Anatomy of an Effective Facebook Post, Part 2

Competition for attention on social media is tough, and got tougher for businesses on Facebook with a new algorithm that shows fewer posts that aren’t ads. Businesses will have to apply new strategies to keep their Facebook pages and posts effective. On the Caster blog, Anatomy of an Effective Facebook Post, Part 1,  broke down the key elements for creating Facebook posts for the best possible engagement and conversion. Now, Part 2 focuses on a content strategy that will engage and grow your audience, turning them into leads.

Finding and creating content for social media programs is a challenge for many, especially small, businesses. Creating a plan and scheduling ahead of time can help make it more manageable. The mix of inside versus outside content that you’re using is typically 60/40 or 80/20. When planning your content strategy, you can consider the mix based on your audience, and time you have to create and/or find content.

What’s outside content?

The purpose of outside content is to show thought leadership, spur discussions with your followers, and educate and inform them. Some examples would be industry news and articles from credible sources, or other companies’ blogs. If you’re a home automation integrator, you could share an article from CE Pro that shows why homeowners are interested in home technology, or a recent product that came out that you’re integrating. If you’re a realtor, you could share a report on home buying trends, or tips on how to stage a house, for example. While this doesn’t drive sales directly for you by linking to your products or website, it keeps an open conversation going between you and your followers – who are potential customers – as well as establishes you as a source on the subject. Social media is similar to in-person conversations; how long would you keep talking to someone who only talked about themselves?

What’s inside content?

This would be anything about you and your company: press releases, media coverage, photos and videos of your company and work, your website, your blog, etc. While most of this does have to be created by you, it can be recycled and re-purposed; in fact, a blog post should be shared more than once. This content could be easier to generate than you think, but be careful. Especially with the new Facebook algorithm, be wary of using language that’s too promotional. If it sounds like an ad, then it should be an ad. You can share your events or sales, invite people to take a look at recent projects you’ve completed with photos, or share a photo of what’s going on on-site or in the office. The purpose of this content is to differentiate yourself against your competition; showcase your team and what’s unique about your business. This can be like a personal connection, where customers see you as a friendly team, and not just a faceless logo speaking for a company.

The Content Mix

To successfully capture and keep your followers attention on Facebook, mix up posting these different types of content throughout the week. You can decide to post 40 percent of outside content, and 60 percent of inside content, or an 80:20 ratio. You can try posts for a month and see what performs better, and maybe at what times of day as well, and shift your strategy based on what’s working for your audience. Over time, keeping your audience engaged, and engaging with them in comments as well, will build the social relationship and can even help you land new business relationships.

Want to keep building your social strategy, how about a full PR program? Learn how with online courses on Caster Academy. Catch us on Twitter @CasterComm @LauraShoebell.