Posting content to Facebook is just the first step in the social media marketing game. The real power is in the engagement. When people interact with your social media page they’re connecting with you and your brand, and you’re building and fostering community.
It’s also the best way to organically reach new audiences. When someone likes, shares, or comments on your post, that appears on the newsfeeds of all of their friends. Engagement is key to social media success.
Are you finding that only a tiny percentage of your followers are actually interacting with your posts? It’s time to boost your engagement rates. Here are 10 sure-fire ways to improve your Facebook engagement:
1. Ask questions
This is the oldest trick in the engagement-boosting book – phrase your post as a question to encourage replies which will result in lots of comments and, with any luck, an ongoing conversation under your post.
2. Tag a friend
Similar to asking a question, but perhaps even more powerful, getting followers to “tag a friend who you’d love to visit this place with/eat this food with/loves dogs” etc (the ideas are endless) brings other people into the conversation and on to your page. This usually works best with images and memes which are amusing or relatable.
3. Spread joy
Studies have demonstrated that one of the main reasons that people share content on social media is to entertain others. So, posting something entertaining or humorous is more likely to have people reaching for the share button. It’s a scientific fact!
4. Breaking news
Of course, keep in mind that you want to be sticking to content that is related to your business and fits with your branding, but if there is breaking news that fits this bill, share it. People are increasingly using Facebook as a news source – for both finding and distributing news – and are likely to share a post they find interesting and newsworthy.
5. Share expert knowledge
Similar to the above point, using Facebook to share your expert knowledge in your field is a great way to position your page as a go-to place for information. Whether you’re a gym sharing workout technique tips, or a café explaining how to cook a dish, or a bar sharing cocktail recipes, people love access to this insider information.
6. Reply to comments
This can be tricky if you’re not sure what to say, but try to respond to most comments on your posts. Even if it’s a simple crying laughing emoji, an ‘I’m glad you liked it!’, or even a more complex question to encourage the original commenter to reply again, your reply can keep the conversation going. It also pushes that post up people’s newsfeeds and keeps it active, and therefore working for you, for longer.
7. Topical memes, photos, or observations
Once again, for the sake of branding you want to keep your content relatively on-topic, but if there’s a funny, relevant meme or current internet sensation that you can work into your posting, go for it. For example, a “thank God it’s Friday” type of post at the end of the week, or “I need coffee” post on Monday.
8. Check the length of your posts
You may be losing people’s attention with super long posts. If people are bored reading what you’ve posted, they’re not going to hit the like button. Keep your posts short and snappy so that people can easily read them, connect with them, and then engage with them before they’re distracted by all the other things on their feed. Ideally posts should be 200 characters or less.
9. Use images
Even though Facebook’s latest format displays text-only posts in a larger font so that they stand out more, posts with photos are far more effective still. Find a relevant image for whatever it is you’re trying to convey, even if it’s a simple shot of your business premises or even a smiling selfie! The picture is going to capture attention.
10. Post what works
Check your metrics. See what your audience has engaged with most, and use that to guide your future posting habits. Give the people what they want!
