Did you know that your Facebook status update on your business page does not get seen by all of the people that like your page?

There are so many rumours going round that you MUST now pay to get your Facebook status seen (also known as promote post) however, this is just not the case.

When most people log onto Facebook, they go straight to their Facebook Home Page. This is where they see all the Facebook status updates from pages and their friends. However, the default view is “top stories” which mean that unless you have interactions on your posts (likes or comments) they are less likely to be seen.

A quick fix IS to use promote post, where you can pay to get your Facebook status on your business page seen by a much bigger audience than it normally would be. This could be useful for events, or offers, or for a particular blog post. You might also choose to use Facebook Ads or Sponsored Stories. However, if you want to keep costs to a minimum (or not pay at all), then you need to choose the Facebook Optimisation route. (This is sometimes referred to Social Media Optimisation or SMO)

Your Facebook status update is more likely to show in top stories based on whether a particular person visits your page often, or whether your post has likes or comments. Therefore, it’s key to post a great Facebook status update.

A good update is engaging, ie it gives people a reason to click like or to feel compelled to comment. Questions work really well. You might ask a question, and then ask your followers to click like if they choose one answer, or to comment if they have any other answer. Pictures and videos are great too. The posts that work far less well are those that are “selling”. In fact, the more you “sell” to your page fans, the more people will “hide” your Facebook updates, and so your time is wasted.

The more people who engage with your Facebook status, the more viral it becomes (ie it shows to the connections of those who are commenting or liking) and therefore the more likely your page will attract new fans, and get your brand, products and services reaching more people. You can measure how effective or viral your posts are via your Facebook page insights, so make sure you monitor them closely, and test and measure which posts have gone the furthest, as this will show you what works best for your page and audience.

Want to optimise the use of your Facebook page? Contact us to discuss what you want to achieve and how we can support you with that. Call us now on 01245 791969