These TikTok best practices are part of a series we have on Social Media best practices. Included in this series are Instagram Best Practices, TikTok Best Practices, Snapchat Best Practices and LinkedIn Best Practices.
Platform Information
Facebook is the largest social media platform in the world, with 2.96 billion monthly active users, and is the third most-visited website behind Google and Youtube. For brands, having a Facebook page is a no-brainer, as is optimizing all content for mobile (97% of all FB users access the platform via the mobile app). With a variety of content types, widespread reach across almost all age demographics, and endless options for paid advertising, Facebook is the bedrock of many brands’ social media strategies.
Popular Activities on the Platform:
- 71% of users use Facebook to message friends and family
- 62% of users use Facebook to post/share photos and videos
- 60% of users use Facebook to keep up to date with news and events
55% of users use Facebook to follow and research brands and products
Platform Audience
Current audience demographics as of March 2023.
- 24% are 25-34
- 18% are 18-24
- 18% are 35-44
- 14% 45-54
- 57% male
- 43% female
Posting and Cadence Times
We find that this is currently the optimal cadence and posting schedule for Facebook.
Cadence
- 1-2 times a day is ideal
- 3x/week minimum
Posting Times
- Best times to post (8am to 1pm EST)
- Monday – 10 am to noon
- Tuesday – 9am to 2pm
- Wednesday – 9am to 1pm
- Thursday – 9am to noon
- Friday – 9 am to noon
- Best Days to Post
- Tuesdays and Wednesdays
- Worst Days to Post
- Sundays
(Post cadence may change depending on industry and unique audiences)
Content Formats
Video is becoming the primary way people use the Facebook platform. Videos now account for 50% of all time spent on the platform and receive at least 59% more engagement than other posts. Notably, Facebook live video generates 3x the engagement as recorded videos. Videos should be between 1-3 minutes long. Sound-off videos tend to perform better than sound-on videos, so it is advantageous to include subtitles in pre-recorded videos.
Ad Recommendations
Facebook is an important platform for brands running paid campaigns, in part due to lower costs per result compared to Google or other social channels. In general, Facebook ads see an average click-through rate (CTR) of 0.90% across all industries. Ad videos tend to get a 20 to 30% increase in conversions compared to Facebook image ads, with vertical videos generating the most engagement at 0.48%, higher than landscape (0.33%) and square (0.26%).
It is important to note that in January of 2022, Facebook removed a large volume of detailed targeting options for ads. Previously, these targeting options helped brands reach niche audiences, so this shift has the potential to impact the performance of paid FB ads. Using creative that speaks directly to your target audience is a workaround for this limitation and could help offset the impact to performance.
Image/Video Specs
- Feed posts: 1:1 (square), 1.91:1 (landscape), 4:5 (portrait)
- Stories/Reels: 9:16
- Cover photo: 16:9
Facebook Hashtag Usage
While not as important on Facebook as for other platforms, we recommend using 2-3 hashtags in posts. Make sure they’re visible by including them in the post caption and using all lowercase letters. Brands should also consider using branded or campaign hashtags.
Facebook Algorithm:
The Facebook algorithm is a set of rules that decides what posts people see in their feeds and is personalized to each individual user. In order to decide what content is most relevant to show on each user’s page, Facebook considers four factors:
- Inventory – Facebook takes inventory of all the content that could show up on your feed—including posts from friends, followed pages, or groups that you have joined.
- Signals – The algorithm then assesses the relevance of content based on numerous signals. These signals include who posted the content and how often you interact with them or when the post was published and what time it is for you. Facebook also considers signals such as type of content and how you have interacted with similar posts.
- Predictions – Using these signals, Facebook makes predictions about what you want to see and how likely you are to engage with a piece of content.
- Relevancy Scoring – Finally, the algorithm will score each content depending on its relevance to you. The higher the score, the more likely it is to show up in your feed.
This process happens every time a user refreshes their feed.
In 2021, Facebook launched the “Favorites” tool to give users more control over what they see. Users can add up to 30 friends and pages to their Favorites and these accounts will show up more prominently in your feed.
Facebook Growth Opportunities
Live Video:
Facebook’s live-streaming video solution makes up 20% of all video on the platform. As 82% of people would prefer a live video over reading a social post, it allows brands to create a deeper connection with audiences. In general, longer live videos have a higher engagement than shorter live videos. In fact, Facebook prioritizes longer videos (3+ min) and allows users to go live for as long as 8 hours.
- Drives about 3x more engagement than traditional videos
- Receives about 10x more comments than traditional videos
- Watched about 3x longer than traditional videos
- Research from Livestream found that 67 percent of live stream viewers bought tickets to similar events (concerts, conferences, etc).
