The “Facebook Algorithm.” It sounds so ominous.
Those of us working to market anything on this social media platform have heard that phrase a hundred times over. And still, most of us don’t really know what it means because those Facebook minions love to be secretive.
What we do know is that it really messes with what shows up in a Facebook newsfeed, and many Facebook business pages suffer because of it. Just the fact that someone’s newsfeed can be filtered by “top stories” or “most recent” can harm a Facebook business page significantly (unless you’re getting a lot of likes and comments from someone’s friends, your posts will not show up in a “top stories” newsfeed).
So, it’s going to take a little extra work on your part to connive your way on to the newsfeeds of your followers.  But it can be done.
1. It’s All in the Words
First of all, anything you post has to be worth reading/viewing in order to gain traction. This is true of every piece of content you produce. In terms of Facebook page status updates, however, focus on the following:
- Grab their attention! — Give them a reason to read on, such as simply stating “#5 will change your life!” and leaving them to wonder why, craving more information. Here’s an example:
- Light a fire! — “Call to action” is not a catchphrase; it’s legit. You need one in your posts. Whether it’s asking a question that demands a response or simply giving them cause to click through and read on (see previous), a call to action is a necessity.  Which would you rather read more about…. “The Michael Phelps Swim Spa has the latest features in home aqua therapy” or “Download this brochure to see how a Michael Phelps Swim Spa will increase your overall health by an average of 20%”.
2. Speaking of Clicking Through…
Have you given much thought to that “Insights” tab on your Facebook business page? If you’ve looked at that, or even your own business page timeline, you’ll notice that platform keeps track of Facebook post reach (the number of people who see your posts). You may have also noticed that when you share something (whether it be an outside link, another Facebook page or one of your previous posts), those “reach” numbers are significantly lower.
Here’s a little trick few are aware of: when you’re sharing a link on your Facebook page, don’t just click the “share” button to put it to your page’s timeline. Instead, talk about the item of significance in your status (see the previous section) and tack the phrase “link in first comment” on the end. Then put the URL for whatever you want to share in the first comment of your new post. By requiring your followers to actually click on the post to see the link, you’ll increase Facebook engagement significantly. Proof is in the numbers — give it a try.
If you have it in your marketing budget, boosting a Facebook post (i.e. paying anything from $1 to hundreds to “force” your way onto your follower’s newsfeeds) can also be effective. A $10 boost spread over three days reaches, on average, 1500 people.
3. Consistency Wins the Day
All your efforts will be futile if you fail to post consistently. It’s not just about the algorithm liking you; the more you post, the more chance you’ll have of your followers seeing your posts. Period.
Don’t have the time to devote to getting on Facebook and posting all day long? There’s an answer for that: all Facebook business pages now have the option to create scheduled Facebook posts. If you have any sort of marketing calendar in place, you know what you’ll be posting about all week. So all you have to do is take some time on Monday to schedule all your posts for the week and, viola, you don’t have to think about it until next Monday
The key is to make sure your posts go up at a variety of times throughout the day so that you reach more of your followers. If you can manage to plan for two to three posts a day — morning, afternoon and evening — you’ll have visible engagement.
Seeing is Believing
One thing we do know about the Facebook algorithm is that, the more engagement you have on your Facebook business page, the more Facebook with throw it in your follower’s newsfeeds. Facebook is one of the most utilized social media platforms today, so it stands to reason that it’s well worth the extra efforts to be seen. Give these recommendations a try and comment below with your results, or any additional tips you have for our readers.
Faithfully yours,
The Get Smart Group
#getsmarter
