If there’s one question I’m asked more than any other, it’s this… how do I get more engagement on Facebook?

I bet you’ve already Googled it, right? But despite the 2,320,000,000 search results you were shown, you’re still none the wiser.

The thing is, you already know you need to post at the right time, address your readers’ pain points, ask questions… go live.

And YES, that’s all good, solid advice.

But let’s go back to basics.

Change seats

You see, sometimes you can just be too close to your product or service to see things from an outside point of view.

So I want to help you to look at things differently.

 

Pretend for a moment that you’re NOT the owner of your business, you are in fact a customer.

Ask yourself, what would I want to see? What would I – the customer – find useful?

 

This isn’t about telling people what you want them to know, talking to them in their language or any of that other good stuff (and it is all good stuff).

It’s 100% about stripping things back and putting yourself in their shoes.

If you find this too difficult to do with your own brand, think of another business in your field and think what you’d like to see from them.

Do your research

Spend time looking at what other businesses in your niche are doing. Make a note of what’s working for them.

Which content jumps out at you, what sucks you in and tempts you to respond? What do you like, and not like, about their posts? (Think as a customer, not a competitor.)

 

There’s a great tool in your Facebook Insights called Pages To Watch which lets you see your competitors’ – or any brands’ – most successful posts without you having to follow them.

Add a few pages and analyse the content they’re posting. Are they doing videos and sharing tips – or is the page a snoozefest of sales posts?

 

Also, look at how people are responding. Are they tagging friends, adding an opinion, sharing or leaving a reaction?

For the next few weeks, as you’re scrolling your feed, take screenshots of things that grab your attention.

Facebook engagement

Test, tweak, repeat

What is the engagement rate on your most recent posts?

Now that you’re armed with a bank of proven ideas, you can start to try some of them out.

 

Remember, this is a long game, so take an analytical approach and be patient.

A great way to see what’s working is to look at the stats in your Facebook Insights. Scroll down to 5 Most Recent Posts and then click See All Posts.

 

Now, in the top right-hand corner of the list, click on the downward-facing arrow and select ‘engagement rate’.

Facebook is a tough crowd, so anything over 1% is good going.

Look at the top-performing posts and think about why they did so well.

Do they fall into a certain category? For example, did you share a personal story, make an offer, ask a question or post a video?

 

All this information can be used to form a plan going forward. Adapt, repeat and repurpose your ideas. The more confident you get, the stronger your content will become.

Facebook Engagement is, as you know, a huge topic, so before I go, I’ll leave you with another couple of ideas….

Facebook engagement

Or, “The grass grows where you water it”

Be there

There’s an inspirational meme doing the rounds that says ‘Where attention goes, energy flows.’ And it’s true.

Facebook Engagement, at its very core, needs you to be present.

So, post regularly and consistently.

Be around to respond to all comments and DMs.

Engage with other pages and offer value and support in Facebook groups.

Be everywhere

What happens on Facebook doesn’t have to stay on Facebook!

Use your other social platforms to invite followers to visit your Facebook page. Give them a reason to go there.

 

Make sure you have links to your Facebook page on your website and in your email signature.

Invite your email list subscribers to comment on a specific Facebook post by including a link to it in your next mailer.

Put these steps into action and over time your Facebook page and engagement will blossom. I can’t wait to hear how you get on.

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