Want your Facebook post to grab eyeballs? Here’s how

In 2012, the number of active Facebook users crossed the one billion benchmark. In 2016, the monthly active user base was as high as 1.86 billion. That is a staggering figure by any parameter. It is no wonder that over a decade since its launch, Facebook remains a favourite among consumers and brand marketers alike. And with increasingly futuristic features, Facebook is set to remain relevant at least for the next decade or so.

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While the media company makes it easy for you to target the right demographics with just a few mouse clicks, the power of convincing those who see your ad still lies with you. A consumer’s decision to action a post, especially one that comes from a brand and is boosted, is strongly linked to the headline and content. You could be selling the best thing since sliced bread but if its Facebook ad is not clickable, it is a wasted effort.

The most important thing to remember are the three Cs of any good new-age content – customised, clear, and concise.

Customised: Personalised, engaging headlines that echo the tonality and choice of words of your targeted demographic are always a good idea.

Clear: A quick look at your personal Facebook feed will tell you that the clutter of Facebook ads is hard to break. Aim for a headline that outlines, in simple words, what you’re selling. Consumers are too smart for click bait, so avoid them.

Concise: Similar to the last point, the best Facebook ad headlines are to the point and easily understood. Facebook’s recommendation is that headlines are 25-40 characters long to maximise engagement.

While nothing can replace a feel-good, touching, emotive ad, with the constraints we have with text in a Facebook ad, there are a few formulae that work really well.

Listicles still win

The last couple of years have seen a buzzfeed-ification of content on social media. Our brains love lists and they help break down the massive text-heavy content doing the rounds on social media. Listicles get processed more quickly and there is no reason to not leverage this trend that has not stopped breaking the Internet since 2013!

Speak of benefits

We live in times of instant gratification. If your ad doesn’t quickly tell the consumer what’s in it for them, the chance of them even trying to find out more is very, very slim. New age sales and marketing is not so much about ‘closing’ as they are about ‘helping’.

Ask something relevant

According to Social Influence, headlines that ask a question receive 150 percent more engagement than statements. If the question uses the word ‘you’, the engagement goes up to 175 percent!

Marketing on social media to a generation that has too many things competing for its attention, is hard work. You need to start well, and what is a better place to start than the headline. Writing for The New Yorker, Maria Konnikova, a renowned writer on psychology and literature, says “Everyone knows that a headline determines how many people will read a piece, particularly in this era of social media. But, more interesting, a headline changes the way people read an article and the way they remember it. The headline frames the rest of the experience.” With equity like that on an unassuming headline, those few extra minutes crafting a strong opening will be well worth the effort.

What’s more? Find out here how to complement your headline with the right set of images.