Facebook is a very rich, multi-media sharing site, and it’s become even more so with the recent switch to Timeline. This new page design places more emphasis on visual content such as images and videos.
So, why does this matter? It’s important because it’s no longer enough to just dump content on your business Page, try to drive up your Fan numbers, and then hope for the best!
Visibility and engagement are more crucial than ever, because they are directly linked to the amount of traffic, credibility and sales you can enjoy from Facebook in your business.
In fact, there is a little-understood algorithm that Facebook uses to determine what content shows up as a Top Story in your friends’ and Fans’ News Feed, and it’s called EdgeRank. The formula looks like this:
EdgeRank = Affinity + Weight + Time Decay
Sound confusing? Essentially, it translates to the relationship you have with your Fans based on your interaction with them + the number of Likes, Comments and Shares your content gets + how recently a post was made.
The bottom line is that just posting content isn’t enough–and sadly, 2% is the average engagement rate across all of Facebook! (This translates to only 5-15% of your Fans actually seeing your content on average.)
What’s the solution to this? Here are some strategic tips for getting your content in front of more targeted people, AND how to increase the engagement of the content you are posting with a lot more frequency.
1) Post more visuals.
Photos get A LOT of weight when it comes to EdgeRank, and I advise you post photos or other visuals in about 80-90% of your status updates. One of the big mistakes I see with people is that they are just auto-posting links or text updates most of the time. That’s a big error, because that type of content is going to get very little engagement. (Bonus tip: swap your Timeline cover photo out frequently, as each time you do, this goes out into the News Feed.)
2) Find your posting sweet spot.
I’m asked a lot about how often someone should be posting to their Page. How much is too much (or too little)? You need to find your own sweet spot, but aim to post on your Page generally 1 to 2 times per day. Experiment with your frequency of postings to see what works for you, your content and your Fans–and then tweak from there.
3) Use the Pin to Top feature
When you click on Pin to the Top on a particular status update, that post will stay on the top position for the next seven days or until another post is pinned. I would suggest not pinning for the full seven days because you want your content to stay fresh, but you can rotate it every few days. Be strategic and use this to anchor updates such as the promotions you want to feature at the top of your Page to make them as visible to visitors as possible.
4) Include calls to action
In order to gain momentum on Facebook, you MUST lead your Fans to action, and you must give direction. Include things like Enroll Here, Sign Up Now, Like This, Join Us Here, Watch This, Click Here, and so on. A big key to being successful here is simply knowing what it is your audience wants and really getting inside of their heads. (It’s going back to Marketing 101 and really knowing your ideal client or customer.)
Up until now, people have been very intent on building up a lot of Likes and obtaining a lot of Fans, but remember: just because you have 5000 fans does not mean 5000 people are seeing your content!
With that in mind, craft your posts in a way that makes people immediately want to share or comment, and then stick around or follow up on the posts where you are asking people to engage. The results will be not only more likes, comments and shares for you—but ultimately more leads, subscribers, clients and sales for your business.
Please share your Facebook experience with me in the comments below. (And I’d love to connect with you on my Facebook page!)
