Sharing links on Facebook is a great way to spread interesting content, promote your website, or share an article you enjoyed reading. There are a few different ways to include a link when sharing a post on Facebook, depending on if you’re sharing from a desktop, mobile app, or directly pasting a link.
Sharing a Link from Your Desktop
Sharing a link to a website or article from your desktop is easy. Here’s how to do it:
- Go to Facebook.com and log in.
- Click the “Create Post” box at the top of your News Feed.
- Type your post in the box as you normally would. You can include a personal message, thoughts on the content, etc.
- Highlight the text you want to turn into a link and click the chain link icon that appears.
- Paste the URL of the page you want to link to into the pop-up box.
- Click “OK” to insert the link.
- Add any other formatting, tags, images, etc. that you want.
- Click “Post” when your post is ready to share.
Once posted, the text you highlighted will appear as a clickable link that will take anyone who views your post directly to the content.
Sharing a Link from the Facebook Mobile App
The process is very similar if you want to share a link in a post from the Facebook mobile app for iPhone or Android:
- Open the Facebook app on your phone.
- Tap the status box at the top with “What’s on your mind?”
- Type your status update and highlight the text you want to link.
- Tap the chain link icon that appears.
- Paste the URL into the box and tap “OK.”
- Add any other formatting, tags, images, etc.
- Tap “Post” to share your status.
The mobile app makes it just as easy to create clickable links in your posts on the go.
Pasting a Link into a Facebook Post
You can also simply paste in a full URL directly when creating a post to have it automatically generate a clickable link:
- Start writing your post as normal in the status box.
- Paste the full URL on its own line.
- Finish the rest of your status update.
- Click “Post.”
Facebook will detect the pasted URL and automatically format it as a clickable link when you share the post.
Link Previews
One advantage of sharing links on Facebook is that it will often generate a preview of the content with a thumbnail image, headline, and description. This gives your friends a glimpse at what they’ll find if they click the link.
Facebook creates these previews automatically when possible. But not all links work – it depends on if Facebook’s crawler can process the content.
You can increase the chances of your link getting a good preview by:
- Using direct links to content rather than shortened URLs from services like Bitly.
- Linking to pages that include quality metadata like images and descriptions.
- Linking to content from established sites and publications.
Using Tags and Mentions
You can draw more attention to your Facebook posts with links by using tags and mentions:
- Tag friends – Type @ followed by your friend’s name to tag them in your post. This sends them a notification and means they are more likely to see your shared link.
- Hashtags – Including relevant hashtags makes your post searchable and can help expand your reach to more people interested in that topic.
- Page tags – Typing @ before a related Facebook Page also tags and notifies that Page.
For example, you might tag a friend who would find an article interesting, use industry hashtags, and tag the publication’s Facebook Page all in one post.
Using Emojis and Stickers
Emojis and Facebook stickers are a fun way to add visual interest to your posts. Consider adding relevant emojis when sharing links on Facebook. For example:
- A smiling emoji or thumbs up for content you enjoyed.
- A surprised emoji for shocking news stories.
- A celebratory sticker for your own accomplishments or announcements.
Stickers and emojis help your posts stand out in the News Feed and convey reactions without using words.
Asking for Shares, Reactions, and Comments
Don’t be afraid to explicitly ask your friends to interact with your shared links on Facebook. A simple call to action goes a long way. For example:
- “If you find this as helpful as I did, please give it a share!”
- “Let me know your thoughts on this article in the comments.”
- “Click Like if you think more people should read this story.”
Prompting reactions, shares, and comments is an effective way to get higher engagement on your posts and increase the reach of the content you’re sharing.
Choosing the Right Time to Share
When you share is just as important as what you share on Facebook. Timing your posts with when your audience is most active can help your links be seen by more people. Some tips:
- Post news links first thing in the morning when people check Facebook with their coffee.
- Entertainment and lifestyle links tend to get engagement on evenings and weekends.
- Schedule workplace content for weekday mornings and afternoons.
- Experiment to find the best times for your audience and niche.
You can use Facebook’s publishing scheduling tools or third-party apps to plan your posts in advance for optimal timing.
