Capture and Engage Your Audience on Facebook

2017-03-31 10:00:00 | Christina Elfring | social media marketing

Let’s face it, most people quickly scroll, scroll, scroll through their Facebook News Feed. Most likely, they don’t have the patience or the time to go through lengthy content. So the question becomes: How can your message break through the noise and engage your audience for an extended amount of time? Visuals!

Here are some eye-opening statistics:

Posts with visuals result in 180 percent greater engagement (source)
The average person’s attention span decreased to 8 seconds (from 12 seconds in 2000), which is shorter than the attention span of a goldfish (source)
90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual (source)
We process visual information 60,000 times faster than text
40% of people respond better to an image than 1,000 words
Half of the human brain is involved in processing visuals. A visual can be interpreted in less than 1/10th of a second (take that goldfish) (source)

With an unstoppable stream of content, businesses need to work harder to really stand out, capture audience attention and engage your audience.

3 Ways to Engage Your Audience with Visuals

Images

We have all heard “A picture is worth a thousand words.” On Facebook, a picture could be worth a thousand likes. That’s because a picture is one of the simplest ways to catch someone’s attention, as it is more visually appealing than the average post. Think of it this way, when you are scrolling your news feed, isn’t it usually the large, colorful, images that get you to stop?

Visual Images Likely to Engage Your Audience:

Quotes – People love reading quotes from influential people.

Fun facts – Most people log onto Facebook seeking entertainment.

Comic / Cartoons – Cartoon posts make the audience laugh but also, think about various issues relating to your niche.

Memes – Who doesn’t smile seeing a solid meme?

Video

Facebook now sees 100 million hours of daily video watch time. Videos are increasingly popular, so it would be a shame to completely miss out on that opportunity for your small business. You can choose between native videos, featured videos or live videos – all are excellent for boosting brand awareness and engaging your audience. No matter what type of video you use, ensure you optimize the opening. You need to grab your audience’s attention in the first three seconds or you may not get it at all, so make it count. A drawn out or boring beginning will be scrolled past quickly. You may also want to check out Facebook’s own advice to make the most out of your video strategy.

Looking for more tips to take your Facebook Page to the next level? Get our Ultimate Guide to Facebook Success for the tools you need to transform your efforts.

Infographics

Consumers are naturally drawn to engage with infographics more than non-visual content because they are so easy to digest. In a world of information overload, it’s refreshing to find items we can easily scan and understand quickly. According to Hubspot, infographics are three times more likely to be shared on social media than any other type of content.

To reap the true rewards of an infographic, it’s essential that the layout and design is as impactful as possible. Combine the right colors, shapes and fonts to convey your important data. Sometimes even the most seemingly mundane statistics can be brought to life when conveyed as stunning visualizations. However, ensure all visual elements actually carry the narrative – it’s not worth disrupting your story just to flaunt your Adobe Illustrator skills!

Use these visual strategies to captivate and engage with your audience. Not only will you create a deeper connection with your fans, but your posts will stand out from the crowd.