Create Engaging Facebook Content to Build More Followers

It's common knowledge that you need engaging content on Facebook (or anywhere else online for that matter). It’s what gets you more followers. But what exactly does 'engaging' content mean?

It means that your followers don't just read or consume the content. They take action on it. This can be any type of action such as getting new ‘likes’, commenting, sharing your content, generally singing your praises, or buying your product or service. But what's important is that they do something when they see your posts.

So we know social media is interactive and growth is driven by more engagement. When you put content out into the world that gets your followers responding, this is when you'll see your numbers climb. We often talk about this as your conversation rate. Out of all the people that see your post, what percentage of that audience responds in a specific, desired manner. Engaging content that delivers a high conversation rate is what makes it all worth it!

OK, so how does one create engaging content?

Make It Visual

I won't mention statistics because it all depends on the source, but all surveys, reports and studies show that visual content gets more likes, comments, shares and other types of engagement on Facebook.

Visuals are popular because they give us instant gratification. You can take in a visual at a glance, whereas you have to watch movies, listen to audio or read text in order to feel something about it. Your image, quote or meme can get digested and shared in a single moment. We consume social media at such an alarming rate you have only an instant to elicit a response.

Ask Questions, Seek Opinions

People love an opportunity to pitch in their two cents. A great way to engage your audience is to ask questions or seek their opinions. It could be something really simple like a natural health website that asks its followers what they ate for breakfast today. Sometimes even a question as mundane and seemingly boring as this gets hundreds of comments. The question is relevant to the audience, that's all that is needed to generate a huge response.

Hint: make questions more interactive and fun – ask trivia, conduct polls, share a quote and ask for interpretations or use a fill-in-the-blank model question.

Curate Content

Sometimes a simple share will engage your audience. This is called content curation and it's all the rage, partly because it's easy and can be wildly effective. You haven’t created the content yourself, but what makes content curation work is that you add something to the original post; you tie its message back to your audience.

For example, here are three ways to package the same article on household management. The article has tips on removing stains from carpets naturally and you ask your fans to contribute unique methods that have worked for them. Alternatively, ask fans to try a tip and provide feedback on whether it worked or not. You might keep the barrier to engagement very low and simply ask your audience to share this fabulous tip for getting carpets cleaned naturally.

Hint: clearly state the desired action you want your audience to take. Tell them to “share”. Ask them to “comment”. Be specific when you invite them to engage.

Give the People What They Want

When you give your fans what they want, you'll get engagement. This is a seemingly simple concept; you just have to figure out what that is. The good news is that they'll usually tell you. If you read comments closely, it's often right there in black and white. A fan may say something like, 'This is cool but what I want to know is…' and you have another good content idea.

We often talk about using surveys before and after events. Review these questionnaires with your Facebook content in mind. Look for new insights into what matters to your audiences. Wrap a new narrative around what it is you do and the industry you service.

Check Out the Competition

Another good way of finding out what kind of content resonates and engages is to look at the competition. Find a few pages that are similar to yours and look at the posts there that get the most engagement. Steal the idea but put a unique twist on it. There is nothing wrong with this. Your industry is speaking about what is important at that moment; have a voice and jump into the conversation.

Discover What Works!

Ultimately, it's all about throwing your content ideas out there and seeing what works and what doesn't. The results can be surprising. When a post engages, create more like it. When a post falls flat, don't repeat it.