5 Facebook Marketing Tips That Will Increase Engagement

About to abandon Facebook marketing?Given up hope of ever reaching your target audience?I know how you feel!Capturing your audience's attention is increasingly difficult -- whether because of Facebook's latest algorithm changes or the constant uptick of shared content in the news feed.Not long ago, writing a Facebook post and asking for a LIKE, share or comment was all it took to maintain an active business page.Today it takes far more than that. To capture fan attention, you have to get creative.The good news? It's not that hard!!You can beat Facebook’s algorithm changes and position your page for optimum exposure.Below are 5 ways to dazzle and delight your fans -- and keep them engaged and coming back for more!

5 Facebook Marketing Tips That Will Increase Engagement

1. Ask Thought-Provoking Questions

To gain audience attention and get them interacting with your page, you need to give people something to talk about.While your goal is to provide an entertaining space, it also makes your audience think and want to respond.Ask your audience questions about current events or important changes within your industry.This creates a more intimate relationship between you and your audience. It also offers valuable insight into what matters most to your fans.As Robert Half, founder and president of Robert Half International, once said:

Asking the right questions takes as much skill as giving the right answers.

And if you need help brainstorming ideas for good questions, try the "Questions" category in Post Planner's awesome Status Ideas Engine.

2. Post Timely Content

There are 3 reasons to stay on top of current events in your industry and then share that information on a consistent basis.

1. Sharing a hot news story capitalizes on the conversations happening right now in your field or niche

And just like a water cooler, Facebook acts as a virtual way for your fans to discuss their thoughts with others.This translates into relevance -- and a relevant Facebook page is more likely to show up organically in the news feed.

1. Sharing trending or hot topics, lets you add context around the content

Adding your thoughts around a particular topic is a great way to establish expertise.Here’s an example of using timely content in an effective way. The folks at National Geographic share mind-blowing Live videos from some of the most amazing locations around the world.

The images provide an intimate look at the life on the front lines of National Geographic, putting fans in the middle of the action.And lastly:

1. When you post timely content your fans find interesting, they’re more inclined to share

Sharing, just like commenting or Liking a post, can increase your reach and page engagement.And just like the timeliness of your content matters, so does the timing.

When you post is crucial, regardless of how appealing your content may be.

If you’re sharing your content at a time when most of your audience is asleep or at work, there’s a huge chance your post might not get the amount of shares it deserves.

Kissmetrics analyzed how the performance of different types of social media content changes according to timing. According to their data, most Facebook shares occur on Saturday.

However, these are all general metrics.

To get real results — you need to look at your own analytics and determine when you audience is online and when they are most active.

3. Make Your Content Ridiculously Valuable

The single most effective way to build loyalty and trust is to share a ridiculous amount of valuable information.This is content that you freely share with a no-strings-attached policy.Make use of your skills and experience by giving away a series of useful tips. Whether it’s a video tutorial, Facebook Live, or a simple how-to text-based post, share what you know and share it often.Kris Carr is an excellent example of knowing your audience and delivering exactly what they need. She's educational, transparent, and personal. A powerful combo no matter the size of your company.

As you can see, while it's important to create a fun atmosphere, it's also critical that you provide value.Take past newsletters, emails and other marketing collateral and turn them into quick tips.Whether it's information that saves your audience money, helps them make money or win in a negotiation, keep them tuned in and coming back for more.And while you're sharing great content, don't be afraid to share other people's content if it's relevant to your audience.Many Facebook marketer's shy away from this idea. I'm often asked, why would I share other people’s content on my Facebook page?My question is -- why wouldn't you?There are so many benefits!

1. Sharing other people’s content instantly adds value to your page since it adds variety in the content you share. It helps you become the “go-to” place for good content in your niche (regardless of where it originated).
2. Sharing other people’s content is often called “sharing the love.” It’s one of the fastest ways to get the attention of influencers and other people you respect on Facebook.
3. Sharing other people’s content (even content from your competitors) makes you look confident and sure about your position in your industry.
4. Sharing other people’s content shows your fans that your focus is on THEM, not YOU.
5. It shows that your first priority is sharing valuable content (regardless of the source).
6. Sharing other people’s content builds good Facebook karma! What comes around goes around -- and often others will take notice of your page and start sharing your content when they see you doing the same.

If you're struggling to find other people's content to share, here's a few quick and easy ideas.

1. Research Relevant Hashtags

Track the most popular hashtags in your industry or niche. Pay attention to who’s talking and what they’re talking about.As you find that engaging content you want to share, save it for later (by liking the tweet, creating a pin board, etc.) Now you’ll have it at your fingertips when you need it.

1. Repurpose Your Own Successful Content

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel when you have content available to you. Repurpose your most successful content into new media!

• Create engaging social media quote images from your blog posts
• Shoot a 2-minute video tip or checklist from one point you made in a blog post
• Take a conversation on social media and write a new blog post around it

1. Stay Ahead of the Curve with Current Trends and Hot Topics

Following trends is human nature. Follow those conversations. Jump in and share that content.If you can alert your audience about emerging trends before anyone else -- you’ll not only jumpstart your engagement, but you’ll keep those eyeballs glued on your page!

4. Make Use of Visual Content

If Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram have proven anything, it’s the power of visual content.Don’t miss the opportunity to light up the news feed and increase engagement through eye-catching images.You might pull a quote from your latest blog post, share a hot tip or a motivational quote.Now pair that text with a beautiful graphic. Fans casually scrolling through their news feed will be drawn to your image and will be more likely to engage with your page.Are you out at an event or enjoying one of your favorite spots in the community? Capture that image and share it!Give a behind-the-scenes look into your business or an insider perspective on what makes your business tick. And don't forget to brand it.Use a similar look and feel across all your graphics to create brand awareness and easy recognition.And while you're sharing visual content, make sure you're using video - recorded and live.

A BuzzSumo study conducted in June 2016 shows that videos are surpassing other types of Facebook content in terms of average total shares.

The study was conducted on 25 million Facebook posts from 10,000 top publishers. From their analysis, it’s clear that the average Facebook shares for video content have doubled since August 2015.

Live video is also gaining momentum. Facebook Live alone is already one of the most powerful social media tools marketers can and should leverage.

Peg Fitzpatrick used live video to promote one of Adobe Sparks recent feature update. Showing your fans how you actually do something in your business is a smart use of live video.

If you want to create great visual content, you need to use the right tools. Here's a list I put together with the top visual tools that will simplify your content creation!

5. Create a Strategy, System and Schedule

You can’t build engagement without one key ingredient: consistency!Create a Facebook strategy that includes a posting calendar.

This lets you plan ahead, rather than hopping on at the last minute desperately looking for content to share.And don’t forget to schedule your posts to publish regularly throughout the week. A checklist of daily to-do's will save you time and brain cells.Here's a quick and easy way to stay on top of your day with an Infographic from Sprout Social.

Final Thoughts

Though you might be suffering from a case of Facebook organic reach woes, don't remove this social media giant from your online strategy just yet.With more than 1.3 billion users, Facebook is still a major destination for consumers and your potential clients.Look for ways to inspire and encourage interaction.Need help getting started?

Originally written by Rebekah Radice and posted on Post Planner.