So, you’ve liked my Facebook Page, but you’ve stopped receiving my Page posts in your Facebook newsfeed.  Have I given up on Facebook?  Discovered the joys of trying to communicate in 140 characters on Twitter? Decamped to Google+?  Not at all? It’s not me posting less, it’s Facebook’s new algorithm program.

Don’t stop reading. I won’t use the “A” word again, I promise. This is not high school calculus.

A quick lesson. FB uses a program that determines the value of our posts and spreads them out accordingly. The program looks at what we post, how often we do and how much our “fans” interact by commenting or liking or sharing what we’ve said.

No pressure there.

Oh, and about the same time, FB began suggesting that we “promote” our posts by paying to make sure they get to all the people who like us. I’m sure that paying a fee for more coverage has nothing to do with this, right?

In a nutshell this means that if you want to receive my posts in your newsfeed  you should visit my Facebook Page often, click on share, click any links (like the ones I post every time I blog), or comment. Sounds a little like work, doesn’t it?

So what else can you do? Well, here’s something that might help.

1. If you want to get more posts from Emilie Richards Readers Page ( the new title of the Facebook Page formerly known as plain old Emilie Richards) the next time you see a post in your newsfeed, click on the little downward arrow beside it.  It looks like a V.
2. A menu rolls down and the top choice is “Get Notifications.”
3. Click that and your chances of receiving my posts will be better. I hope. Sometimes there are other choices, including “I don’t want to see this,” “Unfollow” “Hide all posts from. . .” You don’t want those, right?
4. You can also take a survey to help FB determine what to show you. I took it and got rid of several offensive political posts I did not want to see. So far it’s worked for me.

For my part?  Well, I may be in a minority, but I don’t mind “promoting” the occasional post.  Facebook has been completely free and still, theoretically, is.  So if you see a promoted post, don’t worry. That will be something I’d like to spread around for people to see.  A new book.  Pre-newsletter sign up reminder.  A blog I think you’ll particularly like.  I haven’t gone over to the dark side.  I’m just rewarding Facebook for giving me the chance to meet and converse with my readers, which I love to do.

I hope you enjoy the conversation, too.