With only Google and YouTube ahead of it in the traffic wars, Facebook is the third most trafficked site on the Internet. As you’d expect, this leads to a substantial amount of competition for advertisers. Newsfeeds have become flooded and as a result, Facebook has developed algorithms to filter out content that is not relevant to the needs of the user.
This has proven to be a unique challenge to people who want to cut through the noise and reach their customers. Gone are the days when companies could just post something and have it show up in the Newsfeed of anyone and everyone. These times call for a little more care.
1. Front up the cash, bucko.
In the last few years, Facebook’s organic reach has dwindled to a point where the signs of life are minimal (as in, less than 2%). Yikes.
The reality is that in order to really get the most out of Facebook, you’re going to have to invest some money. The way to do this is to use Facebook’s Ad Manager feature to create some ads and set up a campaign budget.
2. Don’t be afraid to share.
When I say share, I’m referring to other people’s content.
Sometimes people can feel uncomfortable with sharing content that isn’t their own, because it somehow might carry the sub-communication that other people (or businesses) create better content.
Here’s the thing, people don’t care if you share someone else’s content if it is good content. In fact, they will appreciate you more for it. People want to have good content sent to them on a regular basis, so if you can be the arbiter of content, then you’re going to develop a deeper connection with your customers.
Try to share content that is relevant to your customers (or industry) on a regular basis. For example, if you’re a home builder it could be a good idea to share interior designing tips or photos of cool cabinets to complement your home. Just make sure it’s good content and it’s a regular thing.
3. Post about current trends.
This one should be used sparingly. Maybe it’s just a pet peeve of mine, but seeing a company constantly post “hashtag of the day”-worthy content can look really cheesy after a while.
That being said, creating content that is relevant to a trending news story or a new song can be very powerful when done in small doses. When it comes to political things, I would err on the side of caution because it can tend to divide people if they feel strongly about it.
4. Utilise audience optimisation tools.
When performing organic posts, Facebook gives you two Audience Optimisation tools – Preferred Audiences and Audience Restrictions.
The Preferred Audience feature allows you to add tags to your post. This allows Facebook to better understand what kind of content you are sharing and who may be interested in it. This can increase the amount of engagement you get, by only targeting relevant users.
The Audience Restrictions tool allows you to restrict your organic post to certain audiences based on age, gender, interests, locations and other demographics. Similar to the Preferred Audience tool, narrowing down your audience can help increase engagement.
5. Use Native Video.
According to Forbes, ‘Native Videos’ (that is, videos that are uploaded using Facebook’s video platform) received on average:
· 530% more comments compare to other (YouTube, Vimeo etc.) video links
· 477% higher share rate compared to other video links
· 110% more interactions compare to other video links
So make sure you upload your videos to Facebook for better results.
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