One of the oldest social media platforms, for years now, brands have been using Facebook as a tool for fostering customer engagement. However, recent changes in the Facebook algorithm are designed to bring down spammy tactics that brands often resort to while presenting their product in front of the audience.
From a brand perspective, this change does not mean that you need to give up on your Facebook page. Although tactics from the past may not work well today, the fact is if your social media engagement strategies can evolve with the times, there is no reason why Facebook cannot give you the organic reach you expect. In this article, we will discuss 6 new age customer engagement tips that will help your brand boost its Facebook customer engagement strategies.
The Timing of Your Post Matters:
This is as simple as it gets. Facebook’s algorithm works on the fact that the higher the engagements on a post, the more will its reach, and the greater will be its potential engagement scope. To make the most of this principle, you need to time your posts so that they appear on your follower’s feed at the time when the follower is most likely to be online.
Ideally, 11 am – 12 pm and 6 pm – 8 pm local time is when people are most likely to like or comment on your post.
Your social media calendar should center around these time frames and some analysis on the engagement of your past posts (posts made at different times of the day or week); you will be able to figure out the perfect time for your posts. Once you have the time figured out, you can use a scheduling tool for your Facebook Business Page. That way, you look at the bigger picture and can feed months in advance. The scheduling tool will ensure that you do not miss posting on the time you had decided on.
Be Prompt in Your Response:
As a brand, you need to realize that the path of customer engagement is a two-way street, and you can expect them to connect with you only if you are proactive in your response. Establish brand loyalty by replying to all their comments in a prompt manner. Ideally, a follower should get a response to their post within 4 hours of commenting.
In extreme cases, where it is impossible for you to monitor your social media page that frequently, you can use a Facebook chatbot for the same. However, understand that by giving personalized replies to comments on your page, you will be telling clients that you are listening to them, and that will make it easier for you to win their loyalty.
Go Beyond Talking About Yourself:
Understand that just because your fans like you, it does not mean that they would want to hear you rant about yourself all day long. Bring versatility to your Facebook page by posting about things that fans connect with. Stick to the golden rule of content marketing wherein at least 80% of your total posts should be ones that are of value to the reader.
For example, posting facts relevant to your industry is a good idea. It is a human tendency to argue and debate on infographics, and this type of post can be expected to garner high activity in the comments section. As per the latest updated Facebook algorithm, this translates to good news for the online presence of your brand. Posting light-hearted memes is another effective way of diversifying your feed and boosting engagement.
Work on Coming Up with Original Photos:
Facebook is a visual medium, and posts with photographs are seen to garner a much better response than a simple web link or a piece of text. It is important to realize that just any stock photograph will not get you the engagement you want. Rather, you need to walk the extra mile and come up with original pictorial content.
Simple outdoor photographs from a brand or picture stories of their work culture often gather better responses than paid promotions created with the help of the best ad maker tools. For your promotional posts, try to click images with a stunning landscape and a striking color combination. Such photos are difficult to scroll by, and viewers end up spending more time on the post and engaging with it.
Frame Your CTA Well:
Brands must realize that the use of common phrases like ‘Tag your Friends’, “Hit the like button’, etc. are strictly discouraged by the latest Facebook algorithm. Spend some time in brainstorming on your CTA so that you are effective in getting viewers to do what you expect of them without disturbing Facebook’s policies.
Asking a question in your post, encouraging viewers to comment on their take on a subject, adding a link in the description section is some acceptable measure. The more creative you get with your CTAs, the higher are the odds of people engaging with them.
Keep Your Posts Short:
The average viewer today has a much shorter attention span than someone in the past, and that is why brands must keep their posts as short as possible. If you are announcing an event, offer, or discount through Facebook, a poster of the same coupled with a one-line caption should suffice. The poster should also be kept simple with an elegant color combination, choice of fonts, and minimal usage of words.
There are several online invitation maker tools that you can use for this. By minimizing the length of your posts, you will ensure that they catch the attention of mobile scroller, and the chances of them engaging with your CTA increase.
Thus, you see that even with the latest Facebook algorithm, if a brand is true to itself, gathering engagement on posts is a walk in the park. All you need to do is strategize your content and put some extra efforts in coming up with authentic posts. Such posts are better enjoyed by social media users, making them more prone to liking and commenting.
