No matter where you turn these days, you see social media icons for Facebook on business billboards, emails and marketing materials. But few businesses seem to make the most of this extensive platform.
Although people don’t always agree with Fox, they’ve got a winning social media strategy when it comes to Facebook. The Fox News Facebook page was the most commented on brand page in the world last year, according to reports. AllFacebook Track Social found that Fox News received an average of 7,443.5 comments per day. While increasing fan engagement doesn’t happen overnight, it’s possible and brands just need to commit to a strategy that works for their business.
Facebook allows businesses to improve customer relationships as well as market to new clients, yet businesses continue to inundate fans with nothing but marketing messages. And when sales don’t skyrocket, it’s automatically assumed that social media does not work, which is far from the truth.
If you’re wondering how you get fans to comment and “like†your brand posts, here are four ways you can get the conversation going.
It’s all about timing
Statistics show that it’s best to post during times when fans are not at work, between the hours of 7 pm and 7 am. To increase your comments and “likesâ€, post during these non-working hours and do not forget to post on weekends.
Quality over quantity
Achieve maximum user engagement by not over-saturating your fans; quality counts when publishing to your Facebook wall. In fact, brands who post one or two times daily receive anywhere between 30-50% increase in engagement compared to those brands who post three or more times per day. Your social media strategy should include monitoring to review what posts have garnered the most reactions.
Know your audience
Your team could have crafted the best content; however, if you have not attracted influencers to your page, then your posts will go unnoticed. Conduct research and find out what “type†of content people following your brand respond to. What works great for one brand may not work for another.
Utilize the tricks of the trade
One of the most underutilized Facebook posting techniques is actually one of the most engaging. Figures show that posts employing the fill in the blank strategy, for example, “I like____,†generate a comment rate nine times higher than other employed strategies. The data that supports this is a proven strategy, specific to the consumer goods industry, but less than 3% of consumer goods brands are utilizing it.
S. Lynn Cooper is a Washington, DC-based digital strategist and communications expert. Cooper is the founder and director of Socially Ahead, a strategic communications agency that specializes in the creation of social and digital strategies and campaign management. Follow her on Twitter at @sociallyahead .