One of the main aims of companies using Facebook for business is generating awareness, as Jay Baer pointed out in his Facebook Success Summit session on Tuesday afternoon. The top way to do this, Baer says, is to win the News Feed. It seems simple: If you get someone to “like” your company’s Facebook page, then they receive the content you send out, right?
Not exactly, Baer said.
Your news feed is divided into two sections, “Top News” and “Most Recent News,” and people are automatically directed to their “Top News” feed when they log in. Facebook has even acknowledged that 95% of users only read their “Top News” version of the feed. Thus, to stay on your customer’s radar, your content must fall into the “Top News” category.
As Baer explained in his presentation, “Top News” is determined by the Edge Rank, an algorithm that reflects three components:
- Affinity Score: The amount you have historically engaged with content by a person/page increases your affinity to the content creator.
- Timing: The more recent the post, the higher it ranks.
- Weight: As posts are commented on, liked and shared by other Facebook users and their networks, their overall weight increases.
So, what should you do to continue to appear in the “Top News” section of the News Feed?
- Post content frequently. This increases your chances via the timing angle.
- Consider your post timing. Only 35% of Facebook users log in during the workday, research shows. That means “off hours” might work best for posting your content.
- Use calls to action in your posts. Encourage your fans to like, comment, or share your content to increase the weight.
How often are you posting content on Facebook? Did you understand direct the connection between frequency, weight, affinity and becoming “Top News”?
To learn more key tips and actionable steps for Facebook marketing from social-media leaders Brian Solis, Jay Baer, Mari Smith, and major brands such as Cisco, Xbox, SAP, and the Washington Redskins, sign up for the monthlong online Facebook Success Summit today! (SmartBrief is a partner in this event.)
Image Credit, Ideabug, via iStockphoto