Some people say there is, but we think there’s no one “right” way to post on Facebook.

In personal relationships, you have to change your outputs based on the person – you wouldn’t act the same way with your boss as you would with your best friend (we hope)! Just like you know your audience for in-person relationships, it’s important to know your audience for online relationships.

Some posts may be longer because they’re explaining something complex, telling a story, or giving tips. If your followers are engaging with the post and liking it (both literally and on Facebook), that’s a valuable type of post.

Some organizations, businesses, or individuals may have very short posts if they don’t have as much to say. Sharing an article, for example, should only be a sentence or two summarizing the article – not two paragraphs.

It all depends on what your followers like, engage with, and want to hear from you. What works really well for one company may not work for another at all.

So while there are no hard and fast commandments for creating “THE best Facebook post,” there are some ground rules. Read below for tips and tricks on how to make your Facebook posts even better.

1. DO make sure your grammar and spelling is correct

It doesn’t matter how compelling your post is – if there’s errors, it distracts readers and makes you look not-so-great. Mistakes happen sometimes, but proofread, proofread, proofread to prevent them at all costs. You want to look polished and professional on your Facebook page at all times.

2. DON’T post things that are totally irrelevant

A think tank shouldn’t post clips of Jersey Shore, and a fun, young boutique shouldn’t post a New York Times article about global warming. Facebook content should be diverse and non-repetitive, but it should also be relevant to your audience.

3. DO include a picture if you can

You know what they say: a picture is worth a thousand words. If you can include a compelling image or graphic to go with your post – or even stand alone as a post itself – do! Seeing a relevant photo with your post is generally more likely to draw readers’ eyes than just a big block of text.

4. But DON’T include just any photo

The key words from the last tip are “compelling” and “relevant.” Don’t include a blurry photo that your 5 year old took – that’s not compelling. Don’t include a photo of a donkey in a post about a unicorn – that’s not relevant. Find a good image that’s high quality from a site like Unsplash that offers free images.

5. DO keep it simple

You may know a lot about your product/services/politics stance/topic/expertise, but assume those reading your post don’t. Avoid using jargon and explain any phrases or acronyms that outsiders might not understand (KPI, USAID, RBI, LARC, etc). A good rule of thumb (for most places) is to keep content at an 8th grade level. If a 13 year old would be confused, you should probably tone it down a little.

The major takeaway is that you should always be thinking about your audience when crafting Facebook posts. If you don’t know your audience, figure out who they are so you can cater to them! That’s the best way to create meaningful Facebook posts.

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