Want to increase engagement on your Facebook posts? Discover how being in the top 5 can multiply your results!
Nonli's Data Science team conducted an exciting study on the impact of the order of post publication on engagement (reactions, comments, shares) on Facebook, analyzing the posts of 133 influential French media outlets. The goal? To understand if the timing of publication influences the engagement generated by a post. The results are enlightening and could well change your approach to publishing on Facebook!
Facebook, number 1 social network in France
Social networks have become essential tools for media outlets to communicate and share information. Among them, Facebook remains the undisputed leader in terms of audience and engagement. It has 40 million unique users per month in France, of which 24 million connect daily! It is therefore crucial for businesses and brands to understand how to maximize their presence and impact on this platform.
The keys to success: be quick and well placed
The study reveals that the most engaging posts are generally shared earlier. The number of engaging posts gradually decreases as the order of publication increases. Contrary to what one might think, it is not necessary to be the first to publish to generate the most engagement. However, being among the top 5 on a given topic proves to be a real asset in boosting engagement, far surpassing the following posts.
To illustrate this phenomenon, let's take the example of an important media event. The first media outlets to publish articles on this event will likely attract a large portion of the audience interested in the subject. On the other hand, media outlets that publish later will have to fight to capture the attention of users who may have already consulted the articles of faster media outlets.
In addition, Facebook's algorithms favor posts that generate engagement quickly. Thus, by being among the first to publish, you increase your chances of being featured in the news feed of your subscribers.
Time is engagement
For the 40 topics studied, Nonli's team discovered that between 22 and 60 minutes elapse between the first publication and the publication of the 5 most engaging posts. This time frame is crucial to take advantage of this opportunity to increase engagement around your content. This means that you have a relatively short window of opportunity to position yourself among the first and maximize the engagement of your post.
Our tips for implementing this strategy
- Be reactive: Ride the wave of hot topics by publishing as early as possible to maximize engagement.
- Use real-time analysis: Exploit Facebook's analysis tools, AT Internet de Piano, Google Analytics, and those of your website to quickly detect topics that will generate strong engagement. Position yourself among the top 5 posts to increase the impact of your articles.
- Analyze your audience: Use Facebook's analysis tools and Nonli.com to understand the preferences and habits of your audience. Adapt your strategy based on the types of content that generate the most engagement.
- Add value: Prioritize articles covering current events (hot topics) and identify themes with strong potential interest.
- Optimize your posts for Facebook algorithms: Employ social media SEO techniques, such as adding relevant keywords and hashtags, to make your posts more visible and capture the attention of Facebook algorithms.
- Test different storytelling approaches: Vary the methods of telling stories around the chosen topic. Use different narrative formats, such as case studies, testimonials, personal stories, or anecdotes, to captivate your audience and generate engagement.
- Use strategic monitoring tools: Monitor trends, news, and conversations around the specific topic with strategic monitoring tools. Stay informed and quickly identify opportunities to create relevant and engaging content.
What are the ideal resolutions and formats to optimize engagement on your posts and increase web traffic and revenue for your media outlet?
Format: landscape for links, square or portrait for photos.
Landscape images engage 1.7 times more than vertical images and 3 times more than square images in link posts. On the other hand, for photo posts, square and portrait formats are the most engaging, with a gap of about 154% between square images and landscapes.
Resolution: aim high!
Large images (resolution greater than or equal to 500 pixels) generate median engagement twice as important as small images. Prefer resolutions of at least 400 pixels to avoid transformations made by Facebook that could degrade the image and weaken its engagement potential.
Did you know that the length of your Facebook messages can significantly influence engagement on your posts?
Facebook represents an important lever for media outlets in terms of web traffic and revenue. That's why it's crucial to understand how to optimize engagement on this platform.
- Short messages reign: posts containing messages between 1 and 15 characters engage 1.7 to 3.3 times more than other posts.
- Engagement varies depending on the presence of links, emojis, and hashtags in messages. This variation depends on the media outlets and their audience.
- Some terms are more engaging than others. Words such as "horror," "death," "child," "animal," and "Macron" are frequently present in engaging messages. Terms such as "Retirement," "Ukraine," and "Russia" are also must-haves.
- Topics related to news, politics, law enforcement, weather, and money tend to generate higher engagement.
The importance of interaction with your audience
For French media outlets, it is essential to engage your audience on Facebook to consolidate your presence on the web. Encourage discussion by asking questions and encouraging comments on your posts, to create a dynamic exchange around your content and attract more users.
In addition, it is crucial to respond to your subscribers' comments to show that you are listening and attentive to their concerns. This approach fosters a relationship of trust with your community and consolidates the reputation of your media outlet. By using language adapted to the media and staying attentive to interaction with your audience, you will be able to maximize engagement on Facebook.
In conclusion: Respect the heat of your articles!
A hot article should be published quickly, ideally within the first 30 minutes following the public announcement of the subject. While a lukewarm article can be published based on other news, cold topics can be used to fill in slow periods.
To position yourself among the top 5 French media outlets on a specific topic and stimulate engagement and traffic from Facebook, it is essential to be reactive, publish quickly, and understand the preferences of your audience. Take advantage of the window of opportunity that occurs between the first publication and the 5 most engaging posts to maximize the impact of your content. Exploit analysis tools, optimize your posts for Facebook algorithms, and interact with your audience to foster engagement.
Finally, don't forget to take into account optimal image formats and resolutions, as well as the length of your messages to improve your results. By implementing these strategies, you will increase your chances of success and consolidate your presence on Facebook.
