3 ways to boost Facebook visibility

Facebook is still the biggest social network, with over 1.44 billion monthly users, but yesterday’s tactics no longer work if you want to reach more of today’s Facebook users.

The Facebook news feed algorithm now puts more weight on the value of shares.

Here are three easy ways to increase the sharing of your content on Facebook:

1. Launch seasonal photo contests. Contests that are relevant to followers see higher engagement rates. That’s why a user-generated photo contest is a great option.

The benefits are twofold: Photo submissions will help you build a bank of user-generated content, and contributors will help drive shares when they ask their friends and followers to vote.

Seasonal photo contests are especially effective, says Leah Cast, PR manager for the Galveston Island Convention and Visitors Bureau. She cites her team’s recent summer-themed “Love Galveston Facebook Photo Contest” as an example.

“Our goal was to increase engagement and create an emotional connection with our fans,” says Cast. “We achieved [that] with almost 20,000 participants.”