Why Your Facebook Reach Is Low and What You Can Do About It

If your Facebook page doesn’t seem to reach customers like it used to, you’re not alone. Facebook reach has declined steadily since 2013, and is now at about 6%. What does that mean? For every 100 followers you have, only about 6 will see your content. With these dismal numbers in mind, you probably have a lot of questions – but don’t throw in the towel just yet. There are some things that can be done to boost your Facebook reach.

Why is it more difficult to grow Facebook reach?

After algorithm changes in 2013, businesses have noticed increased difficulty in managing effective marketing campaigns through Facebook. Why is that? Ranking and reach within Facebook is very complex, so it can be difficult to pin down a golden method for getting your posts to show up on newsfeeds. For starters, Facebook has over 100,000 different factors that decide which content is shown. Even so, there are some tried and true factors that are still very important:

• Building strong relationships with your followers so they interact with your content.
• Posting content that carries more weight, such as content with images over those without.
• The type of content that engages each individual user best.

So, even though the Facebook marketing game is changing, it’s still important to post great content and build relationships with your viewers.

Boosting Facebook Reach Best Practices

Before you start looking for ways to boost your Facebook reach, keep in mind there are some tempting paths that can lead you to trouble. For one, never buy Facebook “likes.” This can lead to serious penalties from Facebook. Secondly, don’t over-promote your business. Marketing experts suggest a 20/80 ratio, meaning that for every 20 promotional Facebook posts, you have 80 relevant but non-promotional posts.

Approved methods for growing your reach include:

• Discover the best time to post your content. Get to know your audience and when they are most likely to be on Facebook, then post your content during those hours. If you can engage readers during off-hours, then that’s even better because competition for viewers is much lower.
• Engage your viewers by involving them in a discussion. Open-ended posts that prompt viewers to respond means more comments. More comments means more engagement, and more engagement means more reach.
• Embed your Facebook posts. If you have a blog, embedding your Facebook posts will improve your reach by promoting content and attracting new viewers.
• Show viewers who you are. Content that reveals the inner-workings of your business is proven very popular among Facebook followers. Post something humorous, interesting, or personal about what’s going on with your business – and include pictures.
• Respond to comments. Make your followers feel valued by taking the time to respond to their comments. If viewers see you are engaged, they are more likely to join the conversation.

Even though reaching customers on Facebook is more difficult than it used to be, it’s still well worth the effort. If boosting your Facebook page seems like too much to handle, an experienced social media management professional can offer the solutions you need.