Many small business owners use Facebook. This platform offers you the possibility to work on your brand awareness and visibility. Facebook posts offer an enormous reach, which makes it an ideal way to communicate with your target group. But how can you create posts that really appeal to your target audience? Take a closer look at your content and make your posts even better and more engaging with the following tips for engaging Facebook posts.
THE BASIS
1. Make sure your posts look professional
As an entrepreneur, you want to post interesting and professional posts on your Facebook account with striking images and engaging texts. To achieve a professional and authentic look, the online took Canva is highly recommended.
With this tool, you can easily create visuals for all your online content, including Facebook. The free version of Canva already offers countless possibilities. The Pro version offers even more options, and you can use all the elements and images the tool has for free.
Want to know what Canva Pro has to offer? Then also read this blog: https://www.365daysofsuccess.com/21-reasons-why-canva-pro-is-definitely-worth-your-money/
2. Provide added value
One of the most important tips for Facebook content is: make sure you provide added value for your target audience with your posts. Ensure you inspire them with your content, motivate them, or give them something new or surprising.
For example, share current news facts, or surprising tips your audience have not yet heard about. Or share background information about yourself and your company by giving them a look behind the scenes.
Do not use the everyday standard information your competitors are probably already sharing. Distinguish yourself and go the extra mile in providing added value and authenticity.
3. Talk about current events
Posts that deal with current topics rank higher on Facebook. You should take advantage of this.
Regularly share recent developments in your field or niche on Facebook. To do this, keep track of the news revolving around your field. Is there anything interesting? Share it with your fans as soon as possible.
Add some text yourself. For example, share something about what influence the news can have on your target group, how they can do something with it, or what positive things it can bring them. You can also share your personal vision or reaction to the news.
4. Interaction is a must
As you undoubtedly know, Facebook is the ideal platform for exchange and interaction. Merely posting is not really going to help you. Therefore, create opportunities for interaction with your fans. You can do this in all sorts of ways. Ideally, you should involve your fans in as many posts as possible.
You can do this by adding a CTA (= call to action) to your post. For example, ask a question in your text, present a dilemma, let them finish a sentence, or play a game. Keep it nice and simple.
Always respond to your fans’ comments, preferably as soon as possible, but at least within 24 hours. This applies to both positive and negative comments on your content.
Did you know that your interaction, which includes likes, shares, or comments, also increases the reach of your account on Facebook?
I will share a few more tips regarding interactio:
- Sunday seems to be the best day for interaction.
- Posts posted between 10 p.m. tend to get the most comments
- Posts with relatively little text (less than 50 characters) get more interaction than posts with long(er) text.
Take advantage of these tips!
5. Show that you are the expert
It is relatively easy to achieve an expert status on Facebook. You can do this by sharing your knowledge and experience with your target audience. Answer questions frequently and share your best tips.
To achieve an expert status, you should actively invite your fans to ask you questions. This clearly shows them that you know what you are talking about. You should also respond to questions that you see passing by and that are about your field of expertise. This applies to the feed and the various (private) Facebook groups to which you are affiliated.
In this way, you can profile yourself with your knowledge, and others will get to know you and, if interested, will follow you.
6. Tap into emotions
Research shows that people are guided by emotions on online platforms. If a post appeals to the reader and touches them emotionally, it is more likely to get many interactions and, therefore, more reach.
I recommend focusing on positive emotions because they lead to more interactions and are shared more often. This allows you to work on your reach and visibility specifically.
7. Make sure the images are in the right format
Sometimes I see posts passing by where the dimensions of the images are not quite right. Facebook has its own formats for its posts and other images (think of your profile picture or cover photo).
For example, if you want to post your regular blog photo on Facebook, it often doesn’t look good because the formats are different. For that reason, it is important to crop or create the right size image or visual. Want to know what size you need, and for what? You can find it in this blog.
8. Keep your text short
I know it is a challenge, but it is worthwhile to keep the texts of your Facebook posts as short as possible. Think of texts of 50 to 140 characters: keep it really short.
This appeals to the reader, and it invites them to read the text and comment on the post. On the other hand, longer texts can actually repel the reader, and you want to avoid that.
TIPS FOR ENGAGING FACEBOOK POSTS
9. Regularly reintroduce yourself
You have probably already introduced yourself in one of your first posts, but in most cases, that was a while ago. In the meantime, you have gained many new followers. They also like to know who you are and what you can do for them.
Therefore, share a post once in a while in which you introduce yourself. Say something like: “For all the people who have started following me recently, let me introduce myself!”
Through this post, people who don’t know you yet can get to know you better. You could also tag the latest followers in the post to make it even more personal.
10. Thank your fans
This sounds obvious, but entrepreneurs still don’t do this enough: thank your fans for being your fans. Your success on social media is mainly thanks to your fans and followers.
Put them in the spotlight once in a while and give them a heartfelt compliment. Create a post where you thank them for following you and tell them that you are happy with their likes and comments.
If possible, tag some followers and thank them personally. For example, you can highlight the people who started following you every month.
11. Dare to use live video (more often)
How often do you use Facebook’s live video feature? Often we still find it a bit scary… But that’s not necessary, especially when you know that Facebook really values video content. Especially video content which is created on Facebook can contribute significantly to your visibility.
