August’s Facebook social reach
I’ve been very impressed with the increased functionally that Facebook has offered on Facebook pages with sponsored posts and advertising. Over the last month I’ve been trialing and testing this new functionality. Here is what I’ve discovered.
Before I get into the nitty-gritty, here are some base-line metrics:
1. Reach was around 3,000 at the start of August. It is now at 85,000. Too be honest I’m sure it’s much more than 2000%, but then I’m a creative and I’m not great with maths ;-).
2. Likes were at around 1,200 the start of August. They are now at 1,700.
All this increase in just one month. Brilliant!
I’ve used Facebook Sponsored Posts and ‘Likes’ to great effect. More about that later, but here are some of the broad principles that everyone can adapt within the paradigm of paid advertising.
1. Create great quality shareable content
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Good design and a great message is the a key to creating content that people want to share. The short message here is simple and obvious. Overlaid by strong typography. How far did it travel?
You can see by above picture taken from the desktop admin view that 583 people “liked” the post. One of the cool features Facebook pages app does is that it measures your true “likes” the likes on the pages of those who have engaged. This post ended up with 1,217 “likes” and 168 shares. It was viewed by over 24,000 people. Whoa.
2. Engagement is higher in the later half of the week
Up until Hump day seems to be a big deal. I’ve posted before and after Wednesday and I can confidently say that people are more likely to engage and share content with their Facebook friends later in the week. I have been using the timed posting on a Thursday afternoon, the post keeps on travelling through cyberspace until Sunday.
3. Review and re-test
I review every Facebook post to see how effective it has been. The greatest insight into the style of post is that short is sweet, short is more shareable. Any content needs to be read at a scanable rate to promote higher engagement. People are making spilt second decisions on what they “like” and what they will pass on from.
Now don’t forget take these are all tactics. You need a strategy first. My strategy was to increase Crossway’s reach and our expand our social influence with friends of friends in Melbourne.
Now you might want the secret sauce on what went on under the hood. What was the advertising strategy behind this? I’m glad you asked :-). I now offer my services as a consultant. If you are interested in finding out what the secret sauce is then let’s chat.
I also have heaps of other posts that give you the social skinny on social media.
Social Media 101: A Guide For Churches and Non-Profits
How I Got 100% More Engagement On My Facebook Updates
5 Church Facebook Landing Pages I “Like”
8 Priceless Social Media Tips From Around The World
3 Reasons Why Your Church Should Have A Mobile Website (& 11 Eye-Popping Examples)
11 Practical Steps To Help You Move From Surviving To Thriving In Social Media
A Handy Two Minute Guide To Help Your Brand Become More Social
9 Tips I Wish I Knew Before I started Using Social Media For Church
3 Ice Cool Tips To Help Your Brand Avoid A Digital Melt-Down
I’d love to hear what your thoughts are about sponsored posts or paid advertising on Facebook. Comment below.
