I remember the days when Facebook was only for university students, and you couldn’t open an account without having a university email address. So if you think that Facebook is old school, I hear you.
But even though Facebook may not seem as fun and sexy as Instagram and Snapchat, it’s still one of the most powerful platforms for promoting your business. After all, about 1.56 billion people log on to Facebook every single day. That’s why Facebook is the second most-used social platform (after YouTube). And it’s why there’s a good chance that your audience is on it.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Organic reach on Facebook has dropped in recent years. So why should I invest in a platform that isn’t going to show my posts to as many people anymore?”
Here’s why: Because of the size of its audience and its super-specific targeting tools, Facebook is the most powerful social platform for online ads. So if you ever want to use online ads to sell a product, promote a service, or encourage people to sign up for your webinar, it’s handy to have an engaged community of Facebook followers.
How do you write clickworthy posts on Facebook so you can build a loyal tribe and grow your brand? Use these 12 tips to write engaging Facebook posts that convert.
Need some help writing Facebook posts that generate clicks, email sign-ups, and sales?
Download my 7 free social media copy templates + examples.
Craft magnetic content
1. Ask a question
How do you write Facebook posts that engage people? Ask a question. After all, when you ask a question, it primes people to respond to you.
What kind of questions work best? Closed-ended questions (questions with a limited number of potential answers) tend to work best because they’re easiest to answer. Here are some examples:
- “Yes or No: I want to learn how to cook the perfect salmon.”
- “______ is my favourite city in Europe.”
Also, data from HubSpot shows that questions that start with “should,” “would,” and “who” get more comments than those that begin with “why” or “how.” So if you want to boost comments on your posts, try experimenting with “should,” “would,” and “who” questions.
Related: How to write compelling social media posts + 7 free social media copy templates
Example: The Home Depot uses a multiple choice question to engage viewers with this post.
2. Tell a story
There’s a reason why you loved a good bedtime story as a kid: stories are powerful narratives that give us all the feels. That’s why brands use them in social media posts, ads, and other marketing campaigns to create emotional connections with their audiences.
When you use storytelling in your Facebook posts, it lets you connect with your audience on a personal level. And if you use this strategy to share behind-the-scenes info about your brand or team, you can turn an ordinary Facebook post into a magnetic piece of content that packs a powerful one-two punch.
Example: National Geographic introduces the story of Fred the tortoise to engage its followers with this post.
3. Be practical, inspiring, or funny
Recently, Buffer analyzed the top 500 Facebook posts. What did they find? Practical, inspirational, and funny posts generated the most engagement—more reactions, comments, and shares than other posts. This isn’t surprising because people love discovering hacks, being inspired, and having a good laugh.
The good news is that no matter what kind of brand you’re growing, you can probably find a way to create Facebook posts that fall into at least one of these categories.
Example: Juice brand Innocent uses humour in this post to engage its audience.
4. Be human
People don’t log on to Facebook to interact with corporations or robots. They visit the platform to connect with real human beings (remember those?). That’s why one of the best ways to write engaging Facebook posts is to focus on humanizing your brand. Make your posts relatable by making them feel like they were written by a human being. This means ditching the corporate speak, opening up, and being vulnerable.
Example: It’s posts like this that make Amy Porterfield feel like a real person and not just another online business celebrity.
Need some help writing Facebook posts that generate clicks, email sign-ups, and sales?
Download my 7 free social media copy templates + examples.
5. Tease content
Do you use your Facebook posts to drive traffic to your blog or podcast? Write copy that teases all the amazing value you have to offer in the full post or podcast episode. You can do this by mentioning the topic you tackle in your long-form content, sharing an excerpt from it, or even just identifying the key problem it helps your audience tackle.
Example: In this Facebook post, I tease the value of my blog on how to add personality to your copy.
Use the right language and tone
6. Keep it simple
Remember that when you’re writing Facebook posts, you’re not drafting a contract. So steer clear of complex words, long sentences, and massive paragraphs. Make your posts easy to digest by using simple words and conversational copy that’s easy on the eyes and even easier on the brain.
