Facebook is a strong channel for promoting our blog posts but if we want to get real results, if we want to drive people to click our links we need to build an engaged audience.
Facebook moves fast, they are always adding new features. If you blink you may miss them. Here are just a few features that may have passed you by.
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This is part 3 in a series on getting better results on Facebook:
Part 1: Blowing Hot & Cold: How To Use Facebook Ads To Build Warm Audiences That Convert
Part 2: It’s Not Facebook, It’s You – Should You Give Up On Facebook Marketing? – With Louise McDonnell
Part 3: The 6 Facebook Features You Probably Missed That Will Kick Start Your Engagement
Gif polls
It’s wonderful when we get comments on our Facebook posts but we have to remember that people don’t always have time to spend on Facebook with you. They could be taking a sneak peek at Facebook whilst procrastinating, while they are waiting for a bus or… as much as we don’t’ like to think about it, whilst they are in the toilet.
So how do we capture our audience’s attention and engagement in a moment?
One answer is Gif polls
Animated gifs moving as we scroll by in the newsfeed grab our attention and stop our thumb. Voting is an easy engagement, it’s as simple as clicking one option or the other.
Even though the Gif poll is wired for fast engagement you can get comments too. Try expanding on the topic in your Poll description. Ask them to vote and then ask them to tell you why they voted that way?
My recent poll on the type of phone you use iPhone or Android got votes and a whole bundle of comments.
Products or Services
When the products or services section first appeared on Facebook it seemed like a lot of hassle to set up. It wasn’t until later they added some features that made it worth the work.
Once you have added a product or service to your page you can tag it in relevant posts. You’ll see a shopping bag icon appear under the post, click it and the image and description of your product or service will appear.
I’ve found this really useful when I’m promoting a service as part of a Facebook Live video. It adds a nice call to action for anyone viewing.
Messenger button
More and more Facebook users are shying away from public posts and using Messenger for communication. As businesses, we need to embrace this. We don’t all have to go full on Chatbot yet but we have to give it as much weight as we might email communication.
There’s a Facebook feature that encourages more people to get in touch with us via messenger. Next time a potential customer sees a post from us they can get in touch immediately from the post using the messenger button.
The option to add the button is just underneath your post as you write it. It’s shaped like the messenger logo.
To get more messages ask people to hit the button if they want to ask any questions, book an appointment or share their experiences.
Add context
I’m feeling curious… well no I’m not really but you’ve probably noticed the option to add context about the way you feel, what you are watching, eating etc on your personal Facebook account.
You can add these elements to your business posts too. Adding your feeling or activity to your post can help people understand your intent, build empathy or just add a bit of eye-catching colour and personality to your posts.
List posts
List content has always worked well on blogs, they come with a promise. You are either going to learn x number of things, be entertained x number of times or take x number of steps to complete a task.
The List feature from Facebook is relatively new. Add your list step by step, choose a background colour and publish.
The colour and size of list posts mean they are hard to miss in the feed and choose a hot topic and the reactions will flow in.
You can use these for simple tutorials, best of lists, checklists and I’m sure there’s more I’m not thinking of.
If you want to create a list for your page you’ll find the option hidden away on the publishing tools tab on your Facebook page.
When composing a post from there click the three dots
You’ll get a drop-down menu of options. ‘Lists’ appears there
Sound collection
We know that 85% of people who watch video on Facebook watch it with the sound off. For the 15% who switch the sound on you can use the Facebook sound collection.
Access it from the ‘Publishing tools’ tab on your page.
The archive includes music and sound effects licensed for use on Facebook that you can add to your videos when editing. Tracks include sound effect from NASA, how cool is that?
One caution, don’t be tempted to use videos that include items from the sound collection on other social networks. The files here are licensed for use on the Facebook platform only and you could run into copyright issues if you use it elsewhere.
And that’s it. 6 Facebook features that may have passed you by. Now it’s your turn. What new Facebook business features have you noticed recently?
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