The Do’s and Don’ts to Posting Images on Facebook
When making a social media post to Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, you will be challenged to stand out from the heavy competition on the Internet. A common theory in today’s social media world is to just spend money and everything solves itself. That couldn’t be further from the truth (unless you are ready to burn thousands). Spending money is helpful, yes, but to get your content viewed by potential customers, it needs to follow industry-standard rules for maximized organic reach. These are the people who are already on your page that will see your content on their timelines. Today, we’re specifically reviewing concepts that are consistent with Facebook distribution.
Facebook Images That Stand Out
So, you just designed a wonderful image for Facebook with fancy fonts, lighting techniques, and colorations for your audience. This is great! However, Facebook doesn’t like anything that appears “salesy” or has a ton of text in their image. Big brands get away with these techniques due to their high budget for social media ads. However, companies that don’t have larger budgets must play by Facebook’s rules. By doing so, you will see increased engagement, website click-through’s, and conversions! Your first step will be to ensure that images are created with limited text. Facebook will start dramatically restricting your reach if text covers more than 20 percent of an image. They will also flag words they identify as direct sales pitches. “Buy now,” “purchase,” and “read more,” are action words you probably have been taught to use. Mark Zuckerberg isn’t a fan! He wants Facebook to appear as a fun network and will force you to pay real money for direct advertising.
Let’s go through a few do’s and don’ts that can help you capitalize on Facebook’s content algorithm instead.
The Do's and Don'ts of Facebook Images
Do: Design graphics that feature a wide array of colors, people, animals, or tasty food. Let the picture speak for itself.
Don’t: Make full text graphics, regardless of how good they look. The algorithm will not show your picture to people already on your page.
Do: Use lower-thirds hashtags that can be designed into the bottom of your photo, along with fun catch-phrases.
Don’t: Write exact sales details on your graphic.
Do: Relate current events to your graphic designs. Facebook’s algorithm will favor posts that have to do with items that are trending.
Don’t: Make your pictures look like blatant stock images. This does not create an attractive user experience.
Do: Post a link to your website in the caption rather than the photo itself.
Don’t: Post a website link within your picture. It isn’t clickable and could be penalized by Facebook’s algorithm.
Do: Use images that relate a localized Houston culture for your company. People tend to engage with content that is specific to them.
Don’t: Use designed images that don’t relate to your product or service directly. Only use stock images that look personable.
While Facebook strategies can greatly differ by the type of page you operate, it is vital to use these basic photo tactics to your advantage. Otherwise, no one will ever see your images! For more followers and tips follow us on Facebook!
