#38: Should You Use Click Bait to Increase Engagement on Facebook?

In this episode of the Online Marketing Made Easy Podcast,  I will be exposing the recent change Facebook made to their algorithm and not only will I explain the reason for this change, I will also give you some tips to help you counteract this change and to increase your brand’s engagement in the News Feed.
Although I’m a huge advocate of Facebook’s paid advertising, in this episode, I’m teaching a couple of FREE methods of posting content and reaching more potential customers in the News Feed.
Here’s what the recent Facebook algorithm change is all about. They are cracking down on "click bait.”  What exactly is click bait?
Click bait is when a link is shared in a Facebook post with a title that sparks curiosity but does not really tell people what the article is all about. This essentially teases people to click a link but does not give them all the information so they are not exactly sure what they’re going to find on the other side of that click.
Granted, click bait links can be an effective strategy, because people can’t help but click to find out more. And many marketers were finding success in their calls to action; that’s why these types of posts has been flooding the News Feed on Facebook.
The challenge is that the click bait strategy is making it hard for users to see content they genuinely want to see and care about. Facebook is viewing click bait as gaming the system to get out into the News Feed. Because Facebook has a viral component built into their Algorithm, these click bait post were gaining a lot of exposure.
The more people click on the link, even though they’re not sure if they’re even interested in the content on the other side of that link, the more that post shows up in the News Feed.
And that’s why Facebook became concerned with this practice and made this recent change that no longer allows click bait. Your content will be negatively impacted when you use a click bait type of posting strategy.
Here’s how to craft your post so that you’re not a victim to this algorithm change and your posts get as much News Feed exposure as possible.
Tip #1:  Create or Only Share Quality Posts Focus more on quality versus quantity. I would rather see you post two times a day with high-value content versus a bunch of posts that won’t get you the engagement that Facebook is actually paying attention to each time you post.
As you can see, this post was highly valuable and resonated with his audience. Look at all those shares and likes!
When people click on the link and go to your website from Facebook, make sure the content is interesting, exciting and engaging so they will STAY longer on your site.
Now, this isn’t particularly new news. However, most of us don’t think about how long people are spending on the other side of our links that we include in our Facebook posts.
Make that content valuable enough to keep them there and you will boost your engagement on Facebook . . . for free!
Tip #2:  Be Specific With the Titles of Your Facebook Posts The more descriptive you are with your headlines in your post, the more likely people will genuinely be interested in your content when they actually get to your website.
Stay away from click bait and instead be very specific about what you plan to share with your fans. Images including info such as this example is also very helpful.
This would not only safeguard you, but it will help you with targeting. You will attract the ideal audience on Facebook with each of your Facebook posts.
Tip #3:  Post a “Preview” of Your Content When Posting on Facebook When you include a preview in your post, you are more likely to get out into the News Feed. This means more free exposure for you!
What is a preview? A preview is when you include a link to your article in the post and an image and a blurb under the image are automatically pulled into your post.
>Facebook has said that they will favor posts that have links that include a standard preview in the post versus posts that include a link with a photo but no preview.
Wrapping Things Up Facebook is all about their users having a great experience when they go on to their website. But, if you think about it, that’s how we all feel about our own websites. When people come to my website, I want them to have a memorable and a valuable experience.
I encourage you to pay attention to how most people post on Facebook when they’re not marketing. Model those posts versus trying to be sneaky or too promotional with your posts.
Finally, we all want to offer immense value and that’s what Facebook is rewarding. They’re rewarding those of us who are posting content that people actually want to read, share, and comment on.
Key Takeaways Facebook is now paying careful attention to how long people are staying on the webpages your links are clicking through to from a post. Make your content valuable enough to keep the visitor on the webpage and you will boost your engagement on Facebook (for free!). The more descriptive you are with your headlines in your post, the more likely people will genuinely be interested in your content when they actually get to your website. Including a link preview in your post will help you gain more exposure in the New Feed.