What and how to post on Facebook

I’m not going to talk you into getting a Facebook page. If you don’t have one, please seriously consider why you’re going to start one. If you do have one, then here are things you should do.

Posting strategy. 

Set up a posting strategy. Start with finding all the content for the brand. Look at a real calendar and determine when the key dates are, then create content for those dates. I’ve found that placing categories on an actual calendar works the best for management of content. Before writing posts, think about the categories of posts you will write. For example, mom’s were asked what kinds of content they like on Facebook, and the answers were (in order of importance):

• Entertainment
• Food
• Health & Wellness
• Shopping

Notice there isn’t anything on there about product information. Generate a content calendar around the topics relevant to your category, then begin to write posts.

Actual posts: 

All Facebook posts have competition. A Facebook post isn’t unlike an ad, which has to interrupt you from what you’re doing. A Facebook post is in competition with a friend’s baby, news, dates, or interests.

If a Facebook post is long, it will look visually like a lot of work. People will ignore it.

Take a look at your Facebook page; the short posts are from friends, the long ones are from brands. Know why that is? Facebook throws you posts from friends you interact with the most. Since we generally like less copy, we’re more likely to engage with shorter posts from the people who have short posts.  That becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy — short posts come to the newsfeed.

Here are a couple of great examples: (Note the engagement numbers)

I think there are two elements that make a great Facebook post.

The first is length. Short matters.

The second is asking a question. It baffles me how often Facebook posts are simple statements. This is supposed to be about conversations right? Conversations need questions. Make Statements and you might get likes, but you won’t get comments. Ask questions, and you’ll likely get both. Especially if the question has nothing to do with the brand.

Too often, pages feel the need to tell. This is the wrong medium for telling. Monologues are for press releases and advertising. In social media, a dialogue is the goal. If it isn’t, then get out now. Brands don’t need to on Facebook.  Facebook isn’t the place to constantly share news.

But if a brand decides it is strategically right to enter a dialogue with consumers, then they should start doing it right. And that means short posts that ask questions that are relevant to the fans.

What do you think? What are some of the best posts you’ve ever seen? What makes you like or comment on a post?

Related articles

• My Year Sans Facebook (blogher.com)
• Facebook Conversations Don’t Achieve The Marketing Boost You Desire (fastcompany.com)
• Is Facebook Overvalued? It depends on how you answer one simple question (setandbma.wordpress.com)
• Is Google + = Facebook – ?? (blogs.vinuthomas.com)
• Did Google+ Crash Facebook? (sarahfrost.wordpress.com)