By Shane Maloy
We all like posting on Facebook. We want people to see what we post, especially if you are using a page to promote a business or brand. Facebook is constantly changing how it ranks and sorts your posts. In a recent update to the Facebook ranking system called “EdgeRank”, the way your posts appear on individuals news feeds changed once again. In short, EdgeRank is simply an algorithm that uses these three different variables: Affinity, weight, and time decay. Let’s run over each of these very quickly to help you understand.
1. Affinity
In short, this is your interaction with your friends. Facebook calculates which friend’s you spend the most time engaging with (by liking photos, posts or being tagged in those activities) and they come up with the calculation for your personal affinity.
2. Weight
This is a new feature. Facebook now weighs your posts by determining what is in the post. Photos and videos (not youtube however, since that is considered a link) are weighted the heaviest, followed by links, and then the good old just text updates. The reason Facebook has changed this is because they want an ability to quietly encourage the use of newer features. Using this weight system, if a new feature was rolled out, they could weight it heavier so everyone sees more of it and hopefully decides to use it.
3. Time Decay
This should be pretty self-explanatory. Your post gets less important as time passes. There is one small exception however: If your post (regardless of age) is still being actively commented or liked by friends, your old post will still show up via the affinity method.
So now that you know how it works, how can you make it work for you? Here are a few tips:
* Use pictures or videos – People like seeing things and it’s proven. Photos get close to 120% more engagement which can really pay off for your company online.
* Keep it short and conversational – Facebook users like reading short posts in nugget sizes that feel like it is personalized to them. They want to have conversations with brands or individuals, not be advertised to.
* Be consistent – 96% of your fans aren’t ever coming back to your page on their own, they will rely on seeing your content in their stream. So keep those posts coming. Generally speaking, I try to keep the posts to around 4-5 a day. It’s all up to trial and error with your particular field or market.
With this knowledge and these tips, you should be ready to make the most of your posts.
Shane is a audiophile and designer from Orlando FL. He started on his first website design project at 15 years old, and has fallen deeper in love ever since. He’s a writer, musician, technology freak and loves quality time with those he loves.
