9 Ways To Become More Popular On Facebook

9 Ways To Become More Popular On Facebook [Weekly Facebook Tips] Facebook is different things to different people. It's used to stay in touch, play games, share news and stories, or promote brands. What unites almost everyone who regularly uses Facebook is the desire to be popular and Liked. The problem is that Facebook guards updates and doesn't automatically show everything to everyone. The algorithm that determines how many people get to see a post is called EdgeRank and it pretty much is a black box. Nobody knows exactly what will make something go viral on Facebook. However, there are a few things you can put on your checklist to significantly improve your chances to become popular. This article provides a summary of the wisdom from science and social media experts. Be Upbeat & Positive Good news spread faster and farther than anything else on social media, which is in contrast to traditional mass media. Psychologists explain that we care how our friends and peers react to what we share. Since we generally want our friends to be happy, we prefer to share something that makes them feel good. Consequently, you will literally be liked a lot more if your updates are upbeat and positive. Frankly, this one shouldn't come as a surprise as the same is true for how you behave in 'real life'. There are some things, however,  regardless of how positive or exciting they are. Impress! Studies show that people are much more likely to share or Like content that arouses a strong emotional reaction in them. This includes science articles that leave them in awe, as well as posts that excite them or make them laugh. Although content that triggers strong emotions like anger or anxiety tends to do well, the more positive a story is, the more likely it is to be shared. Appeal To Your Friends & Followers Being positive and having the potential to trigger strong emotions is worthless, if you fail to capture the interest of your friends and followers. Know what they care about and feed their interests. Or build the audience that genuinely cares for what you have to share. Consider targeting different types of updates to different groups of friends. There are a few things that really annoy people on Facebook; avoid them like the plaque. Know Who Your Friends Or Followers Want To Appeal To Now this one is a little complicated, so bear with me. People won't just share something because it impressed them, they also want to impress others with what they share. In other words, if they think a person they really care about will Like what they are reading right now, they are much more likely to share it. So try to craft your Facebook updates in a way that make the social cognition regions in your readers' brains fire! Or in simple terms: appeal to the friends of your friends! Be Fresh! Always strive to post about current and exciting things! We all love to be entertained and learn something new. And don't forget to add your own unique twist; it will make you memorable. Use Visuals People don't read, unless a great headline or a visual catches their attention. Pictures have been found to work best, better even than videos. So put an effort into finding or creating great images for your Facebook updates. Note that with the News Feed changing, pictures will be granted more space; you can now use up to 600 x 600 pixels. If you decide to use visuals, be very careful not to breach copyright laws. Be Brief! While you're putting more effort into adding good images, cut down on the amount of words you are using. Although Facebook doesn't have a character limit, it appears that even 140 characters are too much. Also note that text describing a picture won't show as caption, instead it will be overlaid at the bottom of the image. Around 80 characters are said to work best. Interact With Your Friends & Followers Essentially a no-brainer, but communicating with someone is more engaging for them than being talked at. Involve people in your updates, ask a question, let them fill in a blank, have them write a caption for a funny photo, or challenge them to another activity. Telling people something you would like them to do will significantly increase their interaction. Sometimes life is simple. Timing Everyone is busy and all our Facebook News Feeds are flooded with updates. The best time for your posts depend on where your audience is located and what their Facebook habits are. Generally, weekend mornings tend to work best. Conclusion Being popular on Facebook or making something go viral is hard work. Moreover, it requires quite a bit of skill and a lot of luck. However, if you follow a basic and smart recipe, practice a lot, and continuously learn from your own experience and that of others, you will eventually have a breakthrough. Never give up!

How to Optimize for Facebook Graph Search

Facebook’s new Graph Search allows users to search for the best places to grab a bite, buy insurance, get an oil change and everything in-between. Search uses an algorithm that leverages a person’s social connections with brands and businesses to source results.

As well as answering a user’s query, Graph Search offers third-party recommendations from trusted sources (the user’s Facebook friends).
The number of Likes on your business’s Facebook page are more important than ever. More Likes translate to higher Graph Search results.
Here are three ways to boost your Likes and optimize for Graph Search:

1) Ask! 

Many customers will Like your Facebook page if you just ask. Include a call to action in your newsletters, updates, email, and other communications. Don’t be afraid to ask current and past customers to visit your page. People who already know your brand are a great source of new Likes.

2) Incentivize 

Offer a 10 percent discount to fans and let them know first when you have a sale or offer. Consider a weekly prize drawing of a gift card for one customer who Liked your page this week. Whatever you offer, let people know how they benefit from Liking
your page.

3) Make it easy 

If Liking your page requires too much time and effort, customers won’t do it. People don’t proactively seek brands to Like on Facebook. Provide clear, visible links to your Facebook page in your emails, on your website, on your blog, and wherever else you create content.

Once your Likes start growing, keep encouraging fans to interact in other ways, like tagging your business in posts and photos. The more interactions, the higher you will appear in Graph Search results and reach new customers.