These days, figuring out how to get more views on Facebook is a bit like playing musical chairs. Everybody’s doing it, so it can be hard to tell who’s really succeeding or just getting lucky.
You can obsess over the perfect strategy to win coveted spots on user news feeds. But at key moments, your posts may get edged out by businesses that made better choices when it counted. Still, don’t give up quite yet.
Why it’s so hard to get Facebook views
Although it takes work, gaining visibility on Facebook isn’t impossible or random. Post views partly depend on “organic reach,” a metric score you can check on your Insights tab. Organic reach is the amount of users who see your posts through free, unpaid circulation.
Now that Facebook is overrun with content, organic reach is declining as the platform tries to refine what each user sees. The average news feed curates posts from 1,500 possible stories every time a user logs in, says Brian Boland, Facebook’s VP of Publisher Solutions. People with a large network or high engagement could have a queue of up to 15,000 stories.
Simply put, there’s a lot of content vying for attention. Facebook prioritizes posts that are most relevant and engaging to the user, so it pays to know what interests your audience. If you want to get noticed on Facebook, try these smart tactics to promote your business.
1. Develop a highly targeted audience
Surprisingly, having too many followers can hurt your visibility on Facebook. The platform rewards meaningful activity, so popularity without engagement is useless. The bigger your audience, the harder it is to keep engagement levels high.
Facebook algorithms see your posts as spam if you get a lot of views, but few clicks. It’s more effective to target a manageable audience of people who regularly engage with your content.
Start by checking out your current followers and how they interact with your content. Look for trends among their interests and demographics to build a brand persona.
Use the Audience Optimization tool to find preferred and lookalike audiences who are likely to respond well to your content. That way, you have a better chance of gaining comments, likes, and shares on each post. Friends of your preferred audience may also see content, which boosts your organic reach.
2. Create shareable content, but post less often
Stop feeling guilty if you aren’t posting updates all day. A 2015 HubSpot study showed that business pages with 1,001 to 10,000 followers get fewer clicks the more they post. In fact, organizations that posted 60 times per month earned 60 percent fewer clicks per post, compared to companies with five or fewer monthly posts.
Aim for a peak range of about 5 to 30 posts per month, and try not to exceed more than two posts a day. Instead, focus on crafting calls-to-action that motivate people to keep engaging with your posts. For example:
- Ask a question to prompt comments.
- Give readers an insightful tip with a visual aid to get reactions.
- Ask readers to share experiences relating to a theme.
- Host contests that require ongoing engagement to win.
- Share a group of useful links about a how-to topic and ask others to do the same.
Recurrent interaction keeps your content high up on news feeds, providing access to wider networks.
3. Enlist your email subscribers
Email subscribers can provide a reliable source of traffic to your Facebook business page. Let them know when you post content that’s relevant to their interests. Make sure you tag other businesses or social influencers if you mention them in your posts.
Building traction early on can improve a post’s performance and help you get noticed. Respond to comments quickly to connect with prospects and loyal followers.
4. Follow an off-peak posting schedule
If you post at peak times, you’ll be competing with user-generated content and popular businesses. User content tends to get the most Facebook clout because people care more about their selfies and pet pics than your promotions.
The simple fix is to post at off-peak times when your competitors are less active. The best schedule depends on your location, content, and audience. The content marketing management platform CoSchedule offers some suggestions on choosing timeframes.
- Thursday through Sunday is the highest engagement period.
- The hours of 1 to 4 p.m. are most effective overall.
- Posts around 1 p.m., 3 p.m., or 9 a.m. generally receive more clicks and shares.
Off-peak posting works well because it reflects the average person’s daily schedule. Many users check their feeds in the morning and during work or school breaks. Your posts are more likely to rank higher when users first log on, just before traffic surges.
5. Create evergreen facebook posts
As you probably know, the most successful entrepreneurs work smarter, not harder. The same applies to creating content that consistently draws Facebook users to your page. Evergreen content is invaluable because you can keep repurposing it to save time and resources.
On the Insights tab, you can export detailed data about post and page views. Use this feature to find out which types of content have longer lifespans, such as memes, how-tos, lists, and recipes. Try reframing posts with a new headline, caption, or visuals to reintroduce content users already love. Release evergreen posts at different times of day to reach more users.
6. Use boosting for precise goals
Boosted posts are a paid option for getting views. Since boosting requires a fee, it’s wise to reserve this tactic for specific goals. Let’s say you’re promoting an event, product, sale, or download.
Boosting a post can expose your content to the minimum number of users during the promotion period. You can tailor the campaign for engagement or website visits and choose a duration.
The Boost Post option is listed beneath each post. The feature is useful for engaging with highly relevant audiences. You can choose targeted demographics or people who like your pages and their friends. The cost of boosting increases with your audience size, so promote the post organically first to maximize your investment.
7. Start or join a members-only Facebook group
Similar to a business’s organic reach, open groups can get watered down. Facebook marketing is about getting highly engaged people sharing in supportive, loyal communities.
With this in mind, stick to active groups with clear content themes, activity schedules, and posting rules. These groups are more likely to yield strong referrals and opportunities to share your expertise.
8. Plan an influencer outreach strategy
Look to rising influencers and loyal customers as a source of social proof. High-level influencers have large follower communities, making it hard to keep your engagement efforts focused. Instead, try to identify people with active, growing audiences who can benefit from cross-promoting.
Some of your clients may be fellow business owners with overlapping audiences. If you happen to have social media mavens on your staff, offer referral bonuses to employees who promote your business. A reward as simple as an extra vacation day or dinner voucher could incentivize them.
Make no mistake — learning how to get more views on Facebook is a big time commitment. Yet, word-of-mouth and social marketing are becoming the most effective growth strategies.
Building a strong brand on social media helps you adapt to market changes and stay aware of customer needs.
