I hear many people say that it’s not worth sharing their content on Facebook anymore, arguing that no one will see their post anyways.
I have good news! There are ways to overcome this. When used properly, Facebook can be an incredible marketing tool for your business.
I used to have very little engagement on my page until about a year ago when I started applying the following strategies. Here are my 7 proven tips to boost engagement on your Facebook page. I challenge you to start implementing these tips today and see the results for yourself.
1. Post content on a regular basis.
The more you share on Facebook, the more your posts will be seen. I recommend posting at least once or twice a day.
I know, it may seem like a lot. But a very effective way to do it is to sit down once a week and write a list of posts you would like to share with your audience the following week. Once you know what content to share, write and schedule your posts all at once, so you don’t have to think about it for the rest of the week.
Don’t limit yourself to sharing images of your work. Try to be creative with your posts. There are many things that your fans might be interested in. Think about what your audience would like to know about you, or things that you haven’t shared with them yet. As a wedding and family photographer, I like to share ideas or tips such as what to do if it rains on your wedding day, what to wear for a photo shoot, why it’s a good idea to have your hair and makeup done before a session.
I also like to share other people’s work. For example, I’ll feature a vendor I’ve collaborated with recently by sharing a few images showcasing their work. This helps strengthen my connection and relationship with them, and let’s be real, who doesn’t like some love sent their way!? By doing this, my name also stays top of mind, which means they are more likely to think of me for future events or projects.
2. Engage with your audience.
Ask questions or start a conversation. These are great ways to generate interaction on your page. When I can’t decide between a black and white or a color image, I’ll share both and will ask my audience for their advice on which one they like best. I can also share a digital image and a film image of the same subject side by side and will ask my fans to guess which one is which. This type of questions will easily generate comments and interaction on your posts. The more your posts get comments, the more they will be seen.
Take the time to respond to your fans’ comments, either by liking their comment or by responding nicely. It doesn’t have to be a long answer. But by interacting with them, you show that you care and value their input, and they will be more likely to comment on your posts next time.
3. Run a contest.
Running a contest is a great way to generate excitement and to bring new people to your page. Facebook has specific guidelines for managing contests, so make sure to follow them. The basic rules are that you can have members comment and like a post, but you cannot encourage people to tag their friends, require them to like your page, or share a post for a chance to win. But you know what, there’s a really good chance that they will do it anyway! You will certainly acquire new followers who will discover your work and potentially become future clients.
4. Tag your clients.
This one has been huge for me. My network got so much bigger because I started tagging clients on my posts. But before you do this, make sure your clients are okay with you sharing images of them on Facebook. My clients are usually happy to be featured, but it’s really important that you always ask their permission first.
The day following a photo shoot or a wedding day, I’ll share one image (usually the best one) on my page. I’ll include a nice comment about how the session went or how awesome they were and I’ll tag them on the photo. Note that you’ll need to be friends with them on Facebook first, otherwise you won’t be able to tag them. By doing so, I generate anticipation for my clients, who are excited to see more. This is why I’m only sharing one image at this stage. A few days later I will be sharing more.
When tagging your clients, the publication will be shared onto their respective walls if they allow it in their Facebook parameters. This means that their friends will see the image. If their parameters don’t allow it, they will still see the image you’ve shared because they’re tagged in it, and often times they’ll be excited to share it to their wall themselves. This is great because it will get their friends to see your work and then like and comment on your photo. This is what I did with the photo at the top of this article, and it was seen by 7,488 people, got 235 likes and 31 comments. I say that’s a pretty awesome marketing tool!
5. Use Facebook ads.
I love Facebook ads because they create engagement and bring new followers to your door. The great thing about these Facebook ads is that you can specify what audience you want to reach by selecting their age, sex, and interests. This ensures that your ad is only seen by people who fit your target market and who might be interested in what you have to offer.
6. Challenge yourself with a 30-day project.
Last year, I embarked on a project that challenged people to take and share one image per day for the 24 days leading up to Christmas. It was like an Advent Calendar, but showcasing images of our daily lives during this exciting Holiday month. I participated in the challenge along with a group of photographers. It created an incredible sense of community between all of us, but it also created a strong connection with our fans. People loved the idea.
They were going from one photographer’s page to the other, impatiently waiting to discover what photo each person would share the next morning. As mentioned in tip #1, sharing each day will help your posts to be viewed, so this was a great way to help build my reach. I received a very positive response from this project and I’m really excited to do it again this year.
7. Get personal.
I understand that getting personal on your fan page may be intimidating, and it’s really up to you to decide if you want to do it or not. But it’s an effective way to generate engagement. I’ve found that my fans connect with me even more after I share personal posts or bits of my daily life. These are usually likely to be more commented upon and liked than other posts.
Getting personal allows my fans to get to know me a bit more and it creates a sense of connection. People like and appreciate seeing the person behind the business name. It makes me human and accessible. Sharing behind-the-scenes photos or sneak peeks into a new project is also a great way to generate engagement and interest. It offers your audience a privileged access into your work and it helps build connection and trust.
Have you tried any of these tips before? If not, what are your favorite tips for boosting engagement on your page? Be sure to leave a comment below and share your thoughts!
