The Science and Art of Your Facebook Posting Strategy

Here’s the thing about creating a Facebook page for your business: you have to do something with it. But exactly what to post on your Facebook page is what stumps a lot of businesses. A good posting strategy is a mix of science and art, and I think you’ll find that just about any business can become a Facebook artist.

The Science of Facebook Posting

1. Post frequently – Marketer and author Stephen Woessner says the most effective Facebook frequency formula is two status updates per day, and he has the research to back it up. I think it’s ok to post as many as 4 times per day, as long as you add variety to your status updates (the art part), making sure they’re not all self-promotional.Your Facebook fans’ stream is usually arranged by “most recent.” Meaning the most recent status updates from a fan’s network is posted at the top. The more frequently you post, the more likely it is that you will catch a fan’s attention. Just make sure you don’t catch their attention by irritating them.

 

2. Post updates when people are logged on to Facebook – There is no scientific rule here, because different demographics will log on to Facebook at different times of the day. Also your geographic reach will affect when you post. For The Marketing Spot Facebook page, I have found that I usually get the most traffic around the 10 AM hour and in the evenings. But my reach is across multiple time zones and 20% of my fans are international. When should you post?To help decide, you may have to do some testing. Try posting at a different hour each day for a week or two. Take special notice whenever one of your fans comments on your update, because each is time-stamped. What time do you get the most comments. One especially useful tool to gauge when you should be active is Facebook’s built-in Insights tool, located in the left column of your page. It not only gives you a statistical breakdown of your fans, but also tells you which days of the week they are most active. This can be especially useful if you have something important to announce. If you get the most fan activity on Wednesdays, that’s when you should make your big new product announcement.
   
   

 

3. Schedule Your Status Updates – No, you don’t have to stay glued to your computer to manage your Facebook page. There are several tools that allow you to schedule Facebook status updates. My favorite (right now) is Hootsuite. In fact, you can schedule an entire week’s worth of Facebook activity on Sunday evening, freeing you up to run your business during the week.But, beware. Scheduling updates doesn’t mean you have to check in on your page to see what’s going on. You will want to still log on to your account a couple of times per day to check for, and respond to, comments.

The Art of Facebook Posting

Now comes the art of creating content that attracts, engages and maintains fan interest. Before you start posting status updates, ask yourself one very important question: What do I want to accomplish with my Facebook page? Seriously, why do you even have a Facebook page? Do you want to sell stuff? Do you want to spark word of mouth? Maybe you just want to create a stronger brand-customer relationship. Whatever reason you choose, write that answer down on a piece of paper and tape it just above your monitor (See? I told you this was art).

Now it’s time to start creating your status updates by weaving a tapestry of colorful status updates. Three rules here.

First Rule: Remember your purpose for having a business page and update for that purpose.
Second Rule: Keep your brand’s personality in mind and update in that persona.
Third Rule: Mix it up with an artistic combination of social updates, news & information, and specials & advertisements.

Let’s see how that tapestry would look for a local car dealership:

Social

– Ask questions of fans, relate stories from customers or employees, or just tell something social that’s happening at the business.

Status update: “The Mustang comes in 6 different colors, my fav is Kona Blue Metallic. What color would you like your Mustang to be?” (link to mustang color swatches on the web)

Status update: “Mrs. Black came by the dealership today to get her oil changed. She said they just drove their Fusion to Florida and back and got over 32 mpg. Way to go Hannah!”

Status update: “Jeff in sales was late to work again this morning, but that’s ok, he brought some fresh peaches. Stop by today and get one.”

News and Information

– Make important announcements, offer incentives and give interesting facts.

Status update: “Got our very first Fiesta in today. It’s small, but I think you can drive to California and back on one tank of gas. (JK) Check out the video.“

Status update: “Wow, look at this. We just got word today on some new incentives from Ford. 0% APR financing (if you qualify) AND $1000 cash back .” (link to the Ford page with the announcement)

Status update: “Did you know red is the most preferred vehicle color by women, and black by men?“

Status update: “”Hooray! Kenny’s daughter is going to the state tournament. They won last night.”

Special offers and Ads

Status update: “$5 off on oil changes this week for our Facebook fans. Call for an appointment or just come in and say “I want the Facebook special.”

Status update: “Did you know we do spray-on bedliners? Take a look at this video of a truck we just finished yesterday.”

Ready to start creating? Say to yourself “I am a Facebook artist.” But you also know the science. How are you updating your Facebook page?  Feel free to link to your page in the comment section below.

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