According to FB report, the best ads come from posts on your Page, so our best practices for Page publishing apply to Page posts and to ads and sponsored stories. Here are some Posting best practices recommended by FB:
Get the basics down.
Be succinct. Posts between 100 and 250 characters (less than 3 lines of text) see about 60% more likes, comments and shares than posts greater than 250 characters.
Post regularly. Post at least five times a week to stay top of mind for fans. Consistency is also key. For example, post new product announcements on the same day every week so fans know what to expect and can look forward to hearing from you.
Post at the optimal time. Only you know what’s right for your business, and you can use your Page Insights to figure out what’s working (for instance, try posting at different times of day and see when you get the most engagement). For example, FB reports show that restaurants post from 7am-12pm when people are making plans for the day, while retailers post in the 8am-2pm window. User engagement with Facebook Pages is highest from 9-10pm and the 18-24 demographic is the most engaged during this time.*
Be specific and relevant.
Know your specific audience. When posting to your page, your message will reach fans who are likely to be familiar with your brand, so insider content can make them feel in the know. To reach new audiences, you should create an ad from your page post and keep the content more general while still using your brand voice.
Be seasonable and timely. Fans are more likely to engage with topics that are already top of mind, such as current events, holidays or news. For example, posts mentioning Independence Day on July 4th generated about 90% more engagement than all posts published on that day.
* All engagement data and statistics are based on internal Facebook studies and represent average results.
Be relevant. For example, local businesses can reference community events, while national businesses can link to articles that their community will care about.
Make a visual impact.
Post photos and videos. Posts including a photo album, a picture or a video generate about 180%, 120%, and 100% more engagement than the average post, respectively.*
Use bold visuals. Grab your audience’s attention by using simple images with a clear focal point. Images with highly saturated colors also help the creative stand out against the site’s white background. An internal study showed that top performing ads (those with >.3% engagement in the form of likes, comments and shares) feature close-up images and a single color that stands out.*
Feature images that capture your brand. Ideally your profile image will be your logo or other brand symbol, but people should also recognize your brand in the images you feature. An internal study showed that when a brand was immediately identifiable in an ad, it performed better in terms of recall and purchase consideration.
Craft compelling content.
Speak from your specific brand voice. Include key words that are unique to your brand identity. If your brand has a fictional spokesperson, use their voice. If not, imagine how your brand would sound if it was a person.
Position your brand as a hero or problem solver. Highlight a specific product feature, such as anngredient or the convenience factor, and the impact it made. Reinforce this in the image if possible. An internal study showed that this was a characteristic of top performing ads.
Give fans exclusive access to content, products, events, and offers. Fans are 2x more valuable than non-fans, so you should reward them for their loyalty.* Take fans behind the scenes of events and product launches to make them feel special. Announce new products to fans on Facebook before anywhere else, give fans early access to sales, or post exclusive photos from events.
Deliver value to fans. Post limited-time offers or coupon codes, or use your Page to promote a sweepstakes or giveaway. Social loyalty rewards programs would make an excellent strategy.
