Facebook Status Updates That Will Get Likes

You may have noticed that Facebook implemented a new statistic on fan pages, the number of people “talking about this.” For an admin, this number is very important. It ties into another piece of statistical data that Facebook affectionately calls “Viral Reach.” When you post an update for your fan page, all your fans have the opportunity to see it (though some people will not). When a fan of your fan page interacts with that post (likes it, comments on it, or shares it), then their friends on Facebook can see it too! This is where the viral nature comes into play. The Facebook definition for “Viral Reach” is: “The number of unique people who saw a story published by a friend about your Page.”

So we’ve established that getting “likes” (or comments, shares, etc.) can exponentially spread your message to new people who have yet to become a fan of your page. The big question is now, how can I get people to interact with my posts, create stories and thus get my update in front of more eyes. Here is our answer in order or importance:

 

5 Ways to Get More “Likes” to Your Facebook Updates

 

1) Add Media to Your Updates

Pictures, albums, surveys, videos, music, links—all of these make your jump out against all the rest. Videos average 100% more engagement than the average post. A picture is worth about 120%, and a photo album 180%! These are the best ways to draw attention to your posts. A picture truly is worth a 1,000 words. And on that topic, no one will read your post if it is a 1,000 words long. Keep your posts between 100-250 characters—no more than 3 lines of text! Posts with less than 3 lines of text get about 60% more likes, comments and shares.

 

2) Post at the Right Time

Facebook suggests keeping a posting schedule, and that this rhythm will keep people engaged with your posts. This is great if your page has the amount of fans you want. If you want to grow your fan base, consider posting mostly at times that are perfect for your niche. Then, every once in a while, post at a time opposite of your regular schedule. You may engage a person with a night job, or a person who doesn’t get on Facebook during the regular hours of your status updates. Post daily if you can. Most recent data suggest that 5pm and 9pm are the best times to post updates to your fan page. This makes sense, people get on right before they leave work, or before they get ready for bed.

On a side note, if you tag another business page in your post, do it on a Friday after normal business hours. Since most businesses don’t post updates over the weekend, your post will sit at the top of their Wall all weekend. Facebook has noticed this tactic, and sometimes they’ll push your update down a few places and out of chronological order. Still, try it! Sometimes if they haven’t posted in a while, you’ll sit at the number one spot. And in general, tag other pages in your posts. This gives them free advertising, and connects their fan base to you.

 

3) Ask questions

This isn’t necessarily talking about the “Ask Question” option that Facebook gives you to create a survey, although this is a great way to engage your fans. Even if you are posting a picture, ask a question too. If you are posting a product, ask people about it. Keep your questions open-ended. Open-ended questions that ask for your fans’ opinions are a strong call to action. Look at a few of these questions:

• “How would you incorporate REESE’S Peanut Butter Bells into the lyrics of your favorite holiday song?” – Reese’s
• “How have you gotten savvy with sharing on the Galaxy Nexus by Samsung?” – Verizon Wireless
• “Have you checked out our new and improved doodle site?” – Google

 

4) Post Fill-in-the-Blank Style Updates

This is a simple tactic that generates about 90% more feedback! If you had a small restaurant with a specialty dish, maybe you would say, “The best way to enjoy Dish X is with __________________!” This beckons your fans to complete it. And when they do, all their friends can see their story. The blank can be a question of opinion, or it can test their intelligence. People who like the movie Elf may see a post like this, “The best way to spread Christmas cheer, is __________________!”

 

5) Include Facebook Social Plugins on Your Website

Facebook offers many social plugins to allow you to integrate the social network within your website. The “Activity Feed” box is a great way to get a website visitor notice their friends interactions on Facebook. Inserting them is as easy as adding a few lines of code to your website, and can be done easily, even if you use WordPress for a CMS.

Their are many other ways to increase fan interaction with your posts—developing a voice, creating conversations, etc. Huebris manages many businesses daily updates to Facebook. This is part of our Social Media Marketing service. Facebook fan pages are free, but the time, effort and talent necessary to maximize the impact of a fan page is costly. You can outsource your daily updates to Facebook for as little as $150/month. At Huebris we train constantly to maintain the best practices for engaging audiences on a fan page. If you are interested in this service, contact us today!