Fewer free Facebook links? What you should do
Facebook has been a key information route for councils and other public bodies. Now, change is afoot.
Meta has expanded a test limiting some non-subscribing pages to two organic link posts each month. It is not yet a universal rule, and news publishers are reportedly exempt, but councils and other public bodies should not assume that will be the case for them.
The immediate response should not be to buy a subscription. First, check whether your page is affected and review how many link posts you publish. Then decide which links genuinely matter: emergency information, consultations, applications and service changes should take priority.
The change also reinforces something good social media teams already know: a Facebook post must offer value in its own right. Use native video, strong images, clear explanations and human stories rather than treating every post as a signpost. If a link is essential, give people a compelling reason to follow it.
Links in comments reportedly do not count towards the current limit, but councils should test their visibility and accessibility rather than relying on this as a workaround.
Above all, diversify. Facebook remains important, but no council should depend on one commercial platform to connect residents with essential public information.
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