Ok, so it’s tough to get engagement on a Facebook page without paying.
We know, we wrote about it here when our engagement dropped to nearly zero.
In short, Facebook has put a hurt lock on Facebook pages — making it difficult to reach the audiences they’ve spent money and time to build.
But there’s no “quit” in us — in fact, we like it when the going gets tough. It gets rid of all the knuckleheads that don’t test.
So, we’ve been working in the Lab to find Facebook post types that work.
And, of course, once we found a good formula — we documented the best practices and had it templatized (Is that a word? I’m thinking not…) so we can crank out status updates like this at will.
You’ll get that process (and the templates) in just a second…
… but first let me show you the post type I’m talking about.
The Good Old Quote Post
For years, Facebookers have been uploading images of famous quotes like…
And these work… sort of.
People like them, share them and engage with them. Don’t lie… I know you do too. 🙂
But smart marketers realize that posting quotes from Steve Jobs, Maya Angelou and Michael Jordan might get solid engagement but they don’t…
- Advance their own brand
- Advance their own message
- Drive traffic to their content
If you’re going to share quotes… why not share your own?
Brendan Burchard gets it…
So does Tony Robbins…
I know what you’re thinking…
“Pffft. I’m NOT a rock star like Brendon Burchard or Tony Robbins!”
But you’re wrong… you DO have something to say. And to YOUR sphere of influence you ARE a rock star.
And, if you’re part of a larger company — you likely have a public facing figure (the CEO, Founder, owner?) that can communicate key messages through quote posts.
And don’t worry… I’m going to make it real easy to test these quote posts on your Facebook page.
Here’s what one of ours looks like…
What is so engaging about this post?
- Visually appealing text
- Relevant content
- Link, Link, Link!
Where To Find Content For Quote Posts
No matter what niche or vertical you’re in you’ll find quotables for your Facebook posts.
Here’s where to start looking…
Resurface your old content
Do you frequently post your newest content on Facebook while your old content dies away? What a waste! Revisit this content and see if you can use or revise it for your quote box. This will expose new followers to your stuff that’s old but still great.
Look at the data in your email marketing program to find old posts that did well to your mailing list and resurrect that content with a few quote images and links to drive more traffic to those golden oldies.
Or, check your Google Analytics to find highly trafficked content that could be resurfaced. Use the BEHAVIOR > SITE CONTENT > ALL PAGES report.
Use What’s Already Worked on Facebook
Find posts your followers have already engaged with on Facebook using Facebook Insights and breathe new life into them using a quote box. Come up with 3-4 different quotes for the content to use it multiple times.
Access Facebook Insights and then the POSTS reports.
Export the post data to Excel and find highly engaging content by sorting and searching through the “Lifetime Post Organic Reach” column in your data.
Look everywhere… I mean everywhere
You and your organization have content… somewhere. Is it on a YouTube channel? In PowerPoint presentations? Scribbled in a moleskine notebook? Find it and surface it with quote boxes.
Lead into new content
If you don’t want to go back and create quote boxes for old content — use them to draw attention to each new piece of content you share on your page.
How to Build Your Own Quote Box
First, review all the content that you want to expose to your audience.
- Remember, this content can come from a blog post, a video, a podcast, a webinar… the possibilities are endless.
- Record 2-3 worthwhile statements that quickly summarize and make your content worth reading.
- A quote box should serve as a quick insight into your content. Ultimately, your audience will decide if the content is worth reading and sharing with others.
Categorize your information in Excel. This provides you a library of content that you can pull from. Organize your content by:
- Type: Blog Post/Video/Podcast?
- Headline: The headline of your content to reference.
- Quote Content: 2-3 ideas of quotes to go in your quote box template.
- Copy: The copy that will go above your quote box on your social media.
- Link: Include tracking to see how many clicks you’ve received.
Don’t forget to set up tracking before you set these posts live…
- Use Bit.ly to shorten your links and monitor click data
- If you’re tracking organic social campaigns using Google Analytics use UTM parameters on your URL’s.
Check to see how many clicks you’ve received on a post after 3 days. Record this for a month and see how you’ve done.
Repurpose Your Quote Boxes
Sure — Facebook is the social media king but you can share these quote boxes on Twitter, Google+, Pinterest and Instagram as well. Visual information does very well on all of these social sites.
Keep these quote box sizes in mind for the various networks…
Quote Image Tips
- Keep it short – Quotes should be, ideally, no longer than one sentence.
- Format – Emphasize positive and negative words using bold and italics, but don’t overdo it.
- Keep it clean – Don’t use an image heavy background. It’s better to keep the background a flat color or simple pattern with text that stands out. The emphasis here is on the message, not the image.
- Find the face – Quote boxes perform well with public figures. If possible, use quotes from the face of the company.
- Upload as a link – Linked posts get further organic reach. Enter your link, change the link picture to your quote image, and enter your copy.
Download the Quote Box Template
We’ve made some templates you can use in PowerPoint.
- Download the templates, add your own quotes
- Click on FILE > SAVE AS and save the slide as a JPEG.
- Upload that puppy adding text and links to your content.
Download Your Complimentary Quote Box PowerPoint Templates here
Your turn. How do you plan to use quote images on your Facebook page or elsewhere? What post types are working for you on Facebook and elsewhere? Don’t be stingy — let’s share! 🙂
