2. "Fans" of your Facebook page will wonder why you're touting a "top 10" ranking in a magazine feature while showing a photo that is not representative of your area. Unfortunately, this isn't (and apparently won't be) something you can control with a third party link share.
3. You may need a longer lead time in creating new content on your website before you share it. Oftentimes a new article's metadata doesn't immediately "take" for a good Facebook rendering.
Your best bet in fighting this new Facebook "feature" is to work hard at making your own digital properties as robust and beautiful as they can be ... even the backside where the metadata resides. Admins may even have to go a little old school and start with the image, then add the link in the status. Whatever works, eh?
