Over the last few weeks, I’ve had several issues posting content on Facebook. Some of you have been kind enough to tell me that the image does not load as expected when my articles appear on your feeds. In fact, the image is missing entirely and replaced by an ugly grey… panel? Square? Something.
Anyway.
I have looked into several fixes. One of them appeared to have worked for two weeks before reverting to the same issue. But now the issue is consistent. Nothing I do seems to correct it.
Imagine meticulously crafting a blog post, selecting the perfect featured image to complement your content, only to have Facebook disregard your choice and replace it with a dull grey square. It’s a frustrating experience that can diminish the impact of your post and discourage potential readers from clicking through to your website.
For bloggers, this issue is more than just an aesthetic inconvenience. Featured images play a crucial role in attracting attention and conveying the essence of a blog post. They serve as visual invitations, enticing users to click and explore further. Without them, shared links can appear bland and uninviting, decreasing engagement and traffic.
And I can’t help but notice how slow the traffic has been since this issue arose. It’s hard to ignore.
Moreover, the impact of missing featured images extends beyond individual blog posts. It can reflect poorly on a blogger’s brand and professionalism, giving the impression of neglect or oversight. In a competitive online landscape where first impressions matter, every aspect of presentation counts. To say that I’ve felt embarrassed would be an understatement.
Week after week, the issue is forcing me to a point where I can either put my content out there and make it look sloppy or not put my content out there at all. Not much of a choice, is it?
The biggest frustration is that I have been sharing my content on Facebook for the better part of a decade without issue until now. The only apparent fix for this is to upgrade my WordPress subscription to the next level so I can access and use a tool to tell Facebook how to properly read the information it has been receiving perfectly fine for the last ten years.
I shouldn’t have to give you more money to fix something that wasn’t broken before. And I shouldn’t have had to figure that out by myself. Is this some sort of poor artist tax?
Facebook has been one of my most significant traffic sources for years… on a site where I make no money. And Twitter… or X … or whatever you want to call yourself, is proving no better.
So. What’s a writer to do?
For today? I keep writing and hope people want to keep reading.
Tomorrow? Who knows. Seems like everybody wants their cut these days.
But no matter how you do the math, 50% of $0, is still $0.
Facebook. WordPress.
You can have it.
The CJBuzz 