Boost your organic Facebook reach
Whether you are a real estate agent, business owner, or administrative assistant, social media is a key asset in your marketing arsenal. The Real Estate Voice ensures your social channels are full of relevant listings and educational content, making you look successful and in the know. However, organic reach on platforms like Facebook has been increasingly difficult to maintain. Understanding how to maximise this reach will make your social media efforts far more effective.
Understanding Facebook’s Algorithm
Before you can make significant strides in boosting your organic reach, it’s crucial to understand the inner workings of Facebook’s algorithm. The algorithm is the set of rules and calculations that determine what content appears on an individual’s News Feed. Facebook continually tweaks this algorithm, but some of the core factors affecting your posts include:
Relevancy Score
Each post you make is assigned a relevancy score, which is influenced by how users interact with it. Posts that garner higher engagement rates—likes, shares, comments—are more likely to appear in your followers’ feeds.
Content Type
The algorithm favours different kinds of content—text, photos, videos, and links. For instance, video content tends to attract more engagement and is thus more likely to get a higher organic reach.
User Interaction
Facebook takes into account the types of posts a user typically interacts with. If a user often engages with video content, for example, the algorithm is more likely to show them videos.
Timeliness
More recent posts are prioritised by the algorithm. This makes it crucial to post when your audience is most active.
Relationships
The more a user interacts with your posts, the more likely they are to see your future content. The algorithm recognises and prioritises posts from friends, family, and pages that a user frequently engages with.
The current state of organic reach: The stats
The average organic reach on Facebook has seen a downward trend over the years. In 2012, for example, organic reach was around 16%, but as of 2021, it’s around 5.2% for most pages. Larger pages with more than 10,000 followers can see this drop to as low as 2%. This translates to only about 50 to 52 people seeing your post if you have a following of 1,000. Given these statistics, maximising each post’s effectiveness becomes all the more important.
Strategies for maximising organic reach
TREV provides a set and forget system for social media, but understanding and implementing the following strategies will offer added value to your social media presence.
Focus on quality over quantity
While it’s good to keep your social media channels active, quality trumps quantity every time. A single high-quality post that engages your audience is far more beneficial than several less engaging ones.
Know your audience
The Real Estate Voice ensures your posts are on brand and relevant, but you’ll further benefit by tailoring these posts to your specific audience. Use Facebook Insights to understand your followers’ demographics and behaviour.
Leverage visuals
High-quality visuals are essential, especially in the real estate sector where imagery can make or break a deal. Use appealing images to showcase properties and infographics to summarise educational content.
Best times to post
Timing can significantly impact your reach. While there’s no one-size-fits-all answer, many experts suggest that posting between 9 am and 12 pm on weekdays can optimise your reach.
Engage your audience
Posts that prompt user engagement are more likely to have a higher organic reach. Use open-ended questions, run polls, and host live Q&A sessions to encourage interaction.
Optimise for mobile users
A large portion of Facebook users access the platform via mobile. Make sure your posts are mobile-friendly.
Employee advocacy
TREV’s strength in ensuring posts are on brand makes employee advocacy a powerful tool, especially for larger real estate networks. Team members sharing company posts on their personal profiles can significantly extend your reach.
Don’t ignore video content
Video content, especially live videos, usually get more engagement compared to other types of posts. Consider posting webinars, interviews with industry experts, and virtual house tours to engage your audience further.
Diversify your content
Don’t rely solely on one type of content. A good mix of images, videos, and text will make your feed more appealing and increase the likelihood of user engagement.
Use analytics for continuous improvement
Track your performance using analytics tools and adjust your strategy accordingly. Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) like engagement rate, reach, and conversion to understand what’s working and what’s not.
Utilise local partnerships
Partner with local businesses or influencers to cross-promote content. This can be an effective way to reach a broader yet still targeted audience.
By integrating these strategies into your existing social media management practices, you’re not only leveraging the power of The Real Estate Voice but also ensuring that your own expertise shines through. Your social media platforms should be a true reflection of your brand—professional, informative, and engaging. TREV takes care of the consistency and branding; you bring the personality, making for a truly compelling social media presence.
