EdgeRank Checker released a study late last week of activity related to Facebook Fan Pages and found that those with less than 1000 fans are seeing reduced activity after recent FB changes. Overall, while impressions have decreased on Fan Pages, Likes and Comments have increased. But for those Pages with less than 1000 fans the number of Likes and Comments, when combined as an Engagement metric, has decreased by 11.64% presenting an additional challenge for emerging acts just beginning to build their band's Facebook following.

EdgeRank Checker's study covered the month before and the month after Facebook's recent introduction of its hybrid newsfeed. They found that overall, page impressions decreased 22% while Likes increased 16% and Comments increased 14%.

However, upon closer inspection of 5800+ Facebook Pages, they found that the average Page saw decreases across the board including a decrease of Likes by 15% and of Comments by 19.9%.

They then looked at a smaller sample and found that when combining metrics to consider engagement, sites with less than 1000 fans saw overall decreases while gains increased in direct relationship to larger numbers of fans, thus benefitting the big fish across niches. These figures are shown in the above chart (click to enlarge) by EdgeRank Checker.

Though EdgeRank Checker does not attempt to explain why this change has occurred, they do maintain that increasing one's EdgeRank will contain to make it more likely that one's posts appear in fans' newsfeeds, thus leading to increased engagement.

If you haven't devoted any energy to building your following on Facebook or are just getting started, regularly posting interesting content on your band's Fan Page is key to success. But you might also consider a special campaign to increase your fan count. For example, unlocking special content for all your Facebook fans when your count passes 1000 might be a good place to start.

Hypebot contributor Clyde Smith is a freelance writer and blogger. He currently maintains a writing hub at Flux Research and periodically blogs at All World Dance and This Business of Blogging. To suggest music services and related topics for review at Hypebot, please contact: clyde(at)fluxresearch(dot)com.