Related: How to write scannable blog posts people actually read + free checklist
Example: Pizza Hut’s Facebook posts contain simple copy that’s easy to read.
7. Keep it short
Your audience is busy. And when they jump on Facebook, they’re probably looking for a break from the daily grind. So instead of always hitting your followers with novel-length updates, keep your Facebook posts short. Data shows that Facebook posts perform best when they contain fewer than 120 characters. So keep most of your posts short and sweet.
Note that this doesn’t mean that you should never write a post that’s longer than 120 characters. Longer Facebook posts can be effective if the information you’re sharing is valuable to your audience in some way. Just be sure to test posts of different lengths so you know what your audience is willing to read.
Related: How to write clear, concise web copy that converts + free copy planning worksheet
Example: Skincare brand Drunk Elephant keeps its posts short and sweet.
8. Be positive
Sometimes it just feels good to vent. And that’s why it can be tempting to be a negative Nelly on Facebook at times. But when you’re writing Facebook posts for your brand, keep in mind that posts with a positive tone perform better. In particular, positive posts get more likes and shares.
You can certainly write posts about setbacks, challenges, and failures you’ve experienced. In fact, tackling these kinds of issues can be a great way to connect with your audience, humanize your brand, and inspire people to overcome obstacles. Just be sure to end your post on an uplifting note to capitalize on the power of positivity.
Example: Marie Forleo keeps things positive in this Facebook post.
9. Talk like your audience
You don’t connect with your audience by talking to them. You connect with them by talking like them and showing them that you truly get them. What’s one of the best ways to do this in a Facebook post? Use the language your audience uses. This means taking on the voice of your audience and using the words, idioms, and slang they use when they speak.
Related: How to add personality to your copy + free list of 476 power words
Example: Tasty takes on the voice of its audience by uses abbreviations they would use.
Need some help writing Facebook posts that generate clicks, email sign-ups, and sales?
Download my 7 free social media copy templates + examples.
Boost engagement with key elements
10. Include a clear call to action
If you’re using Facebook to promote your brand, you probably want more than just likes and shares (because, sadly, those don’t make you any $$$$). Instead, you probably want to drive traffic to your blog, website, or landing page. So what do you need to make sure your Facebook post includes? A clear call to action (CTA).
A CTA tells your audience exactly what you want them to do after they consume your post. So if you want people to check out your blog post or sign up for webinar, spell it out for them! And don’t forget to include the link to your post or page.
Don’t need to direct your audience to an external page or post? Use your CTA to encourage people to like, share, or comment on your Facebook post.
Related: The 62 best words to use in your call to action
Example: Check out how Jenna Kutcher uses a clear CTA to direct her audience to a specific webpage.
11. Experiment with emojis
If it’s appropriate for your brand, don’t be scared to use relevant emojis in your Facebook posts. Emojis are great for grabbing your audience’s attention, leveraging emotion, making your copy more concise, and boosting the fun factor of your posts. Plus, data shows that Facebook posts with emojis get 33% more shares and comments and 57% more likes.
How many emojis should you include in your Facebook post copy? Based on an analysis of social media data, CoSchedule recommends using one emoji per Facebook post.
Example: HubSpot naturally incorporated an emoji into this Facebook post.
12. Use hashtags sparingly
Hashtags aren’t as popular on Facebook as they are on Instagram and Twitter. That’s why social media experts have questioned whether hashtags belong in Facebook posts. Because hashtags are a big part of Instagram and Instagram is now owned by Facebook, hashtags may become more common on Facebook over time. However, for now, data shows that Facebook posts perform best when you leave hashtags out.
Related: How to write good Instagram captions that convert
It’s worth it to write engaging Facebook posts
Facebook can be a powerful platform for your brand—if you use it right. This means more than selecting the right images, videos, or links to share. It’s also about writing Facebook posts that attract your audience, engage them, and convince them to convert.
Use the tips I’ve shared above to transform mediocre Facebook posts into stellar ones that distinguish you from your competition. They’ll help you build a loyal tribe that you can ultimately pitch products and services to.
Need some help writing Facebook posts that generate clicks, email sign-ups, and sales?
Download my 7 free social media copy templates + examples.
