Facebook has become a competitive advertising juggernaut.
There’s no denying its potential for small businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs across the globe. Unfortunately, this level of competition has created a noisy atmosphere for the world’s largest social media network.
Companies in all industries have seen a dramatic fall in their organic reach on Facebook, causing many to turn to paid advertising in order to get in front of their fans without worrying about organic reach.
But many smaller businesses don’t have the budget to pay to play.
If you’re in this position, there are several things you can do to increase your Facebook Page reach without paying for ads. If you don’t have an advertising budget, learning these tactics may be your only option for achieving Facebook success.
Invest in Remarkable Content
Without a paid advertising budget, you’ll need to invest more energy into crafting content and social media posts that people want to share. How can you do this?
By investing in remarkable content.
You can’t write mediocre posts and expect to see organic success on social media. It just won’t happen. People don’t share things that either don’t resonate with them or that don’t make them look like a smarter, more successful and/or cultured person.
Write In-Depth Blog Posts
Everyone’s talking about it.
Long form, in-depth blog posts are a great way to beat your competition and establish your brand as an industry expert. Audiences view these posts as valuable resources, especially when you take the time to include a variety of helpful elements, including:
- Links to studies, research, and additional resources on the topic
- Screenshots, custom graphics, and other related images
- Embedded videos that further expound on the topic
The deeper your content goes, the more valuable it appears to readers. You’ll likely get far more shares on this type of content than generic, mediocre content.
Create Engaging Graphics
Have you ever noticed how images get far more likes and comments than regular text posts? That’s because it’s much easier to consume a visual element, especially on the fast-moving social media platforms.
Sharing engaging graphics is a great way to gain the attention of your audience. When you have something to say, always accompany the announcement with a high-quality image.
Start Investing in Video Content
Social media sites are putting quite a bit of focus on video these days. As an example, Facebook has recently released some powerful statistics about their video element:
These types of statistics should make brands pay attention. If you want to make an organic impact with Facebook, video content could help make that happen.
Learn More About Your Audience
You know what the most important aspect of your Facebook Page is? It’s not the things you post or the content you create on your blog. And it’s not how witty you are or the time of day you share each update.
The most important part of your Facebook Page is your audience.
Once you grasp this concept, you’ll be able to truly design a social media presence that gets popular without paid advertising.
If you truly want to understand your audience, you’ll need to do a few things.
Interview Your Ideal Customer
Find the person that embodies your perfect customer. This person doesn’t have to be a current customer (although that may help land the initial interview). Here are a few of my favorite questions to ask during these types of interviews:
- How is the success of your job measured?
- What knowledge and tools do you to accomplish your daily tasks?
- What does it mean to be successful in your role?
- Where do you go to find new information about your job?
- What blogs, books, or publications do you read?
- Do you belong to any associations or exclusive groups?
- How do you network with others in your industry?
- What are your biggest challenges?
The amount of information these question can reveal will immensely help you with understanding your audience. And, once you understand them better, you can create stronger, more engaging content for social media.
Create Hyper-Targeted Personas
Now that you understand your ideal customer, it’s time to do something with that information. Instead of just letting that knowledge fall by the wayside, put it to use in the form of a hyper-targeted persona.
A persona helps position your content toward a specific person.
When you craft posts with a specific persona in mind, it becomes much easier to tap into the needs, desires, and pains of your audience. In addition to the information you gleaned during the interview, a well-rounded persona will also include:
- Demographic information
- Specific details about job roles and duties
- How your solution heals their pain points
- Their most common objections to your service
- Ways you can identify with the persona
A combination of this information will ensure that you know as much as possible about your audience. If you create highly-engaging content for these personas, you’ll be able to drive social media engagement without paying for ads.
Avoid Common Faux Pas
Nothing can ruin a solid social media strategy faster than falling victim to common mistakes, all of which can destroy your reputation and leave you with a lackluster social presence.
And that’s the last thing your brand needs.
There are a few major social media mistakes—do everything possible to avoid them at all costs. If you really want to make an impact without paying for advertising, you can’t afford to let your brand be caught by these mistakes.
Speak to the Context of Each Platform
Don’t post the same update to each social network you’re on.
Instead, create custom content for each profile. What works on Facebook won’t work on Twitter. And the things you post on Instagram should be different from the pictures on your Facebook page. Every platform has its own culture, and you should craft content with that in mind.
Posting the same message to each platform is lazy. The people who follow you on several networks should be considered your more loyal fans. When you don’t take the time to craft unique content for each platform, you’re punishing them for supporting you.
Show how much you love your raving fans by sharing unique, engaging content that fits the context and culture of each platform.
Infuse Your Posts With Brand Personality
Don’t post boring, generic updates.
The online world moves fast. If you’re just mimicking everyone else, no one will pay attention. Get out there and share your brand’s personality with the world. It’s the thing that will make users want to see your stuff.
Update Channels on a Regular Basis
Don’t post infrequently or on an irregular basis.
If you want your content to be seen without paying for ads, you need to get your engagement rates high. It’s possible to accomplish this by staying top-of-mind and publishing great updates frequently throughout the week.
Success on social media comes down to a complex web of strategy and tactical implementation. If you want to see organic success on Facebook and the other social networks, it’s time to invest in the right plan.
You don’t have to pay for ads to gain momentum on social media sites, but you will have to work that much harder to obtain it. Are you willing to put in the effort?
Image Credits
Featured Image: Macrovector/Shutterstock.com
In-post Photo #1: David Molina G/Shutterstock.com
In-post Photo #2: Ollyy/Shutterstock.com
In-post Photo #3: scyther5/Shutterstock.com
Screenshot by Aaron Agius. Taken December 2015.
