If you have ever Googled 'increase engagement on Facebook,' you've no doubt come across an overwhelming array of blog posts, expert articles, even interviews and videos - all with the best Facebook tips to creating the perfect Facebook post. It's more than a little maddening, especially when many of the experts are suggesting different options for creating a simple Facebook Post.
A Facebook post can be quite simple. It can even be easy to develop a stellar post that appeals to your target audience - a post that will not only engage but will increase brand awareness and drive traffic to your website, or achieve any other goal you have in mind. It doesn't have to be maddening, I mean, it's just a Facebook Post, right?
Well, not really. A Facebook Post is your voice, your brand, your business message placed in front of every available, targeted Fan and potential Fan (aka: potential customer) in any given geo-location at any given time. Developed correctly, a 'simple' Facebook Post can take your brand from a mere mom-and-pop down the street to the most trendy, fashionable, 'happening,' even Viral business on the web. Seriously, it's always more than just a Facebook Post.
Step One - Behind the Scenes
All images, links, videos and blogs posted on Facebook need to be optimized in order to attract not only potential customers and increase your click-through rate, but must also appeal to Facebook. Behind the scenes of a Phoenix Facebook Post, do the following:
- When originally saving your image to the desktop, utilize keywords and location within the image. For example, if you are selling Arginine Supplements in Phoenix, Arizona, your image needs to be saved as exactly that - "arginine supplements_Phoenix, Arizona." Drop of the ".jpg" or ".png" as well. In my experience, it also benefits your website to save the image as the actual URL of your website. For example, if Linwright Design were saving an image, I'd save it as "LinwrightDesign.com_Gilbert, Arizona."
- When posting a blog or video link to Facebook, tweak and customize the Title and Description to meet your engagement needs. Many times blog posts and/or Youtube video posts will be titled with irrelevant information for a Facebook Post. Simply click on the Title and Description in the Facebook Post (before hitting publish) and tweak these aspects to better represent the video or blog.
Step Two - Include URL
Many business owners will simply toss up a Facebook Post and be done with it, not considering the small tweaks mentioned above, or the paramount detail of adding your website URL. Post your website URL with absolutely everything! Even if you're simply posting a Happy Mother's Day image with no direct relevance to your website, include your website URL in the post with a comment "brought to you by (insert URL.)
Step Three - Call To Action
Finally, a strong call to action is central to an engaging Facebook Post. Statistics have shown that Facebook Posts with a call to action receive a far greater percentage of engagement than those Facebook Posts that do not include a call to action. While there have been many different studies conducted on this topic, one of the most compelling was directed back in 2011, and showed a 216% increase in Facebook Engagement for those posts which included a request to Like, Comment or Share the post.
Every post, no matter what it is about, absolutely must have a call to action. That call to action might be to Share the information, or simply 'click through' the link.
These three simple steps are some of the secrets that Phoenix Facebook experts utilize when developing that perfect Facebook Post. Of course, there are also the fundamental aspects of a post which should also be taken into account:
- Relevance - Post only updates that will resonate with your audience.
- Authenticity - Posts must adhere to your brand message at all times. This consistency and authenticity will increase trust and credibility.
- Positivity - Don't be a hater, or a Debbie Downer!
- Variety - Change it up every now and again from blogs to news stories, images and videos, even eCards and memes.
The perfect Facebook Post is not difficult, but it does take some practice. We suggest taking down steps one through three on a notepad, stick that note to your computer, rinse and repeat: Behind the Scenes, URL, Call to Action.
image: perfect 10/shutterstock