Navigating through the ever-changing Facebook algorithm can leave one beyond frustrated. Just when you thought you have finally deciphered when is the best time to post to your audience and how to post it, Facebook goes and changes the algorithm again. Since its creation in 2004, Facebook has performed a series of major updates, the bulk of which coming after 2009 when the algorithm for the newsfeed was first created. The Facebook algorithm is here to stay, so why not learn how it works and optimize your social media presence to gain more followers and achieve higher engagement. Check out this blog by Hootsuite that goes into the history of the Facebook algorithm, how it works, and the things that you can do today to improve your social media presence and use the algorithm to your advantage.
While Hootsuite’s entire list is great and should be followed by any marketer who is looking to optimize their social media strategy, if you focus on the following three points that are on their list I think you will be in a better position to really capitalize on your social media engagement. To me, these are the most important tips from Hootsuite’s list:
1) Frequency and consistency
Posting to Facebook and Instagram frequently and consistently will work wonders for the overall engagement on your page and posts. Facebook recognizes pages that post more often and consistently than others and uses that as a signal in their algorithm to move your posts higher up the newsfeed. I like to plan out my posts in advance so I can see from a bird’s eye view what my posts are going to look like. Scheduling out and organizing your posts on a calendar will save you time and future headaches, I promise!
2) Create and post content that will make people react
Now, this is easier said than done, but if you can post things related to your brand that will get people to have conversations on your page, your engagement and overall reach will go through the roof. The Facebook algorithm obviously likes and ranks pages that have significant reactions and high engagement higher than pages that don’t. I always like to keep it simple when posting. I have seen that real, genuine, and in-the-moment content gets more engagement than crafted or corporate looking content. This makes sense when you think about it because Facebook just wants to see the real you, and their algorithm can definitely tell the difference.
3) Post at the right time of day
The time of day that you post is extremely important when trying to master the Facebook algorithm and increase your audience’s engagement. Props to Sprout Social for writing this blog on the best general times to post to Facebook and Instagram. They even break down the data by the business industry too. According to Sprout Social, in general, the best day and time to post is Wednesday at about 9:00 AM. This blog is a great rule of thumb to use when you are scheduling out your social media posts and is something I use every day. However, at the end of the day, you are going to want to check your own insights within your social media accounts to know exactly when your audience is online and is being the most engaging.
These three points are the basis of a great social media strategy and if they are implemented correctly, you will start seeing results almost immediately. Be sure to read both Hootsuite’s and Sprout Social’s blogs to get the full list of tips for getting the Facebook algorithm to work for you and the best times to post to Facebook and Instagram.