Crickets…Yep.
We’ve all had them at one time or another when we’ve made a post on Facebook.
Gone are the days when you made a post and your entire friends list would see it.
Nowadays, you are lucky if 10% of your audience sees your stuff, in fact, it’s probably closer to 5-7% most of the time.
Facebook now has complicated algorithms that dictate what posts get seen by whom.
It’s disheartening, but there are some things you can do to get that algorithm working in your favor, and get more of your audience engaging with your content.
4 Ways To Boost Your Organic Reach And Engagement on Facebook
The first thing I want you to do is to go to your Facebook newsfeed.
Scroll through there and take note of content that makes you stop scrolling.
Is there a pattern?
Are there certain people you follow that you look forward to hearing from?
What is it about their content that makes you want to read it?
This is the type of content you need to be producing yourself for your own audience.
If you didn’t know this already, Facebook has a feature that allows you to select 25 people to “see first.”
If you have this option selected for one of your friends, or someone you follow, then for those 25 people, the algorithm doesn’t apply. You will see EVERY post they make to Facebook ALL the time.
If you aren’t currently using this, I highly recommend you carefully select those 25 people as ones you want to model after.
If you can begin to create the type of content that gets read and shared, then eventually, YOU will also be one of those people that others want to “See First” as well.
Here are 4 tips to create scroll stopping content and boost the algorithm in your favor.
Be Authentic
Honestly, this is what brought me into Ryan Stewman’s world, and eventually what made me join his Apex Community.
I had been following him for a little while, and he made this post that was so raw, honest and authentic, talking about his past and things he had done, that I had to make sure I didn’t miss any of his posts, and he doesn’t disappoint still to this day.
It was refreshing to me to find someone who embraces his past and adorns it as a token of grit, rather hiding it and hoping no one finds out the truth.
He has actually said there is nothing from his past that isn’t already out there. No one has anything on him that he hasn’t already willingly divulged himself. That is a powerful place to be.
I’m not saying you need to go out and spread all your dirty little secrets to the world, but I AM saying to be real and authentic as much as possible.
People get enough phony in their lives already. We don’t need more of that. Be YOU and be open and honest.
Warm-Up Your News Feed
Before you make a post on Facebook, spend a minimum of 5 minutes, but even better if you can take 10-15 minutes going through your newsfeed and engaging with your friends.
The algorithm is super smart though, so you can’t just speed through your feed and like stuff without reading it. It KNOWS how much time you are spending on a post and it gives more weight to the other reactions besides just “likes”.
If you really like something hit the “LOVE” button, and make a comment that is at least 5 words or more. When Facebook sees you taking the time to comment on something, it is going to deliver more of that type of content to you.
Also, when people in your audience see that you took the time to love and comment on their post they are much more likely to do the same to your content when it comes through their feed. So warm it up!
Provide Tons Of Value
You have seen the type of content you like in your newsfeed, so go out there and produce similar awesome content for your audience too.
Join groups where your target customers hang out and just get in there and post awesome tips and ideas and don’t expect anything in return.
The law of reciprocity will kick in when the time is right and people will seek you out.
Remember the famous quote from Zig Ziglar who said, “You can have everything in life you want if you just help enough other people get what they want.”
Give Big, and you will reap rewards.
Post Consistently
Make it a habit to post at least a couple of times a day on your wall, and at least once a day in Facebook groups where your audience hangs out.
Only add calls to action once or twice a week, and ONLY if you have been consistently posting great content in between.
If people go to your wall and all they see is a bunch of posts begging for leads, they will be turned off and will not want to be a part of your community.
Start Growing Your Organic Reach On Facebook
So, make it a rule that you don’t create a call to action unless you have 4 or 5 value posts first. Try to use live videos a few times a week too.
If you follow this repeatedly, you will no doubt see your Facebook engagement grow by leaps and bounds.
