(Image courtesy of Mashable and PageLever.)

After Facebook’s Timeline redesign, Facebook tab engagement dropped 53% according to Mashable. Because of that, it’s more important than ever to actively engage your followers. A great starting point is to leverage the content that provides the most weight to your page — the post.

With that in mind, here are 3 things you can do to boost your post engagement on Facebook:

1. Cut down on your post length. Size matters when it comes to Facebook engagement. Users are likely to engage for only seconds at a time, so you need to make it count by catching their attention. Try to keep the post length less than 80 characters. Since you are cutting down on words, put thought behind each one. Use words that you know your audience will key in on — Free, Coupon, New, Sale, Only.

2. Choose effective post formats. Certain types of posts improve the likelihood that users will not only take notice, but engage as well. Four of the most popular formats include:

• Photos are more visually appealing than the average post. They grab the user’s attention and provide you with multiple engagements without having to write one word. Of course, you can always choose to add a caption as well.
• Questions are one of the easiest methods to get users to respond. Try tagging on a question to some of your posts and see if it helps increase your comments, likes, and shares.
• Tips are more likely to garner a response because you are providing your audience with valuable information and they appreciate that. Who doesn’t love a helpful tip?
• Fill in the Blanks encourage audience engagement/interaction. They are easy to create because you are not even finishing the content yourself.

3. Post at the right time. The time of day and day of the week you post can have an effect on the amount of engagement you receive. The best time to post is between the hours of 8pm and 7am when your fans are not busy at work or school. The days of the week that have shown the highest engagement are Wednesdays and Sundays.

The Take Away: Increasing your engagement on Facebook doesn’t have to be a difficult task. You don’t have to constantly post in order to increase response from fans. It is not about the quantity of your posts, but the quality. You can post less and receive more engagement by putting thought behind your structure, format, and timing.

If you have any Facebook tips you’d like to share with our readers, feel free to do so below.

Brittney Leigh Smith is a regular contributor to the 60 Second Marketer and works at BlueSky.

Tuesday, July 24th, 2012, 2:31 am   |   Facebook  |  RSS feed |  Respond  |  Trackback