8 TIPS FOR CREATING A GREAT FACEBOOK POST
For all you Facebook users out there (and hey – that’s pretty much everybody these days), you may be wondering why you have a ton of FB friends, but rarely see some of their posts. Well, it also works the other way around, which can be slightly concerning if you are using a Facebook page to promote your creative art business. Why is it that some posts never seem to reach your audience, and what exactly makes for a great Facebook post?
Facebook uses an algorithm to show relevant content to their users, which means they sift through thousands of potential posts you could be seeing at any time and try to narrow it down to display the content they think best matches your interests. Unfortunately for us Creatives, this can often be challenging because Facebook looks at things like user behaviour and levels of engagement to decide which posts get the most reach.
Here are a few ways Facebook may determine who sees your posts:
– Posts with more comments, likes and shares reach more people.
– Users who have interacted with your page in the past have a better chance of seeing your post.
– Users who have previous interaction with this particular type of post also have a better chance of seeing the post.
– Reaction from other users to the post will increase reach.
Complaints or negative feedback on the post will limit reach.
8 TIPS FOR CREATING A GREAT FACEBOOK POST THAT WILL REACH MORE PEOPLE
TELL A STORY IN YOUR FACEBOOK POST
When creating your Facebook post, try to think of it as telling a story. People love reading posts that are interesting, inspiring, and give them something to think about and share. Try to give your audience alluring information that is relevant to both your product and your fans’ interests.
USE A GREAT IMAGE OR IMAGES IN YOUR FACEBOOK POST
When you scroll through your News Feed, what catches your eye more – blocks of text or bright vibrant images? Eye-catching images are a great way to draw more people to your page, and they are definitely more ‘like’ worthy than a text-only post. Try to use a beautiful image that pops rather than a blurry pic, and make sure your images are correctly sized. Canva is great for getting the dimensions down pat. You may also want to consider including your brand or logo in your imagery.
REVIEW YOUR POSTING TIMES
Part of Facebook’s algorithm strategy is to get the right content to the right users at the right times, so it is important to check when your fans are online. An easy way to do this is to go into your Facebook Page Insights (located at the top of the page) and click on ‘posts’. Here you will see a graph with data from the last week that shows exactly what times your page got the most and least hits. Try to post at peak times to reach the maximum number of viewers.
MIX IT UP
When you post the same content all the time, your fans tend to get bored and stop visiting your page. After all, this is the digital age where distraction is just a click away. Don’t be afraid to mix up your posts with different types of photos and content, new product info or event news, or even other interesting content you find online like great articles or videos that are relevant to your page.
DON’T FORGET THE FANS
Your fans are why you are doing this in the first place, so try to interact with them and make them feel as though they are a part of your world. Why not share your fans’ posts or fan testimonials about your business? Create a two-way conversation by asking your readers questions or encouraging them to comment, and if your fans comment on your posts or ask questions, be sure to respond in a timely manner.
HAVE A CLEAR CALL TO ACTION
Make sure your fans know what you are asking, and don’t be afraid to give them a slight nudge in the right direction. Rather than simply mentioning your product, encourage your fans to ‘visit your website’, ‘sign up’ for a newsletter, or ‘check out’ a great sale. As long as it is not too spammy, most people respond positively to a direct call to action.
LINK IT UP
Links are a great way to drive traffic back to your website and one of the best ways to do this is to create a branded post with bit.ly. This allows you to add a super short link that won’t detract from the image and copy. You can also track the link later to see how many people click through. When creating your post with a link, make sure you frame it with copy introducing the post, and don’t forget to delete the actual link before posting. We always think it looks quite sloppy when people leave the physical link in the post.
KEEP IT SHORT AND SWEET
There are very few people who have time to read a novel of a post, and even fewer who have any desire to scour through paragraphs of text. Your post content should be short, sweet, and to the point so that your readers instantly know what it’s all about. In general 250 characters is a safe bet, but this is only a guideline, so if you need more to get your point across, go for it. Sometimes stories are so important they need to be told then and there.
These are just a few tips for creating posts that will engage your audience, get more ‘likes’ and ‘shares’, and reach more people. However, just because you do all of the above, it does not necessarily mean your posts will be an immediate success. These are just the basics, but it is up to you to tell an inspiring story through pictures, words or links that will grab the attention of your fans and future potential viewers.
