5 Ways To “Trick” The Facebook Algorithm For More Engagement

17 Jan 5 Ways To “Trick” The Facebook Algorithm For More Engagement

Facebook organic reach and engagement has taken a hit. That’s not news. But reminding ourselves of some basic engagement “hacks” can be a good way to increase your Facebook traction with the fans you already have. This is important, because nurturing your current audience will lead to more success in attracting new followers. In this post I’ll highlight several ways to “trick” the Facebook algorithm for more engagement from your fans.

1. Try posting links in the first comment

Now, I haven’t tried this one personally, but I’ve seen other big players in the social media space use this tactic. Here’s a little background on why this is a good idea: Facebook likes to keep people on the platform. This means that the Facebook algorithm doesn’t particularly like posts that take people to an outside website, so any post with an outside link won’t get shown to as much of your audience. Instead, try creating a longer form caption and let your audience know that if they want more information they can find the link in the first comment on the post.

2. Post engaging content in between website links

My second “hack” for the Facebook algorithm will be a little obvious and an old Facebook marketing strategy – but it’s a solid one. Get to know your audience, pay attention to your analytics and create content that is super engaging before you try posting links. This works because since you’ve posted amazing content your audience loves before you posted an update with a link, the algorithm thinks, hey they’re audience is engaged and this is something we should show their audience.

3. Use messenger

Using chatbots and messenger to communicate with customers and keep fans updated is the new hot topic in social media marketing. Messenger gives you the opportunity to interact with those who may not like your page (yet). I’ve seen some really great messenger bots that link you to different content based on your answers and I love them. I’m currently giving one a spin on my own Facebook fan page. Messenger bots can be used for lead nurturing, retaining customers, and sharing your knowledge base. Although chatbots may seem a little daunting to set up (the thought deterred me from trying for a while) there are some tools that make this easier on you. Within your Facebook page messenger you can set up instant replies, and replies to frequently asked questions. For a more robust messenger chat bot you can try a third party service.

4. Try videos and live videos

I can’t stress the importance of incorporating videos into your social media strategy enough. It’s not so much that the Facebook algorithm loves video, but videos are just a popular form of content to consume. Using tools like Adobe Spark Post, Quik, Videoshop, Boomerang and Hyperlapse will make the process of creating quality videos for your posts easier. Facebook even has some built in video creation tools (the slideshow post option and video effects for boosted posts). The easiest way to dive into videos is going live! Going live creates a sense of urgency, but is also a pretty simple way to interact with your audience without needing a fancy set up. You can get more tips about going live by clicking here.

5. Boost Posts

You may not want to hear this but boosting posts is a way to increase your Facebook audience engagement. The good thing is you don’t need a huge budget. Try putting money behind posts that organically do well. The key here is to target your audience efficiently. You can target people that follow your page, or anyone who’s engaged with your page in the past. This type of targeting is efficient because you’re reaching people who are already familiar with your work and most likely want to see more from you.

Will you try these “hacks” to help you with the Facebook algorithm and get some engagement back from your current followers? Remember this year we should focus on the audience we have and the new eyes will follow. If you liked these tips please share this post with your friends!

<3 DhariLo

P.S. For my Facebook marketing beginners out there, I invite you to join me for my Facebook Marketing For Beginners Webinar on January 24th. Dennis Schiraldi and I will be going through everything from how to set up an optimized page to content to audience engagement and more! For more info and to grab your ticket click here or the image below.