Some Vancouver Island event producers are worried about how a limited Meta experiment could eventually affect their ability to market their events.
As of early 2026, Meta is experimenting with restricting certain Facebook users to only two external link posts per month unless they have a paid Meta Verified subscription, which starts at $11.99 per month.
While there was not a public press release, Meta confirmed the test to Victoria News.
“This is a limited test that does not include Canada at this time,” Meta said in an email.
The limit primarily affects Facebook pages and personal profiles in professional mode.
Not all types of links are restricted in the test group. Unlimited links can still be posted in the comment section of posts, and links to Meta-owned platforms, such as Instagram or other Facebook content.
While only some users based in the UK and the U.S. were notified that they could only share a certain number of links, the news caught the ears of local promoter Margo Smafts, who posted her concerns in a local Facebook group.
“We are a newer promotions company operating on Vancouver Island/Vancouver. So, this imposed change [could] directly impact us while we get our feet in the door, build our name within the communities we are looking to connect with,” Smafts, who co-owns Lovefest Productions with her husband Kevin, told Victoria News. “Absolutely this cap would impact us.”
As of early 2026, Meta bots can now read images and comments to locate links and reduce a posts reach.
It’s another complication to think about in the difficult dance of event promotion, she noted.
“The difficulty of locating, maintain and sustaining a venue in Victoria is wildly difficult. The licensing challenges are steep for small independent promoters,” she said. “On top of that, the few pages dedicated to the communities we are serving haven’t been super keen to openly share our posts advertising our webpage and mailing list. So it makes it difficult from all angles.”
Pablo Cardenas, a longtime successful jazz musician who promotes his own events, said the main challenge he finds with social media is the overload of information and distraction.
He says limiting links would be a “big disadvantage” as they are one of the main tools to connect audiences with valuable information.
While he hopes the expense would not be unreasonable if it happens, he is not entirely against the idea.
“If the adjustment is necessary so other areas function more efficiently in the long run, then I guess I welcome that.”
Cardenas said his marketing strategy has involved a lot of trial and error but that social media, including strong content with video material, along with email campaigns and paid advertising has been important. He also finds traditional methods, such as print, TV, radio and networking make a “considerable impact” in Victoria given its smaller size.
There are a few things he’d like people to know about the challenges that event promoters face in today’s world.
“There are many, but the main one from my point of view is that people are less interested in coming out to events regularly with all the entertainment options that the internet is offering,” he said.
Personally, he’d like to see more support from local entities in supporting organizers with better access to regular advertising, given the challenging climate for event promotion.
“Also, venues should work as a team with organizers,” he said. “A lot of conversations need to happen and healthier habits to be acquired. In the meantime, making sure the event offers the best possible quality is crucial to keeping them alive.”