Adding Context in Your Posts
Don’t just paste naked links into your Facebook statuses. Add some context around the content you’re sharing to make it more compelling.
For example, for a recipe link you could say:
“Here’s a terrific spaghetti marinara recipe for those nights when you don’t feel like leaving the house for dinner.”
Providing context informs people why they should click on your shared link without having to visit the page.
Varying Your Content
Share a diverse mix of links to keep your Facebook feed interesting for your audience. Mix up:
- Funny and serious articles
- Long form and short reads
- Content from big outlets and personal blogs
- Useful resources and entertaining listicles
Spreading out different types of articles and links will increase the chances that each post appeals to a different part of your audience.
Following Up on Popular Posts
Check back on the engagement your shared links receive, and take note of which posts get the most likes, shares, and comments. When certain content resonates with your audience, find similar articles on those popular topics to share later on.
Seeing more content people have responded well to is a treat for your audience while requiring less guessing about what they like from you.
Promoting Valuable Content
Think about the interests and needs of your Facebook friends. Find content that provides value by solving problems, offering useful advice, or providing practical resources on those topics. Sharing “shareworthy” content earns more likes and clicks.
For example, parents may appreciate articles with tips for healthy school lunches. Pet owners may find guides to local dog parks helpful. Share content you genuinely think would benefit people.
Analyzing Your Results
Use Facebook’s built-in analytics to see how your shared links perform. In Facebook Insights, you can view data like:
- Post reach
- Clicks on your links
- Reactions, comments, and shares
- Your most popular times and days to post
Analyze this data weekly or monthly to refine your sharing strategy for better engagement.
Avoiding Clickbait and Misinformation
While you want your links to get clicks, avoid blatant clickbait techniques like exaggerated headlines and hoaxes. Only share trustworthy articles from reputable sources, not unverified rumors or hearsay.
Prioritize quality articles your audience will actually appreciate rather than trashy content meant to go viral. You’ll build a stronger relationship with your Facebook friends by sharing reliable, factual information.
Watching Your Frequency
Posting too many links too often can cause people to tune out your updates. Aim for a healthy balance and mix in some personal updates, photos, videos, and conversations.
As a general rule, spacing out your link sharing to 2-3 times per day should not overwhelm people but still allows you to share a variety of content.
Using Link Shorteners
If you want to tidy up long, unsightly URLs in your Facebook posts, use link shorteners like Bitly and Ow.ly. Just paste the long URL into the tool to get a short alternative to insert into your status update.
However, link shorteners may slightly decrease the chances of Facebook generating a preview. When possible, use the direct links to content for the best results.
Following Facebook’s Policies
Make sure any links or content you share on Facebook comply with their Community Standards policies. Avoid nudity, violence, hate speech, and other offensive or dangerous content prohibited by Facebook.
Violating Facebook’s rules could result in your post being deleted or even your account being suspended. It’s smart to read over Facebook’s standards when unsure if content is allowed.
Troubleshooting Issues
If your shared links on Facebook don’t appear as clickable or are having other display issues, here are some troubleshooting tips:
- Make sure you don’t have extra spaces in the pasted URL.
- Try re-adding the link using the chain icon to create it.
- Paste the link on its own line without other text.
- Double check that your link works and directs to a valid webpage.
- Clear your browser cookies and cache in case of corruption issues.
Sometimes links don’t work properly just due to a minor technical glitch that can be fixed with one of these steps.
Using Social Media Management Tools
Platforms like Hootsuite, Buffer, and Sprout Social make link sharing even easier by allowing you to:
- Schedule link posts in advance
- Shorten links as you share them
- Analyze click-through rates on your links
- Queue different links to go out through the day
Try out dedicated social media tools to save time and manage your link sharing more efficiently across all networks.
Conclusion
Sharing great links provides value to your Facebook friends and expands the reach of content you want to promote. Craft compelling posts, engage your audience, choose the right times to post, and analyze your results.
With these tips, you can get more clicks, reactions, and shares on the links you share to Facebook. Just be sure to mix in some personal updates and conversations as well so your Friends Feed doesn’t become all links all the time.