I recently attended a Facebook Master Class, run by Social Media Advance. Here, I share the top 5 tactics I took away from the course.1. A (cover) picture is worth a thousand words
When the average user logs on to Facebook there are 1,500 potential updates could feature in their newsfeed. Facebook therefore serves what it judges to be the posts that will be of most value and interest. These are posts from individuals, pages, and groups that the user interacts with most frequently. If you are at the stage of trying to building an audience this can pose a particular challenge – only 5% of your posts are likely to appear in followers newsfeeds organically.One tactic to overcome this is to update your cover photo regularly - as notification that you have done so always appears in news feeds of your followers. This provides a touch point between your brand and your audience, reminding them of your presence and increasing the likelihood of engagement.
Beware not to use cover photos in place of posts. No more than 20% of your cover photograph can be text - Facebook have a text overlay detection tool to help you stay compliant.
Updating your cover photo too frequently could also prove a turn-off for your followers, so use this tactic sparingly.
2. Pinned posts
If there is a message that you want to remain at the top of your Facebook page, you can pin it by hovering over the drop-down arrow in the top, left-hand corner of the post. Pinned posts automatically stay at the top of your page for 7 days – increasing exposure for important messages.3. Less is more
Posts of up to 80 characters get 27% more engagement so keep them brief to encourage comments, likes, and shares.Be succinct on Facebook - you may have a lot of space but posts of 80 characters and less are the most engaging. #FacebookTip
— Evolve BD - Karen (@EvolveBD) March 4, 20154. Full length URLs
Posts with links detailing a full length URL generate 3 times more engagement as users trust the destination site as a trusted source. Keep shortened URLs for platforms with character limits - such as Twitter.5. Ask and you shall receive
Posts asking for likes, comments, and shares gets 30% more engagement, so design your messages in a way that encourages interaction.On that note, if you have found these tips useful, please 'say thank you' with a share, follow (Twitter), or like (Facebook).