Having low engagement on Facebook can be frustrating. You put time and effort into creating content, posting updates, and interacting with your audience, only to see minimal likes, comments, and shares on your posts. Don’t worry – there are several tactics you can try to boost engagement on Facebook. Here are some tips to increase engagement on your Facebook Page.
Post More Engaging Content
The key to getting more engagement on Facebook is posting content that elicits reactions from your target audience. Start by analyzing what types of updates generate the most comments and shares. Look at both your own top-performing posts, as well as those from competitors and influencers in your industry. What do the high-performing posts have in common? Use these learnings to create content designed to spark discussion. Here are some types of engaging content to try:
- Behind-the-scenes photos and videos from your business
- User-generated content like customer photos and testimonials
- Interesting industry statistics and infographics
- Entertaining or funny videos and memes
- Opinion polls and questions to spark debate
- Contests, giveaways and sweepstakes
- Live videos to engage your audience in real-time
Pay attention to the types of posts that get high engagement and do more of that. You can use Facebook Insights to analyze your top-performing updates over time.
Post at Optimal Times
When you post can have a big impact on how much engagement it gets. Analyze when your target audience is most active on Facebook and aim to post updates during those high-traffic periods. Here are some best practices for timing your posts:
- Post when your followers are online, usually on weekdays before and after typical work hours.
- Post multiple times throughout the day, like morning, midday and evening.
- Experiment with posting times to determine what gets the most engagement for your audience.
- Use Facebook Insights to view your followers’ activity patterns.
- Create a content calendar to schedule posts at your optimal times.
Coordinating when you post with when your audience is on Facebook can lead to more eyes on your content and higher engagement levels.
Respond to Comments and Messages
Actively participating in the conversation on your Facebook posts is a great way to boost engagement. When someone comments on your post or sends you a private message, take the time to respond and interact with them. This shows followers that you care, you’re paying attention and you want to engage with them. Simple tactics like liking comments, replying to questions and saying thank you go a long way. The more you interact, the more likely people will be to keep engaging with your Page.
Run Engaging Contests
Contests are a tried and true way to get more engagement on Facebook. Giveaways, sweepstakes and contests get people active on your Page by incentivizing likes, comments, shares and other actions. Make sure your contests have clear instructions for how to enter and what the prize is. Creative contest ideas include:
- Photo contests – Ask followers to post photos related to your brand/industry for the chance to win a prize. This also generates user-generated content you can reshare.
- Like and share contests – Fans have to like your Page and share the contest post to be entered into a random drawing.
- Comment contests – Get more comments on your posts by running a context asking followers to comment with their answer to a question.
- Tag and mention friend contests – Increase brand exposure by having contest entries tag or mention friends.
- User-generated content contests – Ask followers to post their own custom photos, videos or content with a branded hashtag.
Go Live More
Facebook Live is an engaging, interactive way for brands to connect with their audience in real time. The video format makes it easy for viewers to react and post comments as they watch. Notifications are sent out when you go live, so it’s easy to attract an audience. Live videos also get prioritized in the News Feed while active. Use Facebook Live to:
- Give behind-the-scenes tours and show how products are made
- Announce sales, deals and new products
- Answer audience questions in real-time Q&As
- Showcase an event, conference or meeting
- Interview experts and influencers in your industry
Going live more often can help boost overall engagement. Fans love the raw, unedited nature of Facebook Live compared to pre-recorded videos. The interactive format makes your content more engaging.
Use Facebook Stories
Facebook Stories allow Pages to post ephemeral photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours. The more casual Stories format tends to foster engagement and interaction. Just like going live more often, using Stories can get fans used to engaging with your brand in new ways. Plus, Stories sit at the top of the News Feed so they garner lots of visibility right when posted. Post Facebook Stories to:
- Spotlight new products, inventory or deals
- Show authentic behind-the-scenes footage
- Promote an event, sale or offer with eye-catching graphics
- Respond to frequently asked customer questions
- Drive traffic to website, blog and ecommerce pages
- Run polls and questions to spark a response
Keep your Stories visually appealing with photos, videos, animations and text overlays. Post frequently to stay top of mind.
Use Hashtags and Mentions
Hashtags and mentions can expand your reach and help you engage users beyond just your own followers. Hashtags make your content visible to anyone searching or following that hashtag. Mentions notify the user and all their followers when you tag them in a post. Strategically using hashtags and mentions taps into new audiences. Ways to incorporate them include:
- Use branded hashtags related to your business, products or campaigns
- Tag industry influencers and thought leaders relevant to your content
- Join in on trending news hashtags circulating in your niche
- Tag customers who are featured or pictured in your updates
- Thank mentioned brands/businesses by name when referencing them
Advertise Your Page and Posts
For businesses wanting quick engagement growth, investing in Facebook ads can deliver results. You can create ad campaigns designed to get more people to like your Page, join your email list, view your videos, or engage with posts. Useful Facebook ad types include:
- Page Likes ads to grow your audience
- Lead generation ads to collect emails with opt-in forms
- Post Engagement ads to get more reactions on updates
- Video views ads to increase views on videos
- Event Responses ads to drive attendance for events
- Catalog Sales ads to increase product purchases
Facebook ads give you the ability to target your ideal audience. Creative and well-targeted ads can rapidly boost results.
Reply to Negative Feedback
No brand is immune from negative feedback and complaints on Facebook. Dissatisfied customers may post critical comments on your updates or leave 1-star reviews. While negative feedback is never fun to receive, it presents an opportunity to turn detractors into brand advocates. Offering a sincere, prompt reply shows you care about the issue and want to make it right. Key tips for responding to negative feedback include:
- Stay calm and avoid knee-jerk defensive reactions
- Thank them for taking the time to provide feedback
- Apologize for their poor experience or disappointment
- Publicly ask to take the issue offline to resolve it directly
- Provide contact info where they can reach your customer service team
- Analyze internally to address any issues raised
Handling negative feedback well transforms a detractor into a brand supporter. Other followers will see how you respond and recognize your commitment to customer satisfaction.
Join Facebook Groups and Events
Keep in mind that Facebook engagement encompasses more than just your own Page. You can also spark engagement by having a presence in Facebook Groups related to your industry. Join relevant Groups where your target audience is already active. Groups offer opportunities to:
- Share your expertise by answering questions
- Promote your content and resources
- Get feedback on new products and services
- Build relationships with influential members
- Position yourself as an authority
You can also boost engagement by creating your own private Group focused on topics your fans are interested in. Similarly, having a presence on local Facebook Event pages, and creating your own Event listings can drive engagement from nearby customers. Actively participating wherever your audience is already congregating on Facebook is an impactful way to connect.
Conclusion
It takes some trial and error to find the right formula to increase Facebook engagement for your brand. Start by analyzing your audience’s interests and habits. Then test out tactics like optimizing post timing, going live more, running contests and engaging in Groups. Monitor performance closely using Facebook Insights so you can double down on what works. With consistent effort, your Facebook community will become more lively and engaged over time.