Organic Reach on Facebook

Unconventional Strategies for Boosting Organic Reach on..

You’ve likely heard the disheartening news by now – organic reach on Facebook has been declining for years as the platform prioritizes paid content in user feeds. But here’s the thing – there are still ways to boost your organic Facebook reach if you’re willing to get a little unconventional with your strategy.

At Orion Digital, we’ve spent years mastering the art of increasing visibility and engagement for brands on social media without increasing the budget on ads. We’re letting you in on some of our top out-of-the-box tactics for getting your Facebook content in front of more of your ideal audience.

So grab a notepad (or just keep reading) and prepare to be inspired by creative ways to work with the algorithm instead of against it.  

Leverage Facebook Groups

Facebook may be deprioritizing brand pages in the news feed, but they remain incredibly high in engaged communities like Facebook Groups. A whopping 1.8 billion people use Facebook Groups every month, according to Facebook’s own.

By creating a Facebook Group for your brand, you essentially build a strong audience of your biggest fans and supporters. Every post, poll, video, or piece of content you share in your Group gets boosted straight to the notifications of all members.

The key is making your Group a rich, vibrant community experience rather than just a content dump for your brand. Encourage discussions, regularly ask engaging questions, and facilitate conversations between members. The more engagement in your Group, the more love Facebook’s algorithm will show you.

Activate Your Employees

Your employees are a vastly underutilized resource for expanding your organic Facebook reach. Chances are, their Facebook friends and followers consist of a lot of people who could be interested in your products or services.

Create a culture where employees feel empowered and even incentivized to share your Facebook content on their profiles. You can make it easy with pre-written monthly email templates sharing new content they can re-share.

The data shows this strategy works – content shared by employees receives 8X more engagement than content shared on brand channels, according to Grapevine Analytics.

Go Big on Video

If you’re not leveraging video on Facebook yet, you’re missing out on a massive engagement opportunity. Videos earn 59% more engagement than other post types on the platform, reports Buffer.

And we’re not just talking about any ole’ videos. For the best organic reach, you’ll want to mix in LIVE videos, which Facebook is known to heavily prioritize in the algorithm. One study by Buzzsumo revealed live videos generate 10x more comments than regular videos!

Look for creative ways to incorporate entertaining Facebook Live sessions like:

  • Product tutorials or demos
  • Q&A session with your founder 
  • Behind-the-scenes looks at your company/employees
  • Interviewing a customer or influencer

Share New Data & Original Research

While Facebook de-prioritizes overtly promotional content from brands, posts highlighting new data, statistics, and original research do well! People crave fresh insights to level up their knowledge.

Is there an aspect of your industry that could use more data or quantified insights? Commission a simple survey or study to capture proprietary data you can share on Facebook. For example, you could survey customers to learn new data on their behaviours, challenges, or needs to be related to your product.

Or if you have internal data you legally can share (with no identifying details), package it up into a cool visual or video to post on Facebook. Just make sure you’re citing your sources and offering real value.

Cross-Pollinate Content

This strategy involves getting a little scrappy in identifying opportunities to cross-promote your Facebook content in other spaces.

For example, if one of your blog posts or YouTube videos happens to gain great organic traction, edit the first few sentences into a Facebook post that teases people to “read more” by clicking a link to the full content. With 49% of consumers preferring to watch videos from Facebook over other platforms, using YouTube as a top-of-funnel feeder into Facebook content works well.

Similarly, when you create an awesome piece of Facebook content that gets lots of engagement, consider sharing it in a few relevant Facebook Groups beyond just your page. Just make sure to add value and follow the Group’s rules!

Get the Inside Scoop on the Algorithm

There are also some not-so-secret “secrets” to getting prioritized by the Facebook algorithm. According to multiple sources, these factors can give your organic reach a boost:

Facilitate Conversations: Long comment threads show engagement, which Facebook loves to see. Ask questions and encourage people to discuss in the comments. 

Post at Optimal Times: When are your followers most online? Check your Facebook Insights to see peak times to post.

Give People What They Want: According to Facebook, posting about topics like travel, mind-blowing photography, animals, sports, and parenting helps boost reach.

Use Video Transcription: Facebook automatically transcribes videos which tells the algorithm what your video is about and helps people with accessibility needs consume the content.

The bottom line is that the old-school tactics that are used to boost organic reach on Facebook don’t work like they used to. It’s time to get outside the box in 2024!

What unconventional Facebook strategy will you try first? Let us know in the comments!

The Final Words

Remember, these are just tips, not guarantees. The algorithm is constantly evolving, and the key to success lies in adapting your strategy and staying informed about the latest trends. 

So, know your creativity, experiment strategically, and watch your organic reach soar!

Don’t forget to have some fun along the way! Social media should be enjoyable, both for you and your audience. So, inject some personality into your content, spark conversations, and build a community that thrives on genuine connection.

Ready to take your Facebook game to the next level? We at Orion Digital are here to help. Contact us today to explore how our social media management expertise can help you achieve your marketing goals.

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