What’s the secret to crafting a Facebook post so your fans will click, comment, like and share? One creative trick doesn’t work for everyone. And what generates engagement in my community may not work for your business. However, there are a few general concepts that will help boost your interaction on your social pages, leading to fan growth.
I’ve compiled 11 characteristics of a perfect Facebook post to help you post with confidence.
1. Make your message short and to the point.
Facebook feeds are very crowded, and our attention spans are short. We skim through feeds, paying little attention to large blocks of text. Keep posts short by breaking down your content as much as possible. The ideal Facebook post is under 80 characters (even under 40 if you can manage it). If your post requires more information, consider writing a short “teaser” and then having a call-to-action that leads to the full information elsewhere.
2. Include a photo, link or video.
Visual content drives social media engagement. Photo and link posts have the greatest weight of being shared since Facebook’s algorithms place these posts higher in feeds. Plus, when you use links, Facebook automatically pulls in the webpage’s meta tags, description, photos and title. Aim to post an image or link at least 80% of the time.
3. Use the correct image size.
The ideal size for a Facebook image is 1200 x 630.
4. Use emoticons when appropriate.
Integrate emoji’s into your brand. Posts with emoticons are proven to lead to 33% more community engagement and shares than posts without emoticons. Remember to only use them if they match the tone of your post are appropriate for your brand’s image.
5. Ask a question.
Ask a simple, direct question with an easy choice of answers. Your goal is to begin a dialogue with your fans, which will then lead to larger discussions and a community of loyal followers.
6. Time it right.
Should you post on weekdays or weekends? Evenings or morning hours? When to post depends on your audience, goals and strategy. Aim to post when your fans are online and your competition is low. You can check your page’s audience insights to find in-depth demographics about your community’s online usage. When in doubt, the optimal time to post is often early afternoon in your audience’s time zone.
7. Offer something.
We like things! Whether it’s a special, a discount, a freebie or a promotion, people are more likely to like a brand on Facebook if there is a positive outcome. Try adding promotions and other offers to your Facebook posting schedule.
8. Have a clear call to action.
Sometimes you have to give your community a little nudge by putting a suggestion in front of them. Adding a call to action can drastically improve your social engagement. You’ll be surprised at how many people will follow directions after reading your post. Simply ask your fans to like, comment, or share at the end of the post with an “if you agree, click like; if not, write a comment!”
9. Be positive, witty and stimulating.
Nobody likes negative, sad news. Make your posts positive with a dash of humor and wit. These are the types of posts that are most shared on Facebook. Plus, posts with exclamation points see 3 times more interactions! So play up the positive vibe!
10. Tag an influencer, vendor or partner.
Networking is a fantastic way to generate awareness. Tag industry influencers who are not yet part of your community. And write specific posts that highlight your vendors or partners. You will show up higher in more feeds and have greater brand exposure.
11. Check out Facebook’s targeting tool.
You can target your Facebook posts based on age, gender, location and interests using the Target icon on Facebook’s post creator on your Facebook Page. Limit your posts further by targeting with city-specific content or bilingual/multilingual audiences.
Posting successfully on Facebook takes practice and a lot of trial and error. Try a few or all of the strategies mentioned in this post, and review your insights and stats on a regular basis to check your results. Then adjust and try again. You have knowledge now — put it to good use!