Facebook have announced ‘rich stories’ and a new news feed last week. Rich Stories display visual content like photos and videos much more prominently in the newsfeed. Facebook will pull images from your cover photo and profile picture to feature along with your post to make it much more visually appealing. They will also make images and videos that you post appear much larger than before, putting you in the spotlight over text posts. This example shows you how visually appealing the new layout will be compared to what we are currently seeing.
Did you know? Over 50% of content is currently visual and it has been shown that people engage much more with visual content. Also, 90% of content processed by the brain is visual and visuals are processed 60,000 times faster in the brain than text?! Amazing! Interestingly, photos generate 53% more likes than the average post and 104% more comments than the average post.
What does this mean? You need to think carefully about the types of images you have on your home page and post to your timeline, the copy that goes with them and how it reflects your brand. Put simply, post compelling images on your Facebook page to capture your audience’s attention and get them to engage with you. Remember though, Facebook is supposed to be fun so keep it light and don’t bombard your fans with too much content as you may drive them away.
Wait there’s more! Facebook are also changing the way people can view content in their news feeds. Users can now separate content into different categories (a bit like a newspaper) and therefore have more control over the topics that appear in their feed. You can see the categories below in the screen shot.
Unfortunately for you this means that your posts may not show up in your fans news feeds. Eek! You will need to work harder to get people to engage with your content in order to make it appear in people’s time lines and gain a broader reach.
How can I optimise my pages content to appear in newsfeeds?
- Create visual Content (pictures and/or videos) that will encourage your fans to share and like your posts
- Encourage your fans to check in with you so their friends can see you. People observe when their friends endorse a product or service and are more likely to engage with you. Tip: Offer a discount or freebie to those who check in most?
- Post special offers to your page, encourage people to share to claim them
- Ask a question to get people engaging with you. Fill in the blanks are often a good way to get people talking “my new years resolution is…”
- Create an event, when people say they are attending their friends will see it in their feed
- Try a poll, “which product do you prefer”?
- Ask your customers to leave a review or recommendation for all to see!
Contact Tann Westlake to find out how we can help you with your social media engagement and advertising.