1. Have a killer image. (That’s exactly the right size.)
The image is the first thing people notice on Facebook, so you want to make sure the one you choose catches their attention. Learn to use Canva to create images that are perfectly sized for Facebook. Facebook favors posts with images that match their recommended dimensions. Canva can give you all the details. I love this article by Julie Stoian at Create Your Laptop Life which talks about how to use Canva and PicMonkey (my two faves!) for Facebook. Hint: A couple of faces in an image will likely get more attention than a product or article title.
2. Write good copy.
Be thoughtful about the words you write. Know that many people will only read the first half of your post and move on if you haven’t got their attention. Put the most powerful words and ideas at the beginning of your post.
3. Keep your posts short.
People skim on Facebook. Short posts get more clicks. Get your point across in as few words as possible. If you have to ask yourself, “Is this post too long?” it probably is.
4. Don’t always post only your content. Share the love.
Sure, you’re trying to get your own content out there and Facebook is a great place to do that. But don’t just share your own work. Share the work of other people in your niche that your readers might find interesting. Share news articles that relate to your topic. Other publishers in your niche can be your greatest asset. If you share their content, they just might share yours. One of the women in my professional network recently observed, “a rising tide raises all boats.” That’s particularly true when we’re talking about trying to get eyeballs on our digital content.
5. Use humor and inspiration to drive up engagement.
Humor and inspiration always resonate with readers. I like to bookend my days on social media with those types of posts. Because they perform so well, they can boost your overall page performance by driving up your page engagement. Readers who might not “like” an average article are more likely to “like” something funny or encouraging. Google ‘inspirational quotes for (your niche here)” and you’ll likely find a whole list of quotes you can share with your readers. Canva has templates which make it super easy to make quotes look gorgeous in minutes. You can also share funny memes that you’ve found on other Facebook pages. (Or if you’re clever, make your own!) Just be sure to credit your source. Facebook will give credit if you use their “share” button. You can also use a link to the original source or tag the author’s Facebook profile.
6. Edit *all* the fields when you share a link.
If you’ve ever pasted a link into the Facebook window, you’ll notice that it automatically pulls up some information about the link. Ideally, it will pull up an image, a link title/headline and a link description. You may have noticed that you can click through a selection of images and choose your favorite, but did you know that you can also edit the title and description that appear on the post? All you have to do is click on the text. Be as thoughtful about this text as you are for the “traditional” place you would write your post. Some studies have shown that after the image, the second place people look is the link headline. Make sure you’re using that space to your advantage. (And again, keep your words short and to the point.)
7. Boss people around (just a little.)
If you want people to actually click through to your site, and not just read your Facebook post, make sure to tell them that. It may sound silly, but Facebook readers are usually reclined on their couch mindlessly scrolling through posts. If you’ve got something on your site that you want your readers to see, spell it out for them with a clear call to action. “Find more teaching ideas here!” “Visit my website to download my free guide.”
8. Use videos.
Videos are big right now. Everywhere. You can drive a lot of Facebook traffic (for free) with a video. There are many video making tools on the market: I’ve used Legend and Flipagram for Instagram videos. Facebook guru Mari Smith lists out her favorites here. Plus now we have Facebook Live which lets you stream a broadcast live, and then save it to share again with your followers. Some of the best engagement I’ve seen has been on video posts.
9. Try boosting a post.
I can’t tell you how many discussions I’ve read on Facebook about how hard it is to get people to see your content on Facebook. It can be tricky, especially if you’re relying on your followers first: seeing your post and second: maybe even liking or sharing it. If you’re creating amazing content, you’re going to get likes and shares, and that’s great. But you also can give your content a little boost, with the Facebook boost button, and it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Sometimes even a $5 or $20 boost can go a long way.
10. Consider running a Facebook ad if you have a product.
I’ve recently begun running Facebook ads to promote content and have been floored by the results. I’ll let you in on a little secret: if you are boosting posts, you’re already running ads. Post boosts are one type of ad. But it turns out there are many types of ads, and most of them are far better at getting traffic to your website and selling your products than post boosts. So if you’re wanting to see big results, consider learning how to set up some of the more sophisticated ads. I offer Facebook ads management service on my site, but I’m happy to point you toward the people I learned from if you’re not quite ready to outsource for Facebook ads. Read my article, 3 Essential Websites for Learning Facebook Ads to learn from the same people I did.