Groups:
Get more organic reach for your posts by using Facebook Groups. Posts in groups that people engage with are displayed higher in the newsfeed and allow you to communicate authentically with your audience. Typically, the minimum engagement for a group is 80%, but some groups can receive engagement rates exceeding 200%.
Groups also offer brands the opportunity to do market research with target audience, by analyzing the most engaging content and reading qualitative feedback.
Facebook Groups help build communities through features like community chats, Reels, event sharing, and community contributions.
- A community chat is a messaging thread created specifically for your Facebook group, designed for real-time and more public conversations with other group members. This feature allows brands and users to stay connected with their groups and build deeper relationships.
- Reels in groups allow community members to share information, tell stories, and connect on a deeper level with other group members through creative and immersive videos.
- Facebook Event sharing via Instagram can help brands showcase their communities more broadly. By cross-posting Facebook events in a Group to Instagram, Groups are able to reach audiences beyond Facebook and bring users back to the platform.
- Top contributing members selected by Group Admins promote user engagement within Groups. Community members can earn points by taking on an active role in the community or by receiving reactions and comments on posts. By accruing points, top contributing members can earn badges to feature on their group profiles, making it easier for admins to select members for roles.
Business Pages:
For many brands, a Facebook business page is a place where customers can come to get information and can engage directly with the brand. Facebook is a great platform for building brand awareness, providing customer service, and even driving sales.
Some best practices for business pages include:
- Posting high-quality content. This means using high-resolution images and videos, writing engaging copy, and sharing interesting and informative content. Your content should be relevant to your audience and should be consistent with your brand voice.
- Posting regularly. There’s no right answer to how often you should post on Facebook, but a good rule of thumb is to post once a day, or at minimum, 3 times a week.
- Engaging with your audience. Respond to comments and questions, and participate in conversations. This will help you build relationships with your followers and create a sense of community around your brand.
- Hosting contests and giveaways. Contests and giveaways are a great way to generate excitement and engagement around your brand and help grow your page.
Reels
According to Meta, Reels are the “fastest-growing content form.” Reels are vertical videos that can be up to 60s. They can be found in your Facebook feed— at the top of the mobile Facebook newsfeed with Stories—the Reels section on Facebook, or your Reels profile. Reels can be shared directly in Facebook Groups, allowing brands to capitalize on the benefits of both Facebook Groups and Reels. Reels can be an effective tool for marketing because they:
- Reach a wider audience – Reels show up on users’ feeds even if they don’t follow the account—unlike traditional Facebook posts. As a result, businesses can increase their visibility and reach a larger number of people who may not have discovered their brand otherwise. Additionally, Facebook Reels can be posted to other social media platforms, further increasing the reach of a brand’s content.
- Increase engagement: With these short videos designed to be shared and discovered, Facebook Reels can result in increased engagement from followers and potential customers.
- Are cost-effective: Facebook Reels can be a cost-effective way to reach target audiences and promote a brand. Short-form videos allow businesses to save money on production costs while still creating high-quality content.
Ads for Reels were released in 2022, providing an opportunity for increased reach and performance in ads. Eligible content creators can now embed ads in their Reels or take on monetized challenges to earn money.
Stories:
Facebook users are able to share “raw” or unfiltered content in Stories, which expire in 24 hours. The Facebook algorithm makes it difficult at times for brands to organically reach target audiences. Because stories are displayed prominently at the top of every Facebook feed, users may be more likely to notice and engage. As of 2021, about 500 million people used Facebook stories every day, making it a great tool that brands can use to reach massive audiences.
Facebook Stories can last up to 20 seconds and can be further customized with stickers, text, drawings, and animated effects. Brands can share links or customized call-to-action buttons that viewers can interact with. These buttons encourage viewers to “book now”, “call”, “get directions”, “shop” and more.
Meta Verified:
Released in early 2023, Meta Verified is a subscription service meant to help up-and-coming creators grow their presence and build community faster. After paying a fee each month, Meta Verified users will be granted:
A verified badge, confirming your identity and that your account has been authenticated with a government ID
Increased visibility and reach with prominence in some areas of the platform– like search, comments, and recommendations
Help when you need it with access to a real person for common account issues
Currently, Meta Verified is optimized for content creators but businesses might be interested in upgrading for extra protection and an improved customer support experience.
Subscription Services
Another new feature Facebook launched is subscription services that brands and content creators can offer their followers/customers. In order to use Subscriptions, a page must have 10,000 followers or 250+ Return Viewers and 50,000 post engagements or 180,000 watch minutes in the past 60 days.
Subscriptions allow creators to receive consistent, predictable earnings while giving followers the opportunity to support a creator’s work. Additionally, they can help creators to connect more deeply with audiences, identify their biggest fans and grow a subscriber base.
Click here to download a PDF version of our Facebook Best Practices.
BOSTON, MARS
