I Like You: Facebook Tactics that Generate Likes

Did you know that as of 2018, Facebook has an incredible 2.19 billion active users? The leading social media platform offers your business the potential to tap into diverse audiences. However, with over 60 million Business Pages on the website, you have a lot of competition to beat.

If you want more Facebook Likes, here is what you need to incorporate into your social media strategy:  

1. Post relevant, high-quality content

According to Facebook, you should share “short, fun-to-read copy and eye-catching images to get attention,” which include:

• Gripping headlines: A great headline is informative, clear, accurate, and sets the appropriate expectations about the content of a post. Thus, it is one of the best ways to get attention for your post. Just make sure that your headlines are factual and not clickbait.
• Compelling images: A study found that social media posts with photo attachments receive significantly more Facebook Likes than text-only posts. If you do not have the time to take your own photographs, there are plenty of free stock photo websites that you can use. Conversely, you can also try creating infographics that convey valuable information relevant to your niche.
• Engaging videos: Videos are an efficient aspect of any marketing strategy. In particular, over 8 billion videos are watched on Facebook each day. If you already have an existing video marketing strategy and see no increase in Likes or conversion, read our in-depth article on Video Marketing Gone Wrong (And How to Fix It).
• Avoid being too promotional: Yes, you are promoting your brand on Facebook, but most people are not on the website to look for ads. Most users browse through their feeds to find entertaining and informative content. They are not interested in pushy advertisements packed with sales pitches. Counter this Facebook no-no by posting more engaging content such as quotes, fill-in-the-blanks, impressive statistics, and polls. You can even ask your followers for their input on your products or services.
  
• Give your followers what they want: If you stop and listen (well, read) the comments and messages on your Facebook Business Page, you can gain knowledge in what type of content people want from you on Facebook. For instance, if the majority of your comments are about service inquiries, try creating content that focuses on answering those questions. If you are a web design agency and your messages are about what type of colors work best on a business website, then dedicate a blog post about the topic and share it on your Facebook Page.

2. Know when to post and when to engage
   

• Post at the right time: According to Hootsuite, knowing when to post increases engagement and Facebook Likes. You need to do your research and try posting at different times of the day to determine what works best for your audience. However, on average, 1 P.M. to 4 P.M. gets the highest click-throughs.
• Have a posting schedule: Creating a content calendar and scheduling posts in advance helps keep your Facebook content organized and consistent. Having consistency in the quality and kinds of posts you create will help audiences know what types of messages to expect from you and how they tie into your business.
• Respond to your followers: If you want more people to like your Facebook Page or post, you need to invest time in engaging with those who already do. Ignored comments or questions on a Facebook Page can be discouraging to potential followers. If you would rather be anti-social, Facebook is not the place-to-be.

3. Engage with other brands and communities

You mustn’t forget that first and foremost, Facebook is a social network — so get social! Excluding your direct competitors, it is essential to start engaging with other brands and communities that are relevant to your niche. Leaving a simple Like or comment on another brand’s post can draw their attention and open up opportunities to cross-promote your businesses.

Facebook Groups are also an excellent place to find people who are passionate about topics related to your niche. If you contribute the right information, they may even offer you the opportunity to highlight your expertise. Just make sure that your participation in any Facebook Group is helpful and relevant, not promotional.

    4. Take Advantage of the Facebook algorithm

You need to grasp the ins and outs of Facebook’s algorithm if you want to expand your organic reach. At its core, the Facebook algorithm prioritizes content that we have discussed over and over: Quality content that is not overly promotional. This fact comes as no surprise since Facebook wants people to enjoy what they see in their News Feeds. Facebook prefers to surface the best content at the very top. Thus, you should invest time and effort in producing valuable posts. Specifically, the leading social network highlights posts that not only inform, but also entertain as having value recognized by the algorithm.

In addition, the Facebook algorithm prioritizes live broadcasts and catapults them higher in the News Feed. If you have an upcoming event, speech, or presentation, give Facebook Live a try.

5. Use Facebook Ads
   

Facebook offers an extensively detailed ad targeting that enables you to focus on your advertising efforts and make the most out of your ad spend. Placing your business in front of your target audience is one way to attract more Facebook Likes. There are two types of Facebook advertising that you need to be aware of: boosted posts and ad campaigns.

• Boost a post: If you boost a post, you can extend the audience reach beyond those who already like your Page. Boosted posts are a great option if your content is already compelling by bringing in a large number of Likes from people who already Like your Page.
• Run a campaign: Facebook provides campaign objectives relevant to all types of business. Since this particular article is about how to get Facebook Likes, our social media team can focus on the Engagement objective when sharing it on Facebook, which is designed to expose our ad to a broad audience to increase our post or Page Likes.

Getting Likes is a crucial part of your Facebook marketing strategy. However, if you only focus on Likes, you may lose sight of what Facebook is all about. Always remember that Facebook is a social network above all. Without the act of socializing and engaging, your social media efforts will prove futile. The next time you think about posting on Facebook, implement these five tactics to help maximize the number of likes you generate.