Engagement on Facebook is anything from a simple like or share to writing a comment or asking a question. The reason why engagement is so important is because it builds on your relationship with your fans, and it also helps Facebook rank posts and pages within its algorithm. The Facebook algorithm determines what certain people see in their news feed, depending on what they have liked, shared, clicked or commented on in the past. So the more you engage your fans, the more they will see your posts. Here are 4 fun ways to engage your Facebook audience.
- Games & Competitions are such a fun way to engage your audience. You don’t have to run an elaborate competition, just something simple will do. A hair salon might put a couple of hundred bobby pins in a jar and ask fans to guess how many, the person who guesses correctly could win a $20 voucher off their next hairdo. You could also run a game where you ask the first ‘either/or’ question, and the next person has to answer and then ask another question. For example, a hardware or paint store could ask ‘Bright, Pastel or Neutral paint for a kids bedroom?’ The following person would answer with their opinion and ask any ‘either/or’ question they want, and it continues on like this until people stop commenting. This is great because it has a more personal feel about it and offers the opportunity for fans to find out little bits of information about each other, and feeling more connected to each other and your company.
- Photos are another fantastic way to engage your audience. You can use photos to solve problems, give a shout out to your customers or get fans to caption a photo. A great example is the Whole Foods Market, who posted (on a Monday) a photo of a smoothie with the caption ‘Did you have a little too much fun over the weekend? This Cherry Almond Smoothie can help with your recovery’. This shows that the business has a funny side while also showing how the company can solve an everyday problem. You can also use photos to give shout outs to certain customers. You could post a photo of them in your store and tag them in the photo. You would obviously have to get their permission before doing so, it’s a good idea to get in the habbit of asking people every time you take their photo if they are happy for you to use on social media sites. To get fans commenting on your post, think about posting a photo and asking fans to write their own caption. National Geographic did this with a photo of an owl and got some great responses.
- Post Quotes. People respond well to quotes, especially quotes as a picture. This makes them stand out and easy to read. Quotes can be inspirational, funny or life lessons and they all ooze personality. It shows that you are human and your fans are sure to ‘like’ your quotes. These quotes can also be relevant to your business and reinforce your business beliefs or values.
- Polls are another way sure fire way to get your fans interacting on Facebook. Polls can be simple ‘yes or no’ or preference questions. For example, a law firm could do a ‘yes or no’ poll asking if people have heard about the latest tax laws. You might also have a pet store asking ‘Which is your favourite’ between a beagle and a labradore.
Next time you go on Facebook or review your social media plan, remember the importance of engaging your audience. These 4 types of posts are simple and will have your Facebook fans liking, commenting and sharing much more!
If you need help with creating engaging content or your social media strategy, give us a call on 1300 060 204 or submit an online enquiry today!