Facebook is the largest social media platform in the world, with over 2.8 billion monthly active users as of Q4 2020. For businesses and brands, having an active Facebook presence and posting content regularly is crucial for reaching and engaging with their target audience.
But simply having a Facebook page and posting content is not enough. In order to truly benefit from being on Facebook, brands need to focus on generating engagement on their posts. Post engagement refers to actions that people take involving your Facebook posts, such as likes, comments, shares, and clicks.
Engagement shows your content is resonating
When people like, comment on, share or click on your posts, it’s a signal that your content is resonating with them. Each type of engagement has value:
- Likes show that people enjoy your content or find it interesting.
- Comments mean they felt compelled to voice an opinion or join the conversation.
- Shares indicate they found your content valuable enough to pass onto others.
- Clicks show your content piqued their interest enough to find out more.
Considering most Facebook users scroll passively through their feeds, taking the extra step to engage with a post means it stood out and appealed to them in some way. If lots of people are engaging with your content, it’s a great sign you’re creating content tailored to your audience.
Engagement improves content reach
The more engagement your posts generate, the further they will organically reach on Facebook. That’s because Facebook’s algorithm favors content that sparks interactions. So when people like, comment and share your posts, it signals to Facebook that it’s quality content that should be shown to more users.
This viral potential is one of the biggest advantages to building engagement. A single post that gets high engagement can be seen by a huge portion of your Page’s followers and beyond, without having to pay for extra reach.
How the Facebook algorithm works
Facebook uses an algorithm to determine which posts users see in their News Feeds. The goal is to show each person the content they’ll find most interesting and engaging.
When a post gets lots of likes, comments and shares, Facebook interprets it as highly engaging content. So it will show it to more people, getting even more engagement. This creates a snowball effect where the more traction a post gains, the further it spreads across Facebook.
Posts with minimal engagement may not make it into as many (or any) News Feeds beyond your existing Page followers. So generating engagement is key to expanding the reach of your content.
Engagement builds community
Post engagement also helps build an active, loyal community around your brand on Facebook. When people like and comment on your posts regularly, it creates social proof that you have an engaged audience.
This makes your brand more appealing to new visitors who land on your Page. They can immediately see others are interested in your content, so they will be more inclined to like your Page and join your community.
Plus, replying to commenters and featuring user-generated content (like photos) helps foster relationships between your brand and fans. These Facebook users are more likely to keep engaging with your brand when you engage back with them.
Engagement reflects brand awareness
A strong amount of post engagement signifies growing brand awareness and affinity. When people regularly react to the content you post, it means:
- They are familiar with your brand.
- They have some level of affinity for your brand.
- They want to connect with you and your content.
Tracking engagement metrics helps gauge how aware people are of your brand and how much they like you. If engagement drops off over time, it may signal brand affinity is decreasing. Whereas a growing amount of engagement reflects greater awareness and favorability.
Engagement attracts earned media
Viral, engaging posts don’t just catch Facebook’s attention. They can also garner earned media coverage by news sites and bloggers.
Online journalists and influencers are constantly looking for unique, share-worthy content to write about. If your Facebook post takes off and gets mass engagement, it can get their attention too. This free publicity from earned media placements helps amplify brand awareness and recognition even further.
Engagement means more conversions
Most importantly, high engagement metrics indicate your Facebook presence is successfully driving actions and conversions for your business.
When people like, comment, share or click on your posts, it shows they’re interested enough in your brand to consider taking action. These primed users are more likely to follow through and convert:
- Making an online purchase from your ecommerce store
- Signing up for your email list or webinar
- Downloading your content offers
- Visiting your website or brick-and-mortar location
Considering one of the top goals for most brands on social media is to drive conversions, engagement levels can signify how well your Facebook presence is contributing to real business results.
How to measure Facebook post engagement
Now that you know why Facebook engagement is valuable, let’s look at how you can track and measure it. Within Facebook Analytics, you can view data on the following engagement metrics:
Reactions
The number of reactions (likes, loves, wows, etc.) on your posts shows how much people enjoy your content. Benchmark reaction rate by dividing reactions by reach. Aim for a reaction rate of at least 5-10% or higher.
Comments
Comments signify your content is discussion-worthy. Review both comment volume (total comments) and comment rate (comments divided by reach). Look for comment rates of 0.5-5% or more.
Shares
When people share your post to their own Timeline, it exposes your content to new audiences. Track both shares and share rate compared to reach.
Clicks
This shows how many people clicked on links within your posts, such as to your website, blog or online store. Click-through rate compared to reach indicates how appealing your call-to-action is.
Engaged users
The number of unique Facebook users who engaged with your content in some way, whether by liking, commenting, sharing or clicking. Compare to your Page’s total followers.
Engagement rate
Engagement rate is the percentage of people who saw your post and engaged with it divided by its reach. To calculate: (Engaged users ÷ Post reach) x 100. Benchmark against industry averages.
Monitoring how these engagement metrics change over time will give you a good grasp of how well your Facebook strategy is performing.
Tips to improve Facebook engagement
Looking for ways to step up your Facebook engagement? Here are some proven strategies:
Post at optimal times
Analyze when your followers are most active on Facebook and aim to post during those high-traffic windows. Typically weekdays around 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. see peak engagement.
Go live more
Facebook Live video broadcasts tend to generate a high volume of reactions, comments and shares. Go live to engage your audience in real time.
Use visual content
Posts with images and video tend to get more engagement than plain text updates. Ensure visuals are high-quality and relevant.
Ask questions
Pose questions in your captions to spur your audience to comment. Ask for opinions, suggestions, experiences, etc.
Run contests and giveaways
Sweepstakes, contests and giveaways that encourage users to like, share or comment on your post can skyrocket engagement.
Feature user-generated content
Spotlight photos, videos and stories from customers and fans. This makes followers more likely to stay engaged with your brand.
Respond to comments and messages
Always reply to questions and comments to build relationships with followers.
Analyze competitors
See what types of posts from competitors or industry leaders get high engagement. Apply their best practices to your own content strategy.
Promote on and off Facebook
Cross-promote your Facebook posts on other channels, and promote your Facebook Page everywhere to maximize reach.
Refine based on insights
Check Facebook Analytics to see which post types, topics and formats generate the most engagement. Then make those a bigger part of your mix.
Conclusion
Engagement is the fuel that makes Facebook marketing work, sparking organic reach, conversions and brand growth. Tracking engagement metrics identifies how well your Facebook presence is resonating and engaging your target audience.
By consistently posting content that gets likes, comments, shares and clicks, you gain valuable social proof that will keep fans engaged while also attracting new followers. Make Facebook engagement a top priority and you’ll see the benefits compound over time.