A study some time ago revealed that only 16% of fans actually see the posts on a Facebook page. This is true for big names as well as the much smaller names. With the new Facebook Promoted Posts you can promote specific posts to your fans directly from your Facebook page.
What Exactly Are Promoted Posts?
To begin with Promoted Posts you must first have at least 400 fans. Another criterion is that the posts that you promote must be less than three days old. It is similar to Facebook advertising yet different in some ways. For instance you can create the Promoted Post directly on your page and even view stats on the page itself. To view an extensive stat report you will need to go to the Ad Manager.
Once promoted, the post will appear in the news feed of your fans as well as in the news feed of people who interact with the post. On the page the post will appear with a Sponsored label which will draw attention and increase interaction.
How to Promote a Post
First you need to create a new post or just choose an existing post that is less than three days old. Locate the “promote” button at the bottom right of the post and some budget options will be presented based on what Facebook determines is the estimated reach of your ad. They take the size of your audience into consideration when determining this.
Choose your payment method and you will be billed once Facebook approves your ad. It’s that simple!
What Should You Promote?
Facebook Promoted Posts are much different from Sponsored Stories but the way that you approach it should be the same. Promote the things that will be beneficial to promote. Promote the things that will bring a return on your investment. Obviously this excludes random status updates. If your post is something that your fans need that know then you should promote it.
Don’t Forget To Track Your Performance
The option to monitor the performance of the Promoted Post directly on your page is a handy feature. Don’t worry you will be the only one seeing it if you’re logged in. All your posts, even the ones that are not promoted, will now have stats showing the number of people that viewed the post.
Hovering over the number of people reached will provide a breakdown based on three categories; fans, viral sharing or promoted posts. You will also be able to see a breakdown on the percentage of fans reached. Be sure to take advantage of this tool to track your performance.
Hopefully over the next few months we’ll see great things coming out of Promoted Posts.
