The Anatomy of a Great Facebook Post

We’ve all dealt with it. The blinking cursor, the endless white space, the absolute agony of trying to figure out what to post on Facebook that will not only sell your product or service but will also engage your audience to like, share, and comment. You already know why it’s important to have a social media presence for your business. Let’s examine what exactly makes a good Facebook post. 

Brainstorming your Facebook post.

Before posting, you’ll have to figure out a few things. What? You’ve already been posting?! Don’t worry! Anytime is a perfect time to consider your business’s goals on Facebook and what your audience likes. Your goals on Facebook are what you’re trying to get out of posting. Are you looking for more followers? Leads? Subscribers? Whatever it is, figuring it out is key to giving direction to your posts. 

Know your audience.

It’s also important to understand who your followers are. This requires an understanding not only of who your target customer is but who is using Facebook and how that connects to your target customer. Once you have that information, you’ll be able to use tools, like Facebook Audience Insights, to understand more about how your audience interacts on Facebook.  

Creating compelling content.

Next, you’ll want to figure out your content. What kind of content do you want to provide and how often should you post? Minimally, you’ll want to post at least three times a week. Posting too little and with no real frequency will lose interest. Posting too much can be overwhelming and, honestly, annoying. After that, you’ll have to figure out what kind of content to post. This is a process of trial and error. You’ll learn what works by checking your post analytics on Facebook. This will show you what posts are performing well and what ones aren’t. A good rule of thumb is the “80-20 rule.” 80% of your posts should entertain, inform, or educate, while the other 20% should be to promote your brand. 

But what makes a good Facebook post? Well, it depends on your audience, but here are some tips and tricks that tend to get more engagement:  

-Make sure what you’re posting has a clear direction. Do you want your followers to read an article? Click a link? Sign up for an event? Tell them what you want them to do. 

-Ask for engagement. Do you want them to comment on your post? Ask them a question and tell them to comment. Looking for page shares? Ask for them. You do have to be careful when doing this because it can come off as begging if not done right. 

-Include photos, links, and video. Not all in one post, of course! These visual breaks catch people’s attention and tend to get more likes than only text posts. 

-Use short, compelling language. Facebook might allow you to write a novel in one post, but people aren’t sticking around to read the whole thing. Keeping your posts short allows people to quickly read and engage. 

-Be provocative/inspirational. You’ll have to keep in line with your brand’s personality here, but posts that make people think or inspire them to act perform better. 

-Be real and relevant. Facebook is a personal medium. People visit to read and share stories, so share yours. Celebrate victories, and own up to mistakes. Use “I” and “We” to connect with your audience on a more personal level. 

Measuring your success.

If you’re chasing after likes, shares, and comments, well, you aren’t alone. That is how a lot of people measure their success on Facebook. If you want more likes, consider posting more photos as they make for easy scanning. Posts with photos tend to get 50% more likes than videos because they are quicker to understand.  If you’re looking for more comments, text posts get more comments than other types of posts. Ask a thought-provoking question and place it toward the end of your post to encourage comments. 

So, that’s what you should be doing, but what makes a bad Facebook post? 

-Try to avoid too much text. Remember, people are typically quickly scanning these posts so anything too long will be ignored. 

-Limit your post to just one link. Too many links in one post creates confusion on where to go. Most of the time multiple links can be separated into different posts. 

-Don’t ignore negative comments or reviews. Responding to them shows not only that you care about your followers' concerns but also that you have good customer service. 

-Don’t beg for likes and shares. I know we said to be direct earlier and ask for engagement, but you also need to give something back in return. 

Leave sales to salespeople.

One last thing- you shouldn’t be constantly pitching your business in your posts. Yes, talk about your business and what you do, but constantly trying to sell something will turn people away. People don’t go on Facebook to buy things. They do use it to better understand your product and any problems or topics that could be related to it. Think of Facebook as a place to have conversations with people about your business and as a place to help them solve problems. 

Using Facebook for your business is a great way to connect with your audience. Going into it without knowing or thinking about what you're posting is a mistake that will cost your followers. Taking the time to analyze your audience and craft thoughtful posts that connect with their interests will grow your relationships with them. 

Need help crafting great Facebook posts? Contact us for a no-obligation consultation with our team of experts today!