Undoubtedly, it’s becoming difficult to gain much organic engagement on Facebook posts lately. You’ve noticed despite your 1000+ followers on Facebook, you find it difficult getting at least 100 likes and comments. Your conversion rate is so low that sometimes you don’t even get a single link click, this is how serious the problem is.
But there’s no need to panic.
Although the recent changes to the Facebook Algorithm have many marketers sweating, the update isn’t as scary as it seems.
The short of it? Facebook is asking brands to rethink how they earn likes, comments and shares on their posts.
For example, Facebook is explicitly fighting against engagement bait and spammy tactics which they see as undercutting their algorithm.
Basically Facebook wants you to genuinely attract engagements on your posts.
And that’s exactly why brands need an explicit Facebook engagement strategy if they still want that sweet, free organic reach.
You don’t need to abandon your current Facebook page or start over from scratch, either. Instead, you just need to consider ways to set your posts up for greater engagement. Below we’ve outlined 7 proven strategies to help you do exactly that.
1. Post when your followers are online
This is the best strategy for more organic engagements on Facebook. Although not all your followers will be online at the same time, it’s your responsibility to know when majority are online. Most people send at least 30mins on Facebook so posting within this period will make Facebook show your post to them which they are most likely to like, comment and share.
A scientific way to find your best time to post is to look at your own data.
In your Facebook Page Insights, under the Post tab, you get data about when your Facebook Page fans are online for each day of the week.
Using your data, you can tailored your posts specifically to your followers based on their interest and availability.
2. Focus on Fan-Centric Content
Fan-centric content? Yes, your Facebook page isn’t only about you or your products so putting your fans/followers interest first is the greatest hack to organic engagements.
Let’s say you’re running a Facebook page for your sandwich shop. Should you exclusively post content related to sandwiches?
Of course not.
Facebook receives 1000s of posts per minute and your fans are probably following other pages as well so having repetitive content will get them bored and Facebook will obviously not show your fans a post they think looks similar to your previous posts.
And if you’re struggling to find ideas for fresh content, you can start by asking yourself these few questions.
Are There Any Relevant Real-World Events to Piggyback?
Pulling from pop culture and current events is a smart move if done tastefully.
Found Any Fascinating Facts or Stats Related to Your Fans Lately?
Infographics and shocking statistics are prime for discussion and debate, both of which are huge pieces of Facebook engagement. Activity in the comment sections spells good news to the updated algorithm.
Have You Made Your Fans Laugh Lately?
Like it or not, Facebook has become a hotbed for memes and humorous content. Although humor not might be the perfect fit for every brand, funny content typically performs well and is a light-hearted way to diversify your posts.
Remember a follower will always want to see and engage on your post if they find it interesting and adds value to their daily lives.
3. Analyze Your Most Popular Posts
Sometimes the key to increasing Facebook engagement is to look inward. Let’s say you have a post that knocks it out of the park. Tons of likes and shares, and plenty of love in the comment section. Rather than treat that post as an anomaly, you should instead take steps to recreate the same social magic again. Those few posts may be the secrets to your organic engagements, study them carefully and try emulating same strategies once in a while.
4. Prioritize Comments & Replies
Improving your Facebook page engagement isn’t a “one and done” affair. If someone takes the time to comment on your content, you should return the favour yourself. People overwhelmingly want to interact with brands, which is the reason why so many businesses that reply to comments score more interactions. And by the way: replies have become an expectation in today’s social space. Given that people respect a social response within few hours of commenting, timely responses are a game-changer.
If nothing else, taking the time to reply to fans shows that you’re listening to them. This is a good look from a branding perspective and also encourages more interaction among fans in the future.
If you don’t have time to respond to each and every comment/message you can hire a social media manager to handle that for you. Their expertise in the social media space who can help grow online presence and customers.
5. Go live
Facebook has also been pushing their Live videos a lot in this past year.
They tweaked their algorithm to rank live videos higher when they are live than when they are no longer live. Facebook reported that “People spend more than 3x more time watching a Facebook Live video on average compared to a video that’s no longer live” and “people comment more than 10 times more on Facebook Live videos than on regular videos”.
To help you get started with Facebook Live videos, here are some ideas you can try:
- Share behind-the-scenes of an event, your work processes, or your office
- Host a Question-and-Answer or Ask-Me-Anything session
- Interview industry experts using a software like BeLive
- Explain or demonstrate how to do something
- Discuss breaking news
- Share weekly tips
Going live on Facebook is also one of the best ways to interact with your followers, introduce your new products or services. Holding a live Q&A will boost your engagements and helps your followers to get familiar with your page and brand.
Here’s a bonus: Your followers might be more likely to check out your content.
6. Ask for opinions
It might be obvious that people comment when they have something to say. But sometimes, we don’t offer them a chance to say anything!
Asking questions is a good way to offer our followers a chance to share their thoughts.
A practice I like is to share relevant news or blog post and ask our followers for their opinions. What to share might vary depending on your audience. If you have a professional audience, you might want to share industry news or articles. If you are a lifestyle brand, you might choose to share lifestyle news instead.
7. Couple Your Posts with a CTA
As noted, Facebook is trying to lead brands away from excessive “TAG YOUR FRIENDS!” or “SMASH THAT LIKE BUTTON IF YOU…” posts. That said, including a call to action within your posts is totally fair game. Doing so provides your fans with a voice and reminds them that they want to hear from you. A quick and easy way to do so is to simply tack a question onto your posts. You could also consider coming up with a series of content where you regularly pick your followers’ brains. Encouraging comments, debate and discussion are okay, just don’t beg for them.
These strategies work greatly for small business brands and implementing them in your next Facebook posts would help you increase your engagements. You need to know which combination works best for your brand/business depending on your niche and target audience. Study all these strategies overtime to know which ones works best for you.
