Did you know that Facebook posts with pictures receive 39% more engagement? But let’s not get carried away – posting too many images and flooding the news feeds of your loyal followers can also have a negative affect.
After all, we’re trying to leave a positive impression for our fans, right? Just like many things, moderation is key, especially on the social media front. A majority of the questions I receive about Facebook and social media revolve around the idea that the time spent on posting, sharing, and creating content don’t yield results, or don’t offer a return on investment (ROI). This is a big hurdle that many companies have to overcome.
ADDITIONAL READING: Using social media to manage your practice's online reputation
Let’s go over some of the proven methods to increase engagement.
Less is more
We hear this phrase all the time, and studies show that it applies to Facebook as well. Posts with 80 characters or less have 23% more engagement. Yeah, that’s right, save the paragraphs and case studies for your blog. People don’t read what’s on their newsfeed; they skim through the hundreds of updates, statuses, and posts.
Get more comments
Using emoticons increases the number of comments on your posts by 33%. A lot of things get lost in translation, especially through text. In person we use voice inflections to communicate certain feelings. Online, we use emoticons. There is a higher chance people will engage with posts they can relate to, so be mindful and creative with how you can build rapport.
The best times to post
The time to get the most shares is right around 1 p.m. At about 3 p.m. you get the most clicks. Furthermore, the rate of engagements on Thursdays and Fridays will increase by 18%, and on weekends that figure increases to a whopping 32%. Remember, moderation is key. You never want to overpost, and you don’t want to underpost.
Check the visual below for more insights, which comes courtesy of me at Capstone Creative.
