The algorithm for making your Facebook content highly visible seems to be constantly changing, which can make it hard to pinpoint the exact recipe for a successful, engaging post. However, don’t let that discourage you from incorporating this major social network into your digital marketing strategy. There are still ways to use Facebook to boost audience engagement and drive traffic back to your website. We’ve pulled together a list of tips below that can help you increase the potential for your content to show up in your followers’ newsfeeds.
Timing is everything
One of the best ways to boost the visibility of your Facebook content is to time your posts for when your followers are the most active on the site. Publishing your posts while your audience is online to view them will increase the chances that you’ll get likes and shares. Facebook’s algorithm tends to reward content with high engagement by featuring it more often in your followers’ newsfeeds, effectively increasing your reach.
For more information on the best times to post on Facebook, check out this recent blog post from the experts at CoSchedule.
Play to your audience’s interests
Don’t pigeon-hole your brand by only posting about one or two topics. Remember that your fan page is a place for your fans. Find out what interests them and incorporate some of that content into your social media calendar–as long as it fits your brand’s tone and personality, of course.
For example, including updates about relevant real-world events or pop culture happenings can boost engagement with your posts. Consider publishing polls about the hottest new films, sporting events, or trending news to allow your audience to share their opinion.
Catch their eye with visually-appealing posts
If you were to view a collection of the top viral posts on social media, all of them would include either a photo, graphic, .gif, or video clip. Visually stimulating content is exponentially more likely to catch a user’s attention than a wall of text. For example, share short clips from behind the scenes in your studio or a highlight reel from your latest live event. You could also share funny images or memes to make your audience laugh (as long as this is in line with your brand’s personality). Content that draws your members in and keeps them entertained has an increased likelihood of being rewarded with a share or like, boosting its visibility in the process.
Bonus tip: Posts with your own video content directly embedded tend to perform better with their new algorithms than copying and pasting a link to a video on another website.
Include more strategic calls to action
While Facebook has been discouraging brands from fishing for likes with pleas for followers to tag their friends in the comments and other similar tactics, it’s still perfectly acceptable to include other calls to action. For example, post a poll and ask for your audiences’ opinion on a certain topic, or feature an image or video from one of your recent live events and invite members to share their own favorite concert or sporting event memories. This strategy encourages more organic engagement and doesn’t seem as forced.
For more ways to optimize your social media strategy, check out this recent post.