How can you use live video? Think of organizing short question and answer sessions. For example, choose a theme and let people ask you questions in advance. You can then answer those questions during your live video.
You can also give a tutorial in a live video. Or share a few tips on a particular topic: it can be as easy as that. With these kinds of videos, you will immediately increase the bond of trust with your fans. In addition, you are actively working on your expert status and reach on Facebook.
12. Use a few emojis and occasional hashtags
Emojis always perform well on Facebook. Research has shown that Facebook posts with emojis get more interactions on average than those without emojis. They increase the interaction rate of your posts. They also subconsciously play directly into the emotions (see tip 6) and, therefore, touch the reader.
But beware: overdoing it can cause the opposite effect. It is best to stick to a maximum of 3 emojis in your entire post.
If you look at the usage of hashtags on Facebook: use them as little as possible. Posts with many hashtags seem to have less reach than those with a single hashtag.
13. Use humor every now and then
If you’re not inspired about what to post on Facebook: use some humor! Because in addition to it being content that is created easily, it is also the type of content that generates a lot of interaction.
Share a fun meme with an original text. Or share a funny photo, a hilarious joke, or a funny quote. You can also post about a blunder that you experienced. That kind of personal stuff also gets you a lot of likes and comments.
Let your creativity run free: anything goes as long as it is funny and makes people smile and comment.
14. Promote your blog in the right way
Do you blog regularly? There are several ways to bring attention to your blog. Do you want a lot of traffic to your website from your Facebook posts? Then make sure you post a short and appealing text about your blog.
For example, ask a question that they want to answer: “Do you also sometimes have …?” Then explain briefly how you will answer this question in your blog. You can also make it personal once in a while. Mention your own issues with the theme of your blog and indicate what the tips have solved for you.
This appeals to the reader and invites them to continue reading via the link in your post.
15. Let your fans finish sentences
One of the easiest, and at the same time most appealing posts is to ask your fans to finish a sentence. The nice thing is that you can finish the post in 1 minute.
Just come up with a line and leave it open for answered, add an appropriate image, and you can post it right away. I will give you some examples:
- To me, ultimate happiness means….
- If I could transport myself to a place right now, I’d be going to….
- My biggest dream is….
- If I could make three wishes, I’d wish for….
- To me, love means….
- I absolutely cannot live without….
- If I was an animal, I would be a ….., because…..
16. Share posts others have made with your product
User-generated content (= UGC) is becoming increasingly important on various social media platforms. This also applies to Facebook.
It specifically concerns content created and published by others than yourself. UGC has many advantages for you as an entrepreneur: this type of content positively influences purchase decisions of those who see it passing by.
If you want to bring attention to your product or service: UGC is a great way to build social proof. Be smart and share your customer’s post in your own feed. Don’t forget to thank the customer for the post.
When you fans see that others are excited about your product or service and post about it, it gives them confidence. Better advertising than this doesn’t exist! By the way, you don’t have to wait for customers to think of posting something themselves: this doesn’t happen very often. You can also ask your customer to make a post.
Imagine you sell clothes to a customer: you can then ask them to post a picture of themselves when they are wearing your clothes. Make sure they include your unique hashtag: for example, your name or company name. The customer will feel honored by your request, and you will increase brand awareness and visibility.
17. Respond to trending topics
If you regularly follow trends or trending topics on social media, you’ll never run out of content ideas. Trending topics are the most current topics at a certain moment: for example, during a week.
So how do you keep an eye on the interesting trending topics for your target audience? You do this by following relevant hashtags to you and your target group. You can also get inspiration for this on other online platforms such as Pinterest.
Have you found something trending and that you can use in a post? Use that inspiration. Because by connecting to this and using that specific hashtag in your post, you can reach even more potential customers. In addition, Facebook also prioritizes content that involve current events.
18. Ask your fans for pictures
What could be more fun than lots of different pictures under a post? When we think of interaction, we usually think of likes or comments below a post.
Be original and ask your fans to share a particular picture, for example, of their favorite animal or of their favorite outfit. Or ask for a picture of their workplace, their favorite food, or their favorite book.
This way, you give your fans a stage, and they will feel more heard and seen. The best part is when you also post a picture of what you are asking them. That invites them to post a picture as well.
19. Use top topicals
As I’ve mentioned many times before: Facebook greatly values current topics. If Facebook sees your posts as newsworthy because you include current topics, that content will be shown immediately to more fans.
For more visibility, it is recommended to use current topics regularly.
Do a Google search for ‘national days’ and see if there are any upcoming days you can write a post about.
Every day there is a special day called ‘the day of…’. Especially choose moments to which can link you service or product to.
Looking for more inspiration for your content? Then also read this blog: https://www.365daysofsuccess.com/how-to-write-catchy-content-for-your-social-media-posts-18-tips/
These were my tips to creating engaging posts for Facebook. Pick one and immediately start creating engaging posts that your audience can’t ignore. Good luck!
Did you know you can use Canva to quickly and easily create designs for your Instagram Stories? If you are interested in Canva Pro, then you can test the tool for free for 30 days. You can sign up here: https://www.canva.com/nl_nl/pro/)
