Facebook is the world’s largest social media platform, with over 2.8 billion monthly active users as of Q3 2022. With so many people using Facebook to connect, share information, and be entertained, understanding what type of content performs best on Facebook can provide valuable insights.
What metrics determine popularity on Facebook?
There are two key metrics that can be used to measure the popularity and performance of content on Facebook:
- Likes – The number of likes a post receives is a simple way to gauge popularity and engagement. More likes generally means the content resonates with users.
- Shares – The number of times a post is shared indicates how viral and shareable the content is. Content that gets shared frequently has high value in the Facebook algorithm.
In addition to likes and shares, other metrics like comments, click-through rate, and video views can also help determine how engaging and popular a post is with the Facebook audience.
Types of popular Facebook content
Certain types of content tend to perform well and get high engagement on Facebook. Here are some of the most popular content formats:
Short videos
Video is hugely popular on Facebook, with over 8 billion video views per day. Short, entertaining videos less than 2 minutes long tend to be the most engaging. Video ads also get excellent visibility and response rates in the Facebook newsfeed.
Photos
Visual content like photos and images are highly engaging on Facebook. Posts with photos get higher engagement than text-only posts. Images should be high-quality and eye-catching. Using relevant images that complement the message helps drive up engagement.
Lists and tips
Informative and useful content like lists, tips, how-tos, and explainers perform well on Facebook. Lists and tips that solve problems for the audience or teach them something new tend to be widely shared.
Infographics
Creative infographics that present data, stats, and insights in a visual way are very popular. Infographics that are easy to scan and provide value get high engagement rates.
Live videos
Facebook Live allows broadcasting video in real-time to followers. Live videos get high visibility and engagement when done right. Useful, entertaining live videos can go viral quickly.
Most engaging content topics
When it comes to driving engagement on Facebook, these are some of the most popular content topics:
News and current events
Posts about trending news, events, politics, and the latest headlines get very high engagement, likes, and shares on Facebook. People enjoy discussing and debating the latest happenings.
Humor and entertainment
Funny videos, entertaining stories, amusing images, and witty jokes are extremely popular content on Facebook. Laughter helps drive engagement.
Pop culture
Content about celebrities, movies, TV shows, music, and other aspects of pop culture perform very well, especially among younger demographics. Pop culture posts spark lively discussions.
Inspirational stories
Touching stories about overcoming challenges, acts of kindness, good Samaritans, and more create an emotional response from readers. Uplifting posts tend to be widely liked and shared.
Beauty and fashion
Posts about makeup tips, style advice, clothing hauls, hair tutorials, and other beauty/fashion topics have high appeal with female audiences. This content draws clicks, likes, and shares.
Food
Posts about delicious recipes, mouthwatering food photos, restaurants, new food products, cooking tips, and food trends get excellent engagement across demographics.
Parenting and family
Content focused on parenting hacks, family activities, pregnancy updates, cute kids, and more resonate with Facebook’s sizeable parent demographic. This content quickly racks up reactions.
Travel adventures
Showcasing travel photos, trip highlights, destination inspiration, and travel tips appeals to wanderlust. Travel content performs well as it allows viewers to live vicariously.
Nostalgia
Posts that tap into nostalgia and remind people of their childhood or “the good old days” tend to spread quickly on Facebook. Nostalgic content strikes an emotional chord.
Animals and pets
Posts featuring cute animals, funny animal videos, beautiful pets, and animal rescues garner significant attention on Facebook. Animal-focused content consistently sees high engagement.
Best practices for creating popular Facebook content
Here are some best practices to create content optimized for Facebook engagement:
- Know your audience – Tailor content to your target demographic on Facebook. Analyze follower insights to identify interests.
- Post frequently – Pages that post consistently see higher engagement than sporadic posters. But avoid overposting as that can annoy followers.
- Use visuals – Images, videos, and graphics attract attention. Ensure visuals are relevant and engaging.
- Write catchy headlines – Well-written headlines drive clicks and engagement. Use emotional triggers like humor and curiosity.
- Leverage trends – Tie content into trends, newsjacking opportunities, holidays, and current events.
- Promote engagement – Ask questions, run polls and contests to spark comments and shares.
- Analyze data – Use Facebook Insights to see what content resonates. Double down on what works.
- Optimize for mobile – Design content for mobile since most Facebook usage is on phones.
- Use native video – Upload natively instead of linking out. Facebook prioritizes native video in the algorithm.
- Focus on watch time – Longer videos can perform well if audience retention is high. Quality over quantity.
Most engaging Facebook Page categories
Analyzing the most popular Facebook Pages by category also provides insight into the type of content that achieves high engagement:
| Page Category | Example Pages |
|---|---|
| Humor | The Dodo, 9GAG, LadBible |
| Entertainment | The Ellen Show, Justin Bieber, WWE |
| Media/Publishers | UNILAD, BuzzFeed, HuffPost |
| Sports | ESPN, Bleacher Report, NBA |
| Gaming | IGN, GameSpot, Candy Crush Saga |
As the table shows, Facebook Pages focused on humor, entertainment, media, sports, and gaming tend to have the highest amount of engagement and strongest follower bases. These categories produce content that people enjoy consuming and interacting with on a regular basis.
Conclusion
On Facebook, video, images, lists, infographics, and live streams optimized for the platform tend to perform best. Posts about news, pop culture, animals, food, parenting, and other topics that tap into emotions and solve problems also see high engagement. While individual page performance varies based on audience, content focused on humor, entertainment, sports, and gaming often connect extremely well on Facebook overall. Analyzing Facebook Insights data and pop culture trends allows publishers to create content optimized for engagement and virality.