The reach of organic Facebook posts has been on the decline for some time, but that doesn’t mean businesses shouldn’t be posting content. In early 2018, Facebook released an update to its algorithm that prioritises content which provides “meaningful engagement.” Facebook’s algorithm places posts from family and friends at the top. It also prioritises posts that cause people to interact and talk to one another. So it’s the job of the business page manager to create content that people will engage with. Here are some tips to get your posts more engagements and rank better on Facebook’s algorithm.
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7 Tips to improve Organic Post Reach
1 – Shake up your post types:
Publishing many different types of content on Facebook keeps your audiences intrigued. When you keep publishing the same content format every day, people switch off to what you’re posting. If people aren’t interested, they aren’t tagging and engaging with each other. Plus, social media marketing experts also believe Facebook prioritises post in new formats. So, if Facebook releases a new post format, such as 360 videos, use it as soon as you can. The key takeaway is to make sure you’re not posting the same thing every day.
2 – Use Visual Content:
As we mentioned in last week’s blog, visual content gets significantly more engagements than normal posts and is better remembered by viewers. Visual content, such as photos, videos, and graphics, receives 87% more engagement than text posts. As such, we recommend using visuals with every post you create. For more tips to improve your Facebook business page, check out last week’s blog.
3 – Go live:
Speaking of using video, try using live video content. Live video content receives six times as many interactions as normal videos. As per Facebook’s algorithm, interactions, if they’re meaningful, improve organic reach. However, make sure you’re offering valuable live content. Live streaming a photo or loop video, like a photo promoting people to react, won’t take you to the top. Facebook lowers the reach of these types of live content.
4 – Don’t Use Engagement Bait:
Getting users to engage with your content is great, but only “meaningful” engagement will work. Facebook’s algorithm doesn’t just prioritise all engagements. It boosts posts that will create discussion among users. Telling people to like, vote with a react, or tag a mate is called “engagement baiting.” Not only do these posts not get boosted, but they also reduce the reach of your whole business page. Create posts that encourage discussion among users. For example, you can ask questions, share user-generated content or start a contest. You need to engage consumers humanly and genuinely.
5 – Figure Out Your Best Posting Time and Frequency:
Finding the right time to post your content is almost as important as the content your post. Sharing your post at the wrong time sweeps your content up into a sea of competition. Check your Facebook Page Insights to find your audience’s peak active times. Using your insights as a guide will increase your chances of being at the top of your user’s feed. Also, to avoid getting swept away by the competition, post just before peak hours. There are also third-party tools to further guide your posting schedule.
As for posting frequency, conduct experiments to see how much content your audience wants to see. The number of worthwhile engagements you’re getting will determine your organic reach. If people are highly engaged in all of your posts, maybe try creating more. If their interest decreases after one post, maybe keep your frequency low. To find your ideal frequency, you have to test. Set up tests for a few weeks at a time. Try posting once a day for a few weeks, then try posting two or three times a day for the next few weeks. After the tests, check your average reach and engagements for each posting frequency. Then you’ll know if less is more, or more is more.
6 – Encourage Your Social Circles to Engage Your Content:
Facebook’s algorithm boosts content from family and friends, so ask for the help of your family, friends and employees. Facebook’s algorithm prioritises interaction among family and friends, so asking them to share will improve your reach. If an employee shares your page’s post, it gets eight times more engagement. Meanwhile, content shared by family and friends is 16 times more likely to get read than posts shared by a brand. Plus, getting your social networks to share your post will get it seen by more audiences. Generally, your followers are the main audience for your posts. However, by family and friends sharing, you will gain access to their audiences. So, encourage the people in your life to share.
7 – Ask The Audience to Adjust Notification Settings:
A great way to improve your organic reach is to get around the Facebook algorithm. You don’t need to be a hacker, you just need to ask. To get more of your content seen, ask your followers to turn on their notifications. Users can go onto your Facebook page and enable notifications for your posts by hitting the edit button next to follow. From here, users can select to see your posts first or to be notified when you post. Ideally, they’ll select to see your content first. However, they can also be notified when you have a new post. By getting your users to see your content first, you will see an increase in your reach. However, don’t post your content too often or let it get too sales orientated. Otherwise, you’ll drive your close followers away.
Don’t have time to post to Facebook
Not all business will have the time to post regular content on Facebook. If you don’t have time to do regular posting, you have two options: make time or hire someone. Facebook is a great way to get access to a potential audience of 2.5 billion active users. You’ll miss out if you don’t use it. Add content creation to your workflow or daily schedule. You don’t have to spend a lot of time posting, but you should be publishing regularly. Alternatively, sit down for longer and create posts a week or two in advance. Facebook lets you schedule your posts, so you can spend less time on social media.
Otherwise, you can hire someone in-house or outsource. If you’re a company with the budget for an in-house social media person, they will be able to get to know your brand closely and represent its personality. As for outsourcing, you can get a marketing company or a freelancer to manage your social media accounts. SBIM has an abundance of experience managing both organic and paid Facebook posts. To get the most from your social media advertising, contact SBIM today on +61 7 3325 0505 or at webmaster@sbim.com.au.
