It is no news that Facebook is the second most used social media application in Nigeria and the largest social media platform worldwide. However, a lot of business owners, schools managers, and even political candidates are confused about how to use Facebook to engage with Nigerians. If you find Facebook engagements challenging, you are in luck. In this article, we share our top seven ways of engaging with Nigerians on Facebook.
What is Engagement?
No, not that occasion where a person gets on one knee with roses in their hands and asks the love of their life to marry them. Facebook engagement is any action taken on your posts – likes, comments, shares, clicks, video views, etc. It refers to any actions that help your audience interact with you on the platform.
7 Ways to Engage with Nigerians on Facebook
1. Promote your Profile and Posts
If you want to increase your engagement with Nigerians on Facebook, you should seriously consider promoting your page and posts. First off, no one would engage with a page that they do not even know exists. So the first step is to put yourself out there. But you cannot do that in a vacuum, and that’s where your posts come in. Take note that this step is important even if you already have a sizable following and interaction on your Facebook page. To make the most of your Facebook presence, you need to consistently extend the reach of your content beyond the people who regularly interact with your posts.
Plus, 82.6% of Nigeria’s 33 million active social media users are on Facebook, clamouring for attention on the news feed. You cannot sustain their attention only by posting great content. You need to widen your organic reach by promoting the value you already offer your customers to your prospects.
Fortunately, Facebook is ready to support you in the best way possible; if you boost your post, and people love it, Facebook is more likely to show them your subsequent posts. If they keep loving your content, then it will generate a more organic following as they share with their friends and family. So, engage with Nigerians on Facebook by utilising promotion packages and algorithms.
2. Create Great Content
Filling up your Facebook feed with posts that have nothing to do with your followers and everything to do with you or your business, is a no, but a lot of business owners, schools, and politicians do this. Do not just talk about the facilities you have in your school. Talk about how it will make things better for the child. Do not just talk about your product, let your customers know how it can help them save time, costs or effort.
Your content is great when it shines the spotlight on your audience; showing that you understand them and what they need, and you have the solutions to their problems. Moreover, Facebook prioritises posts that spark conversations and interactions. Remember that you are looking for engagement. It only comes by creating content that will draw your audience in. Once they are in, you can present your products and services to them, but do so in a way that focuses on what they will get from it.
3. Get People Talking
Which Jollof do you prefer, party or homemade? Irrespective of your answer, posts that get people talking increase engagement on Facebook. You can also see that the question is on the soft side. Some topics like political or religious questions are great ways to engage with Nigerians, but it is advisable to avoid them because they are polarising and sensitive. Of course, this also depends on your image – a political candidate should not shy away from political discussions.
Avoid questions that will make people think too hard. Most people are on social media to relax. Consider other types of content like quizzes, games and polls for maximum effect. Be creative with your content and let it synchronise with your brand. You want your audience to make reference to you when talking about your content.
To engage with Nigerians on Facebook: post great content, get people talking, promote your page, interact with your audience, post often, stay on Facebook with For Facebook Only content.
4. Interact With your Followers
It is social media because it is a two-way communication tool. No one likes to be ignored; so you should not disregard the people engaging with your content. Your interaction and responses would generate further engagement on your Facebook posts.
Here is how interaction really plays out; if you have 7 regular commenters on your post, and you rarely acknowledge them, it is a matter of time before the 7 become 5, and then 3 and then nothing. Whereas, if you have the same 7 commenters, and you interact with their comments (by liking, reacting or responding, they will remain your commenters, and your interaction may make other users engage with you. Before you know it, the 7 regular commenters will become 10 and then 15 and that is how growth happens.
Growth on Facebook and social media always begins with how you treat what you already have. Even if your followership and engagement are still low, make the most of it and focus on building a relationship with them. People tend to go where they are treated well.
5. Post Often
Think about this. How much engagement do you think you can get if you do not post anything at all? None, right? The same applies when you are not consistent. You are likely to establish a better Facebook presence when you post five times a week consistently than you would if you posted every day of the week in a week and then go missing-in-action the next week. Make sure you are consistent with your post, but also avoid overposting or publishing content that is not relevant to your target audience because this can lead to loss of followers.
6. Post Native Content
Facebook will not give visibility to your post if it takes people off their website, and that will affect the depth of engagement such a post will garner. To generate engagement on your Facebook post, treat the platform as the destination, not a temporary stop.
For instance, if you already have someone’s interest in watching a video on your Facebook feed, and you link the video out to YouTube, they may get to YouTube and find a suggestion for a better performing video on the same subject matter. If they change their mind and watch that instead of your video, you just gifted your lead to your competitor.
Instead, let Facebook house your video. Of course, there are times when you need to draw people away to some of your other digital assets, and that is okay. But do not treat Facebook as a means to an end all of the time. Make it the place where you initiate and also finalise interactions with your audience. There is a time for everything, create a time to treat Facebook as if it is the only social media presence you have. Have a ‘For Facebook Only’ (FFO) content strategy.
7. Use Videos
Videos perform better than any other type of media content on Facebook. However, optimising the video-consumer audience is not just about posting videos; it is about finding new, creative, authentic and engaging ways to make the videos. You can engage with Nigerians on Facebook by going Live, asking for user-generated videos, making docu-features or granting sneak previews. You should also do away with the misconception that video content demands a heavy budget. With a smartphone and video apps such as KineMaster, AdobeRush, iMovie, etc, you can have your premium quality video content ready for consumption.
Summary
Facebook has everything you need to position yourself to attract your target audience. By engaging meaningfully on the platform, many businesses, organisations and individuals have built reputable brands, created successful e-commerce stores, launched respectable helpdesk services and earned the trust of their target audience. If you are ready to take the plunge to engage with Nigerians on Facebook then: post great content, get people talking, promote your page, interact with your audience, post often, stay on Facebook with For Facebook Only content. Should you need help along the way, we are right here.