If you’re already managing your nonprofit’s Facebook page, you’ve probably noticed that your posts aren’t reaching nearly as many people as you’d expect. Don’t worry, you’re not alone!
In fact, some studies have found that the average organic reach for a Facebook page is less than 2%.
So, let’s say you have 100 followers. That means on average, your posts will reach…2 of them. I know, it can be discouraging to see those kinds of numbers! You worked so hard to get those followers, and now you can’t reach them. But the good news is, there are ways to expand that reach and here are four of them:
1. Tag sponsors, partners, and other pages whenever possible.
By tagging others, you’re making sure the people who manage those pages see your post and encouraging them to share with their followers as well.
So, how could you do this?
One great way is by tagging and thanking sponsors for their recent contribution. They want their followers to know they give back to the community, so they’ll most likely be willing to share it with on their page, too. It’s a win-win!
2. This one is simple: just ask your followers to engage!
Facebook’s algorithm prioritizes content based on how relevant and engaging that content is. Part of this is based on how other users have already reacted to it. If a post is getting a lot of likes, comments, and shares, Facebook takes that as a signal that it’s high-quality content and should be shown to more users. That means that it’s critical that you get your followers to interact with your post, and sometimes, the easiest way to do that is just to ask.
Use phrases like “Tag a friend who…” or “Share to help spread the word” or for contests “Tag who you’d take with you.” Or, even ask them to donate! When you do, make it easy with either a link to make a monetary donation, or a link to where they can buy the in-kind donations you’re looking for, and you’ll be surprised just how well this works.
3. Take full advantage of the features of Facebook Events.
Facebook Events offer ways to expand your organization’s reach that regular posts don’t, which is what makes them so useful!
When creating your Facebook Event, make sure to add co-hosts. For all pages that accept your co-host invitation, your event will now appear on their Facebook pages too. Consider sponsors, national chapters (if you’re an affiliate chapter), and partners as potential co-hosts for your events.
Once you finish creating your event, don’t just leave it there! Make sure to post within the event before and after event day. Why? Because whenever you post in the event page, anyone who has marked themselves as “Going” or “Interested” in the event will get an automatic notification about your post, which leads to more people seeing it.
4. Encourage your staff and volunteers to engage with your posts.
This goes back to the Facebook algorithm and how it prioritizes content for its users. If Facebook sees that a lot of users are interacting with a post, it’ll show it to more people.
So, with each like, comment and share, from your staff, your post is more likely to be placed into someone else’s news feed. Even a simple like can go a long way. You’ve probably seen in your own news feed, things like “This friend liked this post,” right? That’s why this is so important! So, go encourage your staff to like your posts like crazy!