I manage a couple of Facebook pages, some of which are nonprofits, and keep a close eye on stats via Facebook Insights.
When I see an increase in reach and total reach, I want to do a Happy Dance!
Why?
Because posts are being seen by more people, which is great for the nonprofits. Raising awareness and donations is a must.
I like to review Posts and pay close attention to the “type” of post. What I’ve noticed, and it’s not surprising, is that posts which include a picture, rank high. But that’s not all…
Status updates such as, “How do you and your furr-kid stay warm? Let us know in the comments below. Share a picture,” increase user engagement and comments.
Asking users to share their photos shows that you’re interested in them and want to know more about them. Remember, social media is not about you and your company. It’s about your audience and how you can help them solve (fill in the blank).
For example, if you became a certified personal trainer because you lost 100 lbs. and want to help others lose large amounts of weight, you can post your before and after picture and ask your audience to do the same. Sharing the pictures encourages others to do the same.
Why Post More Pictures?
Most people are visual so it makes sense to post more photos and videos on Facebook.
If you want to engage users and make them feel a part of your online community, ask them to post pictures.
Why?
Because people love to share to information.
For example, if you’re a certified personal trainer who’s also a health foodie, you can post the healthy meals you make on your Facebook page and ask your community members to do the same. Share images and recipes of healthy meals because it’s a great way to find out what your fans are cooking and how easy meals are to make.
Great pictures show and tell a story at the same time.
Balance Media with Text
While posting images can boost your comments, you want to balance this with text.
For example, if you’re a realtor, you can post a question in your status update such as, “Did you stage your home to sell it faster? Let me know in the comments below. Share a picture.” Of course, you can post a picture to accompany your status update.
See that.
Not only did you engage your audience by asking a question, but you also shared a photo.
What Types of Photos Should You Post on Facebook?
Photo by Yarik Mishin
You want to be strategic about the photos you post on your business’s Facebook page, which is why you need to know your target audience and what they want, need and like.
For example, if you’re a small travel agency that sells mostly European travel packages, you’ll want to post images of European countries, e.g., Germany and Italy, tour pictures, restaurants, fairs and festivals, fashion, office staff on a European vacation, and other pictures that are related to European travel.
For maximum clicks and comments, post more than photo.
Why?
Because Facebook automatically creates a photo album. Community members will see a main photo and thumbnails for the other photos. Do this and photo clicks can increase by over 1,000 percent.
You’ll want to review your Facebook Insights weekly, specifically Posts, and see which photos had the highest reach. Did pictures have captions? Were images custom made? Did images feature men, women, animals, families, etc.?
After you reviewed the stats for your Posts, look at the Days and Times and Reach. Did photos posted on Tuesdays at 8 pm rank higher than photos posted on Monday at 10 am?
Pay attention to when your community is online so you can post status updates with photos at the optimal times.
Get More Facebook Page Comments
You can get more comments by posting more images on Facebook.
Test photos to see how your audience reacts. For example, post a black and white photo one week and a color photo the next. Which one receives more comments and why? Maybe you asked a question or perhaps you just posted a fun status update such as the good ol’ “Capture this photo.” Analyze your status updates to find out what your Facebook community likes.
Go forth and post photos, but make sure you have the copyright to do so. If you create fun images via websites such as Some eCards, you can’t re-post the images on your social networks.
Over to you. Does posting images on your Facebook page return higher comments? Let me know in the comments below.
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