Getting people to see and share your Facebook posts – without shelling out ad money to Facebook – is no easy feat. Here’s a 10-point guide to improving the reach and engagement of your Facebook posts (without paying).
Facebook marketing for small businesses can be difficult to master. They do not make it easy for you to get a far reach for your posts. Without the reach, you won’t see a lot of engagement. That’s why you need to find new ways to get Facebook to like your posts.
#1: NEVER Buy or Exchange Likes
As tempting as it can be to buy or use like exchange websites, don’t do it. Facebook knows which likes are real and which ones are bought or from like exchanges. How do they know? We don’t know for sure, but what we do know is that when you stop buying or exchanging, your reach will not be as much as if you accumulated links organically.
Slow and steady is how Facebook wants things, so be sure to make that your motto as you start and grow your page.
RELATED: 7 Reasons People Aren’t Engaging With Your Business on Facebook
#2: Start with Sharing
You can get people to engage with your page if you find posts they will enjoy. You do that by liking pages similar to yours (not competitors) and following what they post. You can see how many likes, comments, and shares they receive on their posts. This is how you find out which ones you should share.
When you find a post that has a lot of likes, comments, and shares, share it on your page. You can see if your audience likes it by how much engagement you see with it. The way reach works is if someone likes, comments, or shares the post quickly, Facebook knows someone enjoys it, so they show it to more people. The more people who engage with the post, the more people it will be shown to.
The other part of sharing is that the person who first shared it notices you. This means the person may like your page, and if you’re lucky, share your posts.
#3: Post Images
Facebook people prefer images over anything else on Facebook. You can use PicMonkey or Canva to edit and create great-looking graphics. You can then place your logo at the bottom of the image.
Create some images that only seek to entertain or inform. This includes quotes, funny pictures, or tips. Once and a while, you should throw in some marketing for your business. Always remember there should be an 80/20 split with posts – 80% should be entertaining and 20% should be promotional.
RELATED: Where to Find Free Images
#4: Spread the News
People love the news. If you’ve ever noticed, news sites often have the most comments and shares. People get excited about the news and it makes them want to say something. Some of these people have liked your page, and they will want to share their opinion on your site.
The more comments your posts have, the more engagement you’ll receive from others. This tells Facebook you have something really good on your page.
RELATED: How to Get Your Content Seen on Facebook
#5: Comment on Other Pages
The comments are important on other pages. You can use it to market your page. Don’t be too obvious with it, but offer an opinion, support, or information, and then drop in that you have a site too @yoursite. People will often know to click on it if they want to see what you offer. They can also like your page just by mousing over the hyperlinked page.
#6: Let Pages Know You’ve Liked Them
Go through pages that have a similar audience as you, and like them. After liking them, drop a message to let them know you liked their page and you would love it if they would like your page. Most of them will return the favor, so then you get many likes, and more pages to comment on and share.
#7: Keep It Consistent
You should be posting on your Facebook page two to three times a day. You should have one post with an article you have on your site, one news article, and one entertaining one. You can find an entertaining post or news article to share on another page, or you can come up with your own. Just be creative and vary your posts, so people don’t get bored.
#8: Pay Attention to Engagement
If you see a post that gets a lot of shares, comments, and/or likes, pay attention to why. You should ride the wave on it and create more content just like it. Just be sure to make it different enough to give your audience something of value.
#9: Give Your Followers a Spotlight
If you see someone who is commenting, sharing and liking many of your posts, go ahead and publicly thank the person. This will cause the person to feel appreciated and motivate others to engage with your page.
#10: Be Real
Facebook users want to see posts that aren’t just advertisements. They want to see real-life stories, experiences, and problems. Be the person you are on your Facebook page, and people will be more likely to want to engage with your posts.
Managing your Facebook page effectively is important. You won’t get any results from it if you don’t follow the above tips. Since that’s the only reason you’re using Facebook, get ready to dive in for better reach and engagement on your Facebook posts.
