8 Types of Facebook Page Updates Your Business Should Be Sharing

Facebook has been consistently tweaking their newsfeed algorithm and as a result, brands and companies have suffered when it comes to visibility. Other than asking users who’ve liked your page to receive notifications whenever you have a new post (something they are not likely to do, depending on your page size and audience), upping your content strategy for Facebook is a must-do when it comes to increasing engagement.

Here are 8 types of updates you can share to boost engagement on your business Facebook page:

Conversational

It’s a fact of human psychology that people enjoy sharing their opinion, especially when asked. Post content that asks your audience what they think about current events that are related to your industry or community.

For instance, if your community has a popular chili contest every year and you sell custom kitchenware, ask users for their favorite chili recipes or what their favorite chili ingredient is. This ties in your community (which your users already have an interest in since they live there) and your products (since they will likely have to use some of the types of products you offer to make chili).

Exclusive

Another aspect of human psychology is that people like to feel like privy to something that most people don’t get to see. Offer behind the scenes photos and content about your company and its employees.

For example, untraditional e-commerce giant Zappos has shown videos and photos of their fun and eccentric office, where it’s obvious employees are having an awesome time. This content would be great fodder for a Facebook post.

Other examples would be showing the preparations of a major annual event; employees working on storyboards for a new product launch, or even fun employee events that showcase your company’s culture.

Self-Promotional

Some of your content should be self-promotional, especially when it comes to sharing your new blog posts or event information. The recommended ratio of “other” content to self-promotional content varies depending on who you ask, but one or two self-promotion posts for every 4 to 5 pieces of “other” content is usually a good starting point. You can also experiment with this ratio; you may find you get higher engagement on “other” posts, or vice versa.

Giveaways

Giveaways are a great way to increase engagement on Facebook. Be sure to follow their promotional guidelines in order to avoid negative action from Facebook, which requires using apps within Facebook.com. Rafflecopter is a good resource for this, as they also offer a widget to embed on your blog to promote the giveaway. Be sure to offer items that have a wide appeal, such as gift cards or items anyone could use, like headphones or tablets.

This might also take some experimentation in order to choose prizes that get your page the greatest amount of attention and engagement.

Seasonal

Much like conversational posts, seasonal posts remark on events that affect most people, like upcoming season changes, holidays (like Thanksgiving or Labor Day), or even days of the week. Much like small talk, seasonal posts are a good way to make your page more comfortable while also mixing up the type of content that you are publishing on a regular basis. However, it’s important to not over-do it on this type of post, or else it may come across as disingenuous.

Try to include an image with your greetings or remark to make it more visibly appealing.

Image-Based

Sharing image-based posts is another great way to boost engagement. Image posts tend to get a wider reach and more engagement than posts without. Stone Temple Consulting did a study comparing the two at various times from May to August 2014 and found that overall, organic post reach for image-based posts was at least 3 times as greater, reaching up to 400-700% more.

When using images, be sure to create the source with a link or page name, and make sure images are bright, easy to read (if they have text on them) and instantly appealing. It’s also important not to use memes that don’t fit your company’s regular language or style—it can come across as trying too hard.

Promoting Others

Sharing content from other people and other businesses is a great way to engage with customers and others in your industry. Try to regularly share applicable news articles or blog posts that would appeal to your target audience, and ask customers if you can share their testimonials on your page on occasion.

Additionally, instead of simply posting the link or just repeating the post title of what you’re sharing (which is already shown in the link preview), ask a question, pull a quote from the middle of the article, or include commentary about the content that further engages the audience while proving your expertise.

Quotes

Quotes will also help you successfully engage your audience. Use a tool like Canva or QuotesCover to great a graphic translation of the quote, and then include the text version (or a comment on it, as mentioned above), along with an applicable hashtag, like #quote or #business (if it’s a business-related quote).

Quotes are a great way to connect with your audience on a deeper level, while motivating them to continue to keep up with your page.

While utilizing all of these posts isn’t a guarantee that you’ll get more engagement on Facebook, a mixture of these plus occasional boosted posts can be a great way to get start getting more likes, shares, and comments. When it comes down to it, creating and publishing content your target audience wants to read is key to a better business Facebook page.