The previous year, the average reach for Facebook posts was about 5.5% of the page’s followers. That’s debilitating, considering that reach is one of the key metrics for measuring social media engagement. Who or what is responsible for this? You guessed it right – the Facebook Algorithm holds the ability to affect how your content is seen and interacted with. As this mechanism is dynamic and rapidly evolving, it is quite tricky for brands working with a digital marketing company to hit the bullseye. Here’s how you can make this work for you:
1. Trigger engaging conversations among your target audience
As per Facebook, one factor that determines their algorithm is whether a user has previously engaged with your brand page. Hence, one needs to bolster page value in order for the algorithm to recognize and reward the same. Hence, the best way around this would be authenticity. Be genuine, and you’ll find that your page is more relatable on a humane level, hence encouraging interactive discourse. It is best not to seek out meaningless controversy as it can backfire and tarnish brand reputation.
2. Make sure to post during peak engagement hours
Irrespective of whether you’re working with a content marketing agency or a firm that offers holistic digital marketing services, it is important to bank upon time and relevance. Be mindful of the following timings:
- B2B brand posts perform relatively well between 9 AM and 2 PM on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
- B2C brand posts perform well at noon on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
3. Don’t transgress Facebook rules and regulations
There are certain content categories that are explicitly banned by Facebook. For instance:
- Links to sites that contain stolen/plagiarized content
- Content that contains elements of nudity/violence/other sensitive content
- Misinformation, aka, fake news that can potentially cause panic
- Pseudo-scientific “cures” or health information
- Manipulated videos that can be flagged by third parties
4. Post high-res videos that exceed 3 minutes
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Back in May 2019, Facebook had announced that the newsfeed will feature videos that are long, original, and value-additive. With these changes in the algorithm in place, there are three factors that need to be kept into consideration:
- Videos that reflect the loyalty and intent of its target audiences perform better.
- Videos that reviewed past the 1-minute mark automatically fare better, especially if the entire duration exceeds 3 minutes. The average watch time is an integral factor here.
- For videos to perform well, it is important that the content is not repurposed, and remains original with a valuable takeaway.
You can also use the Facebook Live feature to your advantage, as it holds the ability to garner 6x engagement compared to a regular video.
5. Post consistently to retain interest
As per Facebook, pages that churn out high-quality posts often are more likely to forge meaningful relationships with their target audience, which in turn, can lead to a loyal customer base. In this scenario, posting frequency is key, as it can affect how high up your content is placed in the newsfeed. How can you maintain this consistency?
Create a social media calendar a month in advance and include holidays/social events that are relevant to your brand. This way, you’ll have the entire month planned, and all you’ll have to do is schedule the posts in advance.
6. Identify Facebook groups that can boost your engagement
Facebook groups might appear archaic or irrelevant to some, however, they play a crucial role in terms of measuring user behaviour. Facebook recommends leveraging groups as they allow audiences to see more content on their newsfeed. This is being pushed by Facebook via the revamped Groups tab that displays group activity and by helping audiences discover fresh communities through the Suggested Groups feature.
How can brands leverage this? Start by creating a group based on your brand’s page. Here, you can create engagement via polls, quizzes, and interactive posts while also holding discussions and giveaways. Address topics that matter to your audience and you’ll be able to connect deeply with your audience in no time!
7. Supplement your message with the aid of paid ads
While organic content works to a certain extent, paid ads are all the rage now. Facebook ads are the best way to expand brand awareness and magnify your brand message to the right audience. As you can also create targeted audiences as per your preferred demographic, it is much easier to usher conversions and retain customers via this method. Paid ads also allow you to generate performance reports, so that you can gauge your brand’s graph over time.
So, what are you waiting for? Employ these strategies today to master Facebook’s algorithm, and stay at the top of your game!
