There is no getting around it: social media marketing is absolutely essential when it comes to building and managing a successful brand. And as you’re probably already well aware, Facebook is one of the most important platforms for social media marketing out there. However, just because you post something on Facebook doesn’t mean that all of your fans will see it. Facebook uses a special algorithm in order to determine what is relevant to a user and what isn’t. Basically, the more you interact with someone the more frequently that user’s posts will show up in your newsfeed. If you virtually never interact with someone on Facebook you are probably never going to see his or her posts. How does this affect your business? Well, fans aren’t going to see your posts unless they are actively engaging with you.

Facebook engagement can be broken down into four simple actions: a fan liking a post, a fan sharing your post, a fan commenting on a post, or a fan tagging a picture.  The more effort that is needed to perform the action, the better the results will be for your future posts organic reach.

Luckily, you can significantly boost engagement on your brand’s Facebook page and subsequently enhance your brand’s visibility. Check out these crucial tips and tricks.

Share compelling content.  When it comes to boosting Facebook engagement compelling content is crucial. After all, nobody is going to want to share content that they don’t find either A) interesting or B) relevant. So don’t just post the first thing that comes to your mind. Do some critical thinking and some research to figure out what most appeals to your target audience. To craft content that is compelling and interesting consider the following three categories:

1.     Useful: If you have a useful piece of information, share it! Whether it is an easy recipe for delicious chocolate ship cookies or a quick tip for cleaning windows people love to learn something new.
 
2.     Humorous: People like to laugh. Try to share content that is in someway funny—people are apt to share things that have made them smile.

 
3.     Thought-provoking: Perhaps it’s an interesting bit of news or a profound quote from someone famous. If you can give your followers something to think about, they are all the more likely to engage by responding with their own thoughts or opinions.

 
And remember, variety is key when it comes to Facebook posts. For example, humor is good but nobody wants to see a joke show up in his newsfeed three times a day. Try to mix up the nature of the content you’re posting to garner maximum engagement.

Post at the right times. Yes, it does matter when you post. If you want your posts to go viral you need to be sharing at peak hours, time intervals when a good chunk of your followers will likely be online. So when should you be sharing content?

1.     The early morning post (5am- 8am): Believe it or not, many people check Facebook first thing in the morning, scrolling through posts as they’re getting out of bed, over their morning cup of coffee, or on the bus during their morning commute. People tend to be tuned into social media first thing in the morning so this is an excellent time to catch your target consumer’s attention.
 
2.     The lunchtime post (12pm- 2pm): Keep in mind that today most people access Facebook via a mobile device, as opposed to desktop computer. Studies show that smartphone and tablet users are likely to reach for their mobile devices during mealtimes. You can easily attract a costumer’s attention with a compelling post while they’re eating their lunch-hour salad.

 
3.     The afternoon post (3pm- 5pm): Interestingly, studies also show that Facebook users are likely to access the site as they’re commuting home from work or school. Catch a consumer’s attention as they’re shifting out work mode and preparing to head off to the gym or home to cook dinner.

 
4.     The night time post (6:30pm- 11pm): Dinners cooked, the kids have gone to bed there is not much left to do but enjoy some TV and social media! We find this time bracket the best time to garnish post engagement.  When people are relaxed have nothing to do they are more likely to join in social media conversations.

 
However, keep in mind that these are just suggestions. To get a precise idea of when exactly you’re followers tend to be online go to your page settings and click on “view insights.” Once you are there click on the “posts” tab and then the “when your fans are online” tab. The analytics Facebook provides here is truly a goldmine. You can see what days of the week your fans are most frequently online as well as what times of the day. To generate maximum Facebook engagement you will definitely want to take this information into consideration when coordinating posts.

Encourage consumer response. Posting compelling content at the right times can certainly help to ensure that a consumer sees your post. But in order foster engagement it helps to encourage some kind of consumer response. Consider these ideas:

 1.     Ask questions. Ask consumers a question via your Facebook status and encourage them to reply with your opinions. A status that encourages a bit of debate is a great way to prompt engagement.              It doesn’t need to be a long wined question either, basics are the most effective.  Black or white?  Real or Fake? Tell us what you think?

2.      Fill in the blank.  Let your followers share their thoughts with you.  “The place I love most is _______”

3.     Tag a mate.  Asking the users to tag a friend in your posts is a great way of building engagement and virally sharing your brand.  “Tag a mate that would miss this shot” “Tag a mate who would love this for Christmas”
 
4.     Trivia. Try asking trivia questions that are related to your industry or company.  Be careful not to make them too easy or close ended though, if someone gets the answer straight away it may discourage people to post afterwards.

 
5.     Ask for the engagement.  Although I personally don’t like this type of post it can be effective for the right content.  “Share if you agree, comment if you disagree”

 
And remember photos are proven to be the most engaging pieces of content.  Make sure the images and colours you use will resonate with your target audience!

Good luck in your Facebook journeys.
Until next time.

Scott