The social media world is still buzzing over somewhat confusing statistics about post engagement and third party social media sharing tools. The statistics varied based on the criterion, but largely suggested that the engagement of non-native posts – those posted using third party social media sharing tools – didn’t perform well.
Although not completely clear in the beginning, this was specifically referring to Facebook posts. Since marketers are always looking for ways to boost Facebook post performance, we paid attention.
Not too long ago, Mari Smith shared an informative article outlining some eye-opening engagement stats. Among those stats was the suggestion that “Posting with a 3rd party tool results in 89.5% less engagement than directly posting to Facebook.” That little tidbit surely sent more than a few marketers into a tizzy.
For some, the possibility of lower performance was all they needed to steer clear of third party social media sharing tools completely. Others – including Mari – set out to get more facts before abandoning their favorite sharing tools.
Indeed, the rumors were incorrect. Social Media Minute with Jan Rezab dispelled the myth stating that “…Facebook reach is not affected by third-party apps, for both paid and organic brand posts.”
One thing that does often affect overall reach – and perhaps what may have started the unpleasant statistics in the first place – is the type of tool being used. As we all know, Facebook tries to determine what kind of content we want to see based on our interactions with the content in our feeds. So, if Pages post the same kind of content repeatedly – especially if it’s posted with a widely used consumer app – the content will most likely be collapsed or buried in followers’ feeds. Pages using a variety of methods and formulas – posting both natively and using tools, as well as mixing elements like images, high character count, videos, etc., – will generally earn more reach.
In addition to the similarity of posts, the other thing that often affects overall reach is posting frequency.
Yes, we’ve all read countless articles that suggest how many times to post each day. And the “best times of the day to post” usually accompanies the recommended frequency. But there are actually some very different elements to consider here that just might shed some light on what works and what doesn’t for different Pages.
Let’s think of posting via social media in regular “snail mail” terms for a minute:
- When we do a large mailing, we use bulk rate postage. It’s a cheaper, easier way to reach a lot of people, but because it’s not necessarily a “special” piece of mail, it may not get a lot of attention from the recipients.
- If we have small number of special invitations, we pay a premium to have them hand stamped to ensure that the addressees receive them.
BULK RATE
If a Page posts very frequently (i.e., 20 times or more per day) using a third party sharing tool, it’s possible that most of those posts will become lumped into a certain set of algorithms. Let’s call those “bulk algorithms.”
Bulk algorithms look mostly at frequency and method of distribution, so too much of the same rarely benefits Page traffic.
If a Page has 200,000 followers and just 2% of those followers interact with bulk posts, then some of those posts will make it through to more feeds via referral traffic. But, if we look at the total number of Page followers versus the total number of interactions, the number of interactions probably won’t be as high as we’d assume given the number of followers.
HAND STAMPED
Similarly, if a Page has fewer followers (say 500 or less) and posts only a few times per week, those posts are placed into an entirely different statistical category. Let’s call this category “hand stamped”.
In general, Pages with fewer followers and lower post frequency will post natively rather than using a sharing tool. In addition, they generally interact with followers while they’re “hand stamping” their posts. Interaction always boosts reach.
Pages with more manual posts also tend to use more tags, hashtags, mentions, and locations because they’re “speaking” to (and about) a more specific audience.
One Page is trying to reach more people with a bigger, faster distribution method. The other is using a more personal approach. Which method works? They both do. The posting goals of each Page are very different, so their reach will be very different as well.
What we’re generally trying to say is that variety works. Doing the same thing all the time – whether in bulk or by hand, natively or mechanically, more or less – doesn’t.
And make sure you’re not making common social media mistakes that might be affecting your success. Have a plan and commit the right about of resources to your social media marketing efforts, otherwise you’re bound to assume social media just “doesn’t work” for you.
Clearly, focusing on which types of posts perform better with your audience is essential. If you really want to know what works and what doesn’t, start by watching your Insights closely. Insights will help keep an eye on ever-important fan engagement.
Michael Lazerow of AdAge effectively outlines floundering engagement as “engagement death spiral.”
“…If your fans don’t see your posts, they won’t engage. And if they don’t engage, your EdgeRank score goes down. If your EdgeRank score goes down, the next post you make will be penalized as coming from a “less engaging” Page. This is what I call the engagement death spiral…”
Learn about EdgeRank and what it means for your marketing efforts.
As we’ve said before, get test-y with your social media! Keep testing different post types, use different copy and link strategies, post photos with and without links, etc. If you’re looking for more ideas about what to test, Buffer did an exhaustive study on some of the best Facebook strategies. It’s a long but very worthwhile read!
In a nutshell, most research indicates that posting directly to Facebook is the way to go. According to Buffer, over 75% of Facebook marketers don’t use applications to post their content.
If, however, you’d like to know more about what specific sharing tools do and how they might benefit your social media marketing efforts, Kim Garst explores the benefits of several Facebook tools for marketers. And, because she’s just as interested in saving time as the rest of us are, she also outlines some great social media tools to save you tons of time.
Once again, we’re reminded that no one, single solution works across the board. But, as the old saying goes, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again!” With social media, you’re always sure to have something to try again!
We’d love to know what has – and hasn’t – worked for your social media marketing! Have you used third party social media sharing tools, or do you post natively? What tips and tricks have worked best for you? Let us know in the comments below!
