Do you think you’re ‘active’ on social media? You’ve got a Facebook page and it’s got a generous amount of likes, you even had a comment or two a couple of months ago…
…sorry friend, but that’s not quite right.
Being considered ‘active’ on social media is so much more than just having a Facebook page (or Twitter, LinkedIn or Pinterest- but today we’re talking Facebook).
MYOB says that SMEs who are active in social media are more likely to increase their revenue. So why wouldn’t you want to be ‘active’? But what makes a social media page ‘active’? You’ll be glad to know that after extensive research (ie: I Googled it), it comes down to four simple things:
1. Frequency
According to Facebook, the ideal posting frequency is one a day. Well, they’d know wouldn’t they? But let’s link this back to science. The science of Facebook timing, that is.
According to KissMetrics, posting one to two times per day produces a 40% higher user engagement rate than when you post three or more. You don’t want to hound your followers with posts throughout the day, because eventually they’ll get over you and ‘un-Like’ and nobody wants that.
Most of the time though, the lack of traffic isn’t because you’re posting too frequently but because what you’re posting is too repetitive – which leads to our next item on the agenda – content.
2. Content
Now you’ve got your posting frequency down pat, you hit the next wall – what exactly am I posting? What’s going to get the best response from the followers? Well that’s an easy one – questions!
Naturally, questions create dialogue, and posts of this variety generate double the comment rates then those that don’t pose a question. They encourage interaction, not only with the page itself but also with other followers reading the posts.
A BuddyMedia survey found that posts with 80 characters or less have a 27% higher engagement rate. The key is to keep it short and sweet! Here’s a side note for you: Facebook users don’t quite like URL shorteners. Most of them think they’re spam. In fact it’s no surprise that the engagement rate is three times higher when you post a full-length URL.
3. Timing
You’ve got to time your posts to when people are most likely online and listening. Companies usually post during business hours, but what they don’t realise is that engagement rates are 20% higher on posts that are published outside of the regular work day. Early morning, late afternoon and late night posts have a better chance of reaching your followers because that’s when they’re online.
4. Measuring & Tracking
Having an ‘active’ Facebook page isn’t about posting all the time or anything you think may generate activity. You’ve got to measure and track your success! Like all the other forms of marketing, it pays to test and measure. By knowing what has generated the most engagement with your followers, you’ll be better equipped to post what they want, when they want it (or, more commonly, when they come online). BuddyMedia says there are three success metrics for Facebook posts – comment rate, ‘Like’ rate and engagement rate.
Therefore taking note of what your followers ‘like’ is key when measuring and tracking. Ask yourself (or your team), what made this post so popular? Was it the difference in content? The time of day it was posted? Then ask yourself the flip-side. What made this post not work? Timing? Frequency? It’s similarities to what you usually post? What you find here shows you what’s best for your posting and Facebook status. You’ll get your frequency, content and timing rolling smoothly and in no time you’ll be reaping the follower engagement rewards.
But remember! When you’re modifying your Facebook posting habits, be sure to take your industry and target audience into consideration. Even the most convincing results and percentages may not work for you or your business’ needs. In this case, the best option for you would be to test your own audience and track what results you find. But if you stick to the four simple things (frequency, content, timing and measuring and tracking) you’ll get your follower engagement up in no time.
Of course if we can help you get your social media on track, we’d be delighted to talk to you. You can call us on (02) 9994 8005 or drop us a note.
