Is your Facebook Page becoming a bit lonely? Perhaps over the past year or so you’ve noticed a drop in engagement.
This is due to the fact that Facebook has reduced the amount of Pages' posts appearing in newsfeeds. Why?
- Too many posts are filling newsfeeds, and promo posts are less popular with users.
- Incentive for businesses to use paid promotion. You’ve got to pay to play.
With over a billion daily users, Facebook continues to be a powerful platform for businesses to reach a broad audience. What can you do to continue to get your content noticed?
Here are a few hacks to boost Facebook Page engagement:
Consider your post time.
Buzzsumo found that posting between 10PM and midnight gets the most engagement. This is likely because fewer people are posting, meaning it more likely for your content to get into newsfeeds. Don’t always post when the most people are online. Post when fewest people are posting
Ask for help.
Get your employees / colleagues / friends to interact with your content. Facebook will show more popular content in newsfeeds. If you can get a few likes and comments on it by your own people, it will be more likely to spread.
Go hashtag crazy.
Don’t be afraid to use hashtags on all your posts. This will help the right audience to come across it.
#hastagswork #trythemnexttime
Ask people to like your content.
It might seem simple, but the power of suggestion can really work. “Like this post if you LOVE puppies.” Or “We all like the feel of clean sheets in morning, am I right?” By phrasing your post correctly, you are encouraging a response of some sort, and viewers will be more likely to comply.
Offer rewards for likes and shares.
“Anyone who likes and shares this post will be entered to win a free meal at our Mom and Pop Diner!” We all love free stuff. And viewers won’t feel like they are promoting an ad; they are trying to win a free dinner! Your business will get the publicity it needs for the cost a free meal.
Create a group.
Facebook promotion doesn’t have to be all about your Page. Groups on Facebook make it much easier to interact with your audience. It doesn’t have to be a group that is directly connected to your business. For example, if you are selling organic baby products (I know, I use this example a lot), you could start a group “Moms against Pesticides” or “Organic Moms”. This could be a great way to build your brand image and gain a closer, trusting relationship with your audience.
Host an event.
Online events are becoming increasingly popular. Perhaps you’ve been invited to a book release event on Facebook, or a clothing or makeup party where the purpose is for people to purchase during a specific period of time. Consider ways an event could benefit your business. Run a sale event exclusive to Facebook, or perhaps hold an event for a new product launch. Make your event a success by offering prizes (discounts or gift cards) to people who invite the most friends to your event. Make it fun AND promotional.
Be engaging.
Remember, social media isn’t just a one-way street. If someone interacts with your content, be sure to respond promptly. The entire point of social media is to create a relationship with your audience, and to do that, you need to engage with them, not just post and leave. Also, your responses will help to boost your content in newsfeeds, keeping your posts active longer.
Try videos or go live as your page.
Facebook has really been promoting their “live” feature, and tend to notify people when someone goes live and rank live videos higher in newsfeeds. Videos also tend to display more often in newsfeeds than images or text posts, AND are considered more engaging. Not sure how to create a video? Try these simple
DIY Video Tips to get started.
Keep on posting! Do you have a Facebook Marketing hack that worked great for you? Share it with us!
