“Why is my organic reach on Facebook so low? Is organic reach on Facebook gradually dying?” This pressing question keeps many business owners up at night. Rather than continuously pouring money into Facebook ads, businesses are now shifting to explore strategies for increasing organic and sustainable reach on Facebook. Let’s dive into 10 effective ways on how increase your Facebook post reach below, compiled by MKT Software.
I. What is organic Facebook post reach?
Facebook defines organic reach as “the number of people you can reach for free on Facebook by posting on your Page.” In contrast, “paid reach” refers to the number of people who see your posts due to paid ads, targeting specific audiences.
II. How to increase your Facebook post reach?
While organic reach has become increasingly challenging, this doesn’t mean that you can’t establish a strong presence on the platform. Here’s how to work with the latest News Feed algorithm and boost your page’s post reach.
1. Ensure your posts appear in followers’ news feeds
Even if you follow all the rules, sometimes your content can still get lost in competitive feeds. This is why it’s crucial to educate your audience on how to stay connected with your page. Remind your followers that if they want to see more posts from you, they can adjust their feed settings to prioritize your content. To do this, they must go to your page, click “Follow“, and select “See First“.
Additionally, remind followers that they can access their Pages Feed on the left sidebar of their News Feed to view content they enjoy from pages like yours. Once you’re sure your content appears in followers’ feeds, start experimenting with tactics to grow your page organically.
2. Focus on quality over quantity
“How do I increase my reach on Facebook without paying?” The answer lies in the type of content the platform prioritizes. Facebook is committed to delivering unique, high-quality, personalized, and relevant content to users. Producing genuinely engaging content takes time, and shortcuts like engagement baiting won’t help. Post less frequently to ensure every post you share is high-quality and relevant to your followers. (using Facebook target audience finder is also a good idea!)
3. Humanize your brand
According to Accenture Strategy, 63% of American consumers prefer buying from companies that reflect their values and beliefs. Moreover, they actively avoid brands that lack these qualities. Show your followers that your brand is truly mission-driven and shares their values.
To achieve this, understand who your customers are. Are they environmentally conscious? Do they enjoy supporting local businesses? What causes make them stand up and get involved?
4. Create emotionally engaging content
If you want to reach more people on Facebook, remember that emotions are a powerful tool for encouraging engagement and discussion. According to a study published in the Harvard Business Review, not all emotions are created equal; certain emotions are more common in viral content.
Some of the most popular emotions used to create successful social posts include curiosity, awe, wonder, surprise, uncertainty, and admiration. Contrary to what some believe, negative emotions are actually less common in highly viral content.
5. Invest in video content
Creating video content takes more effort than posting an image with text, but it’s definitely worth the time if you can. Facebook’s News Feed prioritizes videos, and posts with video achieve at least 59% higher engagement than other post types. Movement captures attention, similar to a road sign attracting a driver’s eye, and video has the potential to draw users’ attention as they scroll through their feed.
Short videos and even simple GIFs can enhance your presence in the News Feed.
However, for best results, Facebook recommends posting videos that are 3-5 minutes long, as longer videos tend to provide more value to viewers. Don’t forget to add captions; recent reports show that up to 85% of Facebook videos are watched without sound. Have you posted videos on YouTube?
Avoid sharing YouTube links on your Page and upload videos directly to Facebook. You might not see the numbers rise on YouTube, but Facebook’s algorithm will reward native video content instead of links to a competitor. Facebook Live, as live videos receive six times more engagement than regular videos on average. Since you’re limited in what you can do live, creating live videos can be a great way to kickstart your video strategy and produce engaging content quickly.
6. Leverage User-Generated Content (UGC)
What’s better than creating content for your audience? Letting your audience create it for you. User-generated content is content created by your audience about your brand that you can share on your own pages. Encourage followers to post reviews of your products or share photos for a chance to win prizes, which is a great way to inspire user-generated content.
Sometimes, the answer to “How can I grow my FB page?” turns out to be simple: let others do it for you! Running user-generated content campaigns can also help you identify loyal customers who can be recruited as “brand ambassadors” to promote your brand to their network (with some freebies, of course).
7. Create a Facebook group
Based on the latest version of the News Feed algorithm, Facebook Group content has a higher reach than regular Page content. Take advantage of this change by creating private groups for your most engaged customers.
Groups can also help build a community of loyal brand advocates and create an easy channel for communicating with your ambassadors. If you’re hosting or promoting an event, knowing how to grow Facebook group members can quickly share and receive the best photos and videos from around the group.
8. Reply to comments and encourage conversations
Always respond quickly to comments on your page and keep the conversation going if you can (but don’t force it). Start discussions, such as asking your followers what they think of your new product or the latest industry news.
To help you stay connected with customers, add a live chat feature on Facebook Messenger to your website. Customers can ask questions and chat directly from your website’s product pages, and you can even offer a follow invitation on your Facebook page.
See more: Ready-Made Facebook Comment Template: Save Time, Boost Reach
9. Link to fewer external websites
We discussed avoiding links to low-quality sites, but you should also be careful with links in general. Facebook naturally wants users to stay on its platform, so posts with links to external sites aren’t prioritized for promotion.
Of course, you can’t always avoid linking to external sources, and sometimes that’s the best course of action. But if you can make a post without linking elsewhere, your post is more likely to be rewarded in your followers’ News Feeds.
10. Track your content performance
When experimenting with new formats and content types, you may notice some types of content receive more engagement than others. Determine the metrics that best match your content goals, track your content based on those metrics, and use that knowledge to adjust your strategy.
Skip posts that your audience doesn’t seem to like, and double down on posts that perform well based on the metrics you’ve chosen. You can also use Audience Insights to learn more about your followers and other users you want to reach. Check Audience Insights for data on demographics, interests, preferences, lifestyles, and more.
Try posting at different times to improve engagement. For example, CoSchedule found that the best times for healthcare companies to post on Facebook are 7 AM, 7 PM, and 3:15 PM, while for worst times are 2 AM, 3 AM, 12 AM.
At the end of the day, these tactics help increase your Facebook post reach organically, but don’t overlook the potential of paid ads to grow your Facebook page.
III. Case Study: How to increase your Facebook post reach with Buffer
When Facebook’s algorithm changed, Buffer implemented a breakthrough strategy in 2016. Facing a decline in reach and engagement, they made a bold decision to cut their posts by 50%. Rather than focusing on quantity, they shifted to enhancing content quality and experimented with diverse formats like videos and in-depth articles.
This strategy, maintained from 2016 to 2018, produced impressive results: weekly reach rose from 44,000 to 150,000+ people, and single posts reached 5,000 to 20,000 people, significantly up from under 2,000 before.
The takeaway: Instead of posting frequently with little impact, focus on creating valuable, high-quality content tailored to your target audience.
Conclusion
Increasing organic reach on Facebook is challenging but achievable by focusing on high-quality, personalized, and emotionally engaging content. Consistently tracking performance and adapting based on audience engagement will help build lasting connections and strengthen brand presence on Facebook.
