What is the best way to use your business Facebook page?
Many studies have been done to determine the best times to post on Facebook, what content types get the most interaction, whether people like serious posts or relaxed/comedic. The purpose of these studies is to know how to reach as many people as possible. Different studies show conflicting results – Trends change, people respond differently depending on a number of factors from age, culture, industry and interests. I believe there is no quick answer or secret about how to best use your business Facebook page. Your audience is a unique collection of people so they will behave differently when compared to others.
Rather than look at statistics from other countries it is best to do your own research with your selected audience. Facebook Insights is very useful for giving us information about when your fans are online, and what posts are getting the most attention. If you are new to Facebook this can be a daunting thought, but let me walk you though though how to find this information – its fast and easy, and will open your eyes to valuable information about your Facebook audience.
Go to your business Facebook page (you will need to be logged in as Admin) then click the Insights tab at the top of your page.
When are your Facebook fans online? – Find the best time to post content them.
Click the Posts tab to find out when your fans are online. This graph shows information about when your fans were online over the past week. You may notice some days have more active users than others, or you may see an even spread. Looking at the times will be where you find significant peaks and drops. Generally you will see peaks in the morning and evenings – this coincides with users outside of school and work hours. Your audience is unique, so the activity of your audience will also be unique. Its important to do what is best for your audience rather that what a study says from a different country, industry and age group. Trust the reports on your Facebook page and use this information to know when people are online.
What content will get the best results?
Again there have been many studies with different conclusions about what content will have the greatest reach. Generally speaking people engage more with images or short status updates, but again some research and testing is needed to determine what is right for you.
Click on the Post Types tab to see how well your previous posts have performed. If your business Facebook page is new, you may need to create some posts first to ‘test the water’.
Looking at the information below you can see the reach and interaction of different post types. Depending on your audience and industry you will see different results. It will also depend on what your audience expects from you. Do they want to see links to useful information or interesting stories? Do they want to be kept informed about your company or events? Do they want to see photos of your latest products? Think about what your audience wants and you will begin to understand the trends you see.
For a more detailed look at the content of posts that get the best results, scroll down the page and you will see a report about ‘All Posts Published’. This provides useful information about how many people were reached, how many clicks, and how many likes, comments and shares. This is great to see if people like your posts that are serious and informative, humorous images, competitions and promotions or discussions.
Make an informed decision using your own statistics and testing.
Now you can combine the best days and times, with the most effective delivery method/ post type and the most relevant content based on what your previous posts and what audience engages with. It is important to continuously monitor how well your posts are doing and adapt to any changes in trends. Treat your audience as unique and don’t necessarily do what works for others – its always good to learn from others experiences and test and advice, but make sure you do what is best for your audience, industry and business. Give the people what they want, they way they want it, and at the time they want it and you will be sure to see growth and engagement on your Facebook page.
