Over a decade and a half after its launch onto the scene, Facebook takes the crown for the largest social media channel in the world. With over 2.5 billion monthly active users, it’s important to always find new and creative ways to connect with your audience on the platform. Facebook has experienced quite an evolution since its inception, which is why The Orchard is keeping you up to date on its best practices. The demographic has changed over recent years, with seniors, aged 65 and older, being the fastest-growing age group.
Understanding The Feed
Facebook has been studying the way users interact with content in their feeds for years. Just like how our habits and preferences online change overtime, Facebook changes the quality and quantity of content it displays in the feed.
Prioritizing the types of content and fan interactions the current algorithm favors can help increase your feed impressions. Here’s a current 2020 breakdown of “What’s In” and “What’s Out” according to Facebook:
What does Facebook News Feed Favor?
Here are a couple examples of content that are likely to appear on a user’s Facebook News Feed:
- Posts receiving a lot of engagement.
- Posts most relevant to each individual user.
- Trending conversations.
- Facebook Lives.
- Share-ability.
- Informative posts.
- Entertainment posts.
- Videos posted natively.
Analytics
Facebook Insights are a great way to track the performance of your Facebook page and will help you drive strategic marketing decisions based on audience behavior.
Housekeeping
Clean up! Take these simple steps to improve your Facebook presence and make your page more effective:
Before Posting, Ask Yourself…
Before making a post on Facebook, ask yourself these questions. If you answer yes to all these questions, then you’re ready to post!
Is this content…
- Relevant to my page?
- Timely?
- From a trusted source or safe website?
- Interesting enough for others to share?
Dos & Don’ts
- DO: Use link-shares. Facebook’s focus on making the feed a better news source for users means their algorithm favors links.
DO: Use the link format when premiering with media partners
DO: Geo-target posts, especially for tours. Tag the venue in the post for an expanded reach.
DO: Interact with fans! Engage with fans by liking or responding to their questions or comments on posts.
DO: Share videos that are HD and use text. This has been shown to grab Facebook users attention and encourage engagement.
Content Ideas
Developing content for Facebook can be a struggle for artists and their teams. We have suggestions to better plan and prepare for your Facebook posts. For example, adhering to a rough content schedule keeps your options from becoming overwhelming.
Fans want to know you. With that in mind, posting to Facebook can be as easy as:
Posting photos of gear backstage at a show.
Posting a cross-posted Instagram video from the van/bus.
Posting a funny GIF.
Posting a link to a favorite song or video with a little background on why it’s important/influential.
Facebook Live
Facebook Live is a unique feature that can help artists directly connect with fans. Fans are able to watch and interact with real-time video that will broadcast through your Facebook profile. Here are a couple ways to utilize the Facebook Live feature:
Facebook Stories
Facebook Stories are also a great way to connect with your fanbase in an authentic way. Facebook Stories work similarly to Instagram Stories in that they feel documented in real time and are only available to watch for 24 hours.
Grab Their Attention
Pinning important posts to the top of your feed allows fans that are visiting your page to know off-the-bat what you’re promoting, whether it be an album, song, press article or content piece.
Grab the attention of users coming to your Facebook profile quickly and keep their attention on the page with the new video option for profile and cover photos. The video auto-plays without sound, so be sure the video you choose is visually engaging for viewers.
Messenger Rooms
In Spring 2020, Facebook realized the demand for real-time video and launched Messenger Rooms, a video chat options for friends and family on the platform. Messenger Rooms make it easy to connect with friends, loved ones, and people who share your similar interests. Host celebrations, chat with your closest group of friends, host book clubs, or whatever provides you community and togetherness with people outside of your physical circle.
Create a Messenger Room right from Facebook or Facebook Messenger and invite up to 50 people from your friend list — or even outside of Facebook who don’t have an account! There is no time limit on Messenger Rooms, so stay connected as long as you want.
For a presentation version of these best practices check out our slideshow below:
