In the age of social media, being active on Facebook is a must. After all, with over 2.6 billion monthly active users, some of your audience is surely there. Do it right, and Facebook marketing will help you reach your fans and learn more about who they are and what they like.
However, only amassing a big number of followers is not enough. You also need to engage your audience if you want all your hard work to pay up. A big following that isn’t active and interacting doesn’t mean much for the social media giant as Facebook’s algorithm prioritises posts with high engagement. It can be very frustrating if you don’t seem to get people to react to your posts, but once you find what works for you, you can refine your posts and aim higher.
Here are some of the best practices in Facebook marketing. They are meant to focus on what your target audience wants to see and insert your own brand’s personality in the mix.
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Check What Your Most Engaging Posts Were So Far
Start with what you have. Facebook analytics will show you what your most engaging posts were. Maybe you had a one-time moment when you posted a great image, linked to a funny quiz, or you were funny and your audience loved it.
Instead of seeing it as a mistake, or being upset that the rest of your carefully curated content did not get the same attention, you should try to recreate the same magic. After all, there is no clearer way to see that your audience likes and engages with a certain type of content.
Post Your Content When Users Are Most Active
Scheduling social media posts and choosing the right time for posting is a routine task for marketers. So, if you are managing a Facebook business page, then you should definitely try to borrow some of these habits.
Your Facebook posts will get more reach if they are posted when your fans are online. Facebook will prioritise your posts if they are more likely to be seen by the fans – again, quite frustrating if you seem to struggle with getting seen.
The good news is that you can find out which is the best time to post on social networks. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, between 9 am and 2 pm are the best time, according to recent research.
The even better news is that Facebook will tell you directly when your fans are online the most. Under the Posts tab in Facebook Insights, you can find info on when your fans are online.
Post Things that Your Fans Like
Just a hint: they don’t like you exclusively. So don’t post only things about your brand, your product, or your service. The 80/20 rule of social media says that only about 20% of what you post should be about you. People don’t browse their Facebook newsfeed to see what brands are up to. They want to get informed, be entertained, and stay connected. Most importantly, they are not expecting a sales pitch.
Here are some tips on what types of posts you can publish on your page:
- Facts and Stats that Your Fans Might Find Interesting: results show that people tend to engage a lot with subjects that stir a discussion, such as infographics or shocking stats;
- Posts About the Current Events Stirring the World: if you are careful about how you position yourself regarding important current events, you can use them as opportunities for conversation;
- Don’t Be Afraid to Post Funny Stuff: funny content might not fit every brand’s personality, but think about light-weight content as something your audience needs, at least from time to time. You can adapt the style of the humour you are using to fit your general tone, but it’s sometimes a good idea to also think out of the box.
Post Your Own Video Content
Facebook videos (especially user-generated content) are highly favoured by the platform – as long as you upload them directly to Facebook. Linking to YouTube or another video content platform will not cut it. Video content has been a star of social media for quite some time, and it doesn’t show signs of wear.
Creating original video content is ideal and not as daunting as many business owners think. People love to see genuine, authentic posts, so you can record your employees, yourself, or bits about your activity to spark their interest. There are many online tools for creating video content easily and tastefully, and they are worth adding to your marketing “toolbox”.
Live videos are the king of all video content on Facebook. The scarcity of content that might disappear shortly after being released appeals to audiences in a big way. A live broadcast can be fun to make from your own office or even at home. And, that brings us to the next fan-favourite.
Post Facebook Stories
Facebook and Instagram stories are a fantastic way to keep in touch with your audience by sharing less “feed-worthy” productions. It can be a more informal and playful way of communicating with your audience, and you don’t have to worry about making them feel overwhelmed with your content.
The familiarity of Facebook stories comes from using the same elements your fans would use for their personal stories. So, instead of just posting an ad as a story, you should post content that is original, fresh, and insinuates familiarity.
Respond to Your Fans’ Comments
Engagement on Facebook is mainly measured in likes, comments, and shares. But it’s not enough to get your fans to post comments as a response to your post. Good online etiquette requires you to respond to questions or requests in a matter of hours. Be on the lookout for those comments that demand an answer from you.
Check where you are being tagged, what your fans say in the comment section of your posts, or what influencers are doing. Speaking of the latter, influencers can be a good source of previously unreached audiences. A good intervention on your side, which shows your expertise in a subject proposed by an influencer, can help you reach more people.
Include a CTA in Your Posts
Never forget to add a call to action to your Facebook posts. Creating and posting interesting, fresh, and original content might not be enough to get the engagement you are aiming for.
A good call to action options include:
- Questions about an interesting topic;
- Linking to a blog post on your website that will answer your fans’ questions or needs;
- Offers that are exclusive to your Facebook audience, etc.
Facebook also allows you to create a call-to-action button which will encourage the reader to follow-up on the subject you wrote about: Shop Now, Learn More, Sign Up, Book Now, Download. As a business, you should remind your audience that your product or service is the solution to their trouble, or is something they would really enjoy.
Create Facebook Ad Campaigns
There was a lot of talk about the way Facebook has decided to change its algorithm. The latest changes in post prioritisation are to the user’s advantage, but deliver a big blow to marketers, as Facebook decided to post less content from brands.
What you can do is to set a budget for Facebook ads as well as boost some of your best performing posts. While this is not a free solution, it does the work it’s intended for, and boosted posts will bring you more engagement.
Want to Know More on How to Increase Your Facebook Engagement?
We constantly work with our clients to make their Facebook ads more engaging, flowing with comments, and reactions from their audience, and increase their organic reach. We pride ourselves in delivering results each time.
Australian Internet Advertising can give your Facebook ads the boost they need, making social media less of a chore, and more of a chance to know your customers. If you’d like to find out how our Facebook Marketing Agency can boost your brands Facebook presence, get in contact today.
