In case you didn’t already know this, only between 20-50% of your fans see your page. That is because they have an algorithm called Edge Rank. Edge rank is what determines how many of your fans see your posts and it is largely influenced by people interacting with your posts. Except now Facebook is charging you to make sure more of your fans see your posts. (No comment there) but considering the fact that fan pages are free, I guess they have to make money from somewhere (falling stock and all that.) Here are some quick tips to keep in mind to get your Facebook post seen and to increase your fan engagement and thus your edge rank:
1. Post Consistently- But NOT Too Much!
It’s simple and obvious but many Facebook page owners fail at this (at one end of the spectrum or the other). I’d recommend posting 2-3 times per day with at least 4 hours between each post. For those who can’t find the time (or quality content) to do this, posting at least 2-3 times per week is an absolute must.
2. Post Engaging, Relevant Content – NOT Constant Self-Promotion
It’s not enough just to post consistently- your posts must be high-quality. Before you post an update, put yourself in the shoes of one of your fans. Ask yourself, “Would you care about this? Would you share this with your friends?”. Don’t use Facebook posts just for sales or self-promotion- you should be using them to cultivate a community.
3. Keep it Short & Sweet!
Your fans don’t want to read essays in their Newsfeeds. Also, I’ve been informed by a source at Facebook that 90 characters is the sweet spot, with posts less than 90 characters garnering about 80% more engagement than those that are longer.
4. Post pictures and videos
5. Post special offers only for your fans (as well as promotions)
6. Create engagement
Ask them what they want, ask them to respond. Sounds easy, right? Ask them what they do for the weekend, what they want from your product, how they use your product, etc.
7. Find the right time to post. This is a little tricky
This is one of the toughest things to do, as it inevitably involves a lot of sifting through insights data in order to actually receive results, but it’s worth it. First, you need to understand your audience and when they are most likely to be on Facebook–mom looking for dinner recipes? Sis looking for a ballet class? You catch my drift.
Enjoy your day and this post.