Post with the Most – Five Facebook News Feed Optimization Tips
One of the big cornerstones of any company’s social media strategy should be interacting with customers and deepening the relationship between their customers and their brand. However, it’s been reported that up to 90% of fans don’t return to a fan page once they “Like” the page. For many users, signing on to check their News Feed is their main Facebook existence. So, how do you make sure your brand gets seen when battling for top News Feed position with a fan’s friends, and other businesses who are posting regularly? The answer is News Feed Optimization.
Think in the mind of Facebook – it wants users to spend as much time there as possible. So it’s interested in promoting interesting content that causes users to interact with each other and stay connected on Facebook. And how does one determine interesting content? Things that are “buzzworthy”, i.e., content that generates the most interaction as measured by clicks, comments, likes, shares, etc. Here are a few tips on getting your posts placed at the top of your fans’ news feeds.
Use Interesting Images in Your Posts – When compared to text alone, or even videos, images tend to get most interaction. It’s easy and quick to click through and see a larger version of a compelling image.
Time Your Post – In general, business hours are not the time to post. Morning posts work better than afternoon, and Friday posts are better than weekend, but this varies by industry. So track your own posts – pay attention to your engagement metrics per post available on Facebook Insights, and adjust accordingly.
Ask for Interaction – It’s okay to pose a question, or to ask fans to like or comment. Provide clear instructions for what you want from them.
Focus on the Fans – A very common mistake is for companies to just post promotions and things about their business. Staying consistent with your brand, post stimulating content that your customers & demographics might be interested in based on what you know about them. And again, track your engagement metrics (likes, comments, etc) for each post so you can get an even better idea of the types of posts to which your fans respond.
Post Just Enough – Most Facebook marketers say 1-3 times per day is optimal. They caution that over-posting could result in unlikes and unsubscribes.
Put these simple guidelines into place and watch both your company’s fan base and your company’s fan relationships grow side by side.
Lanette Willis is a Senior Account Manager at Nexternal. Before joining Nexternal she spent nearly a decade working in market research and professional services marketing, before running her own successful eCommerce apparel business. Lanette is passionate about helping people and businesses thrive.
