Do you feel like you spend a lot of time crafting the perfect Facebook post only to share it with the world and …crickets? It can be frustrating to know the importance of being active on the platform but not see the results you want.
Engagement is a metric that helps you determine whether the content you are posting is resonating with your audience. It does so by measuring how many people interact with your posts. On Facebook, this could look like a reaction (happy face, like button, love button, sad face, angry face, wow face), a comment, or a share. The thought is: if a viewer is making an effort to engage, they must be interested in what you are posting.
Seeing engagement on your Facebook page is the first step to impacting your bottom line. Think about it: first, you have to connect with your audience, then you’ll be able to turn those connections into customers.
So, it’s not surprising that when a client wanted to tie their social media efforts to sales, that the engagement rate would be the first metric to indicate we were headed on the right track. What did we do?
Tips that you can apply to your business:
- One purpose per post. Instead of packing a post with information, break it down into multiple posts. For example, feature one class instead of the entire schedule for the day. It’s easier for the audience to read and understand as they’re quickly scrolling through the newsfeed.
- Vary your content. Try posting relevant articles, sharing fun or entertaining industry-related memes, original photos of your team or the local area, videos, or just a plain text update. See what works best. A variety of content keeps your audience’s attention.
- Get in a routine. You can schedule posts in advance, so there’s no excuse to go days without posting and then overwhelm or annoy your followers with several posts in a row. Post on your Facebook page at least 3 times a week and at most, twice per day (at different times.) If this is hard for you, read this blog post I wrote about how to manage your social media in just 30 minutes a day.
- Try different features. Don’t be afraid to explore Facebook’s post options. Starting a Q&A or launch a poll – these are great ways to gather insight and connect with your followers!
- Get personal. Is it a colleague’s birthday? Did someone hit a career milestone – like getting certified in prenatal yoga training (or whatever applies to your industry)? Tell your audience and let them celebrate with you.
- Remove unnecessary text. When it comes to keeping your audience’s focus, less text is more valuable. Use hashtags sparingly on Facebook. They have not proven to be valuable yet. When you do use them, only use 1-2 per post. Do NOT copy your caption from Instagram and keep the 10+ hashtags that you’re using on that platform! It’s distracting and indicates that you either 1) don’t know how to use Facebook, or 2) aren’t really available through Facebook, you’re just using it to get more reach with your Instagram content.
- Use your own photos. Your goal is to build a brand and a community around your business. That means you need to have your own arsenal of visual content, including photos. It’s difficult to find stock photos that accurately portray the look and feel that you’re going for, especially if your team wears uniforms or you have wrapped company vehicles. No need for a professional photo shoot, just take pictures at different angles with your cell phone. Store them all in a Dropbox folder or Google Drive and use them for future posts.
- Post farther in advance. Some restaurants think of the immediacy of Facebook and post their dinner special at 5 pm. This is too late! Most folks have already made their dinner plans. With the way the algorithms work on social media channels, it’s more beneficial for you to post that morning or even the day prior. Another option would be to save the time-sensitive content for things like Instagram Stories and use your Facebook Page for more engaging posts where you can also get feedback from followers. For example: Which special should we have next Tuesday? (With two mouth-watering photo options.)
These might sound like simple suggestions, but they work! Start thinking about engagement as a metric that you need to pay attention to. It’s an indicator that you’re on the right track.
Ready for a social media strategy that increases sales? Contact us.
