Pop quiz: which is the most popular social media site on the planet? It’s a no-brainer really. Facebook still towers head and shoulders above the rest with its 1.35 billion active users and estimated 900,000,000 unique monthly visitors.
It’s no surprise really that only a year ago, Facebook’s director of small business announced in a Q&A that approximately 30 million small businesses had active pages on the social platform. Whether you are a large enterprise or a modest SME, incorporating Facebook into your content marketing toolbox can do wonders for increasing exposure, traffic and developing that all-important loyal fan base.
Now, its common knowledge that likes and shares don’t necessarily equate to business success. However, building an engaged community is an essential priority, no matter what your business goals. But this is easier said than done – a link and short blurb every now and then simply isn’t enough to gain the attention your business deserves. Facebook requires just as much careful attention as any one of the traditional marketing tools you might use in your content marketing efforts. Here are a few of our top tips to help you on your way…
1. Optimise the type of content you post
The top types of content people tend to share on Facebook are links, images, text and videos. Social media analysts, Socialbakers, discovered that from October 2014 to February 2015, video was the most important engagement driver with text coming in second, links third and photos last. However, the top type of content for you depends wholly on your business goals and target audience. For example, if you are aiming to generate more traffic to your website, links might be a good bet whilst if brand awareness is your top priority, images and video content might provide a better result. The key? Plan your goals carefully and use your analytics to understand what type of content your target audience wants. Then deliver.
2. Optimise your posts for sharing
Optimising your posts with clear and specific open graph meta tags are essential – they ensure Facebook understands how to format your posts correctly. Digital marketing guru, Neil Patel, revealed that creating custom titles and descriptions in this way led to a 174% increase in his Facebook traffic to Quicksprout. Yoast SEO plug-in is an excellent tool which makes crafting your tags simple and something you’ll never forget.
3. Consistency is king
Regular posting is important to keeping your community engaged. But more than that, it is being savvy about when you post your content. Analyse your Facebook Page Insights to gain an understanding of which days and times your audience are most active online. Then you can plan regular updates at times when you can guarantee maximum exposure.
4. Get your head around your EdgeRank
EdgeRank is the algorithm Facebook uses to figure out what a user will see in their newsfeed. If a post has a high EdgeRank then more of your audience will be able to see it whilst if it ranks low, it is likely to fade away into obscurity. Although EdgeRank depends on a variety of factors, a top tip is to avoid simply posting links to blog posts which are not as shareable as other content you could use. Instead, mix up your posts with content guaranteed to get shares and likes – think inspirational quotes or the classic cat video. Demonstrating high engagement with past posts will then boost your EdgeRank for those blog posts and website links.
5. Experiment with Facebook Ads
Facebook is spoiling us with the growing selection of ads that can help target an audience and get content seen by the right people. Options include boosting posts to maximise reach, targeting a new audience through the Lookalike Audience tool, and promoting your page where you can track down more people on Facebook who fit the criteria that works for your business. Facebook Ads are your oyster – experiment to find out what works best for you.
With the right tactics you can get much more out of Facebook and bring this social platform to the fore in your content marketing campaign. Are there any tactics that have proved particularly useful for you?