The Facebook algorithm is getting more complex, and it can be hard to understand why Facebook does what it does. This post will explain 5 important things you need to know about how the algorithm works for business.
Word choice matters
Using words that aren’t verbs or common nouns may help your content be shown to more people. For example, “shop” could mean “shopping,” which means you are telling someone what they should do . If you instead use a word like “shopping for…” then people would interpret it as advice rather than an action they should take.
When writing posts for Facebook, avoid words like “upcoming,” because they tell people what they should expect rather than give them something interesting and unexpected . Instead, try using words like “releasing” – which suggests something new being made available but doesn’t promise anything specific – when you want to convey a sense of intrigue.
Be Relevant
Social posts that are organic reach a wider audience than ads do. Organic social posts come from people you know or friends of those people . They’re less likely to be shown in the ads. If your goal is to be seen by everyone, this means you should focus on getting more engagement and shares on your posts instead of promotional content.
Facebook will show different types of content to people based on their interests. To get the most out of Facebook as a business, consider using an audience manager like Hootsuite so that you can make sure your business’s page always shows the right type of post to each individual person who visits it, if they have chosen interest categories where you want them to see your content.
If you want all of your organic posts to reach your target audience, you might need to help Facebook understand that the posts are really relevant. Sometimes people may not notice that a post is interesting or valuable because they don’t see much relevance in it.
Younger users tend to have different relationships with businesses; as such, younger users’ News Feeds will often look very different from older users’. If you can understand how the algorithm works differently for youth, then you can get more out of Facebook marketing .
Post Frequently and Stay Consistent
Frequency is also an important factor in the News Feed algorithm. Try to post once every 3 or 4 days to maximize social media results with Facebook . If you post more often, you might decrease your reach and see fewer clicks on each post . However, posting at least once a week can help keep people interested in what you do and drive loyalty among fans.
The final thing to consider when using the Facebook algorithms for marketing is consistency across all social media platforms: blog posts, tweets, YouTube videos , Pinterest boards and other sites where people follow you should use similar keywords so that followers will find relevant content regardless of where they’re looking. This helps people who are searching for related information connect with your business more easily.
Quality over Quantity
It’s tempting to spend lots of time on your own page trying to optimize it. It is also tempting to keep posting even if your posts aren’t reaching a lot of people. However, when you post too much, or share posts that don’t perform well on social media, Facebook might stop showing all of your content to people who like your page – including friends and friends’ friends .
If each piece of content you create will be shown in only 20% of the News Feeds, it means 4 things:
1) Some people won’t see your posts;
2) The majority (80%) of what you put out will have a smaller impact on your business;
3) The posts that do reach people will have more power in terms of generating awareness or driving traffic to your website; and,
4) The most important content you create is the one that gets shown to the maximum number of people.
To avoid missing an opportunity for success, think carefully before creating any new post . As mentioned above, understanding what types of words and phrases Facebook users find engaging can help you make better content choices. You might want to try using sentence structure with specific emotional triggers. Sentence structure such as “I feel…” tends to encourage Facebook users to express their own feelings about something they are reading . When Facebook identifies posts that elicit strong emotions from, for example, compassion, sadness or anger, it boosts their visibility in the News Feed.
Engage your audience
People respond better to posts that ask a question. When you ask for feedback on social media, it can also be more effective to use yes/no questions instead of open ended questions, such as “How was your experience?” – That is for your comments sections.
These kinds of conversational posts receive fewer clicks and shares than message posts do. The reason may be that users see them as too informal or not compelling enough. However, those that do engage are your qualified, loyal followers.
Facebook can tell when someone has an emotional reaction to a post using their algorithm and determines if they should show the person more similar content and ads. Businesses can also use this information for social media marketing . Their page will be shown with more of what gets an emotional reaction from potential customers. Getting them excited about your products or services increases conversion rates.
Conclusion
Even though there are many algorithms behind the scenes of Facebook , one simple guideline remains: optimize your posts to be easy enough to consume for the lazy scrollers and that they actually provide value to your audience. The algorithm will take care of everything else.
