To be honest, there’s no such thing as perfect, but here are some universal tips.
Always Add a Photo
Photos stand out in a newsfeed. In fact, you can use it as a call to action or a means to deliver a message.
Do Not Write Big Blocks of Text
First, it makes reading extremely difficult. Secondly, you don’t want your message to be truncated. Facebook automatically shortens lengthy posts with a “See More” or “Continue Reading” link.
Ask a Question for Increased Engagement
All posts are an opportunity for people to interact with you. So, avoid one-directional blasts of information and ask for feedback once in a while. For example, “Which is your favorite dress?”
Shorten Links
Full-length links take up space. And people try to decipher the permalink.
Plus, you could use a stat counter like bit.ly or goo.gl to see how many people click. Always measure your efforts!
Add a Breaker
Lastly, by adding a breaker, the link won’t be jumbled up with the block of text above.
Below is an example of what I consider the perfect Facebook post.
Victoria’s Secret:
- posed a question
- called you to act via shop
- abbreviated the link
- used a large vertical image to get your attention
Pitfall
There’s a difference between sharing a link to a blog post and sharing a photo with a link.
If you’re obsessed with the counter for the number of Likes on your blog post, then you must share a link. Engagement with a photo (with a link) does not add to the counted total.
In any event, remember that Facebook and social media in general change all of the time, so always be keen to adapt.
This is only a snippet of the FREE 32-page PDF e-book on The Professional Photographerβs Facebook Strategy Handbook that I created for The Photo Life. Also, for a chance to win my social media book, go to their website here.
I have found that asking questions is not necessarily helpful and at worst can come of as false interest. Works for a big company like Victoria’s Secret, or a company that sells specific widgets, but what I hear from companies that don’t sell tangible items is that asking people a question for the sake of attempting to get engagement is hollow.
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Maybe and maybe not. Sometimes, it might be because it’s the wrong question asked …
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I find less clicks with bit.ly or goo.gl because to those less internet savvy, it could read like a spam link.. thoughts?
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Every audience is different. If your target market is unfamiliar with shortened links, then stick with the full-length ones. No two situations are the same.
The overall strategy is to reduce the number of characters to avoid truncated Facebook posts.
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