Facebook content strategy: 8 visual content tactics to boost engagement

How many times has a brand post caught your attention on your Facebook news feed? Chances are, not very often.

In 2018, Mark Zuckerberg announced that the company would be shifting focus to “meaningful social interactions.” This meant that people could expect to see “more (posts) from friends, family and groups” and “less public content like posts from businesses, brands and media.”

Since this change, it has gotten harder to find organic reach success. 

But if you think ads can guarantee you engagement and shares, you’re mistaken. 

The truth is: whether you’re putting out paid ads or organic posts, you’re not just competing with other brands but you’re also competing with posts from users’ friends and family. 

One of the most effective ways to stand out and gain visibility in a crowded Facebook news feed is with the use of visuals in your social media strategy. 

Let’s take a look at eight visual tactics to boost engagement and shares on your Facebook posts. 

1. Show products in action

Using product-focused or lifestyle images to showcase your products might seem like a no-brainer but not everyone gets it right. 

After all, most of the time you can’t post a product image against a white background and expect it to get traction. 

The key lies in presenting your product in a manner that attracts attention and generates interest in the viewer. Here are some ways to style product shots:

• Focus on a single product against a contrasting background

• Use a lifestyle image or add a human element to show how the product is being used

• Do a flat lay by taking an aerial shot of the product(s)

• Use arrows or illustrations to highlight the features

Take a look at this Facebook post by Allbirds. They’ve used a lifestyle image with a strong focus on the shoe, showing you what you need to see. 

But what happens to brands selling intangible or digital products such as white papers, eBooks, online courses, insurance services or any others that customers can’t see?

In such a scenario, it’s a good idea to visualize the tangible benefits of the product and demonstrate it through the imagery. You need to show the user how they will benefit from the product or how it will make them feel. 

2. Use mini-infographics

From being attention-grabbing and memorable to engaging readers and making complex information easier to digest – infographics are valuable visual communication tools. 

What’s more, they receive 3x more shares than any other type of content, making them an essential type of visual to include in your social media marketing plan. 

But anyone who has seen infographics knows that the long ones can’t be posted as-is on Facebook because the size specifications will cause the infographic to be cropped abruptly.

While promoting infographics on social media, break them down into smaller graphics. Doing this makes them more legible and striking, leading to an increase in engagement and shares.

Here’s an example of a mini-infographic Venngage posted on Facebook. It’s a subset of the main infographic, focusing on a single point. 

The link to the blog post with the main infographic is mentioned in the caption. We noticed a lot more clicks to that post because people seemed to want to know more about it after viewing a small section of it on Facebook. 

3. Create recognizable memes

Spend a few minutes on social media and you’re sure to come across a meme or two. That’s how widespread and popular they have become. 

Memes work because they are:

• Relatable 

• Engaging

• Shareable

Due to this, it makes sense for brands to include memes in their Facebook content strategy to connect with their audience. 

You can either repurpose existing memes by adding your branding or create original ones. The idea is to showcase your humorous side and convey the key message without coming across as offensive. 

Here’s an example from Barkbox, relating to the feelings of many people in their audience who were starting to get tired of quarantine.

4. Repurpose top content into visuals

Most marketers fail to realize that apart from new content creation, it’s also important to reflect on existing content assets and repurpose the top-performing ones for other distribution channels. 

Apart from being a cost-effective strategy, this also helps you increase brand awareness and drive more engagement while boosting social media growth. 

For instance, if a blog post is performing well, don’t just share the link on Facebook. Instead, look at how you can repurpose that post into social media visuals so that they manage to generate interest in users, enticing them to read the entire post on your blog. 

Here are some tactics to identify posts for social media repurposing:

• Content that your audience is searching for

• Articles that generate the most shares on social media

• Articles that drive the most traffic to your website

• Content assets that convert readers into customers

Here’s an example of how Venngage repurposed a blog post on marketing plans into a crisp social media infographic, outlining the essential elements. 

5. Create snackable videos

From landing pages and email newsletters to blog posts and social media – videos are a favorite across channels.

But with almost every brand creating videos today, how do you design one that gets noticed and generates engagement? Here are a few Facebook video creation tips to succeed: 

• Keep videos short and to-the-point (the optimal video length is 1 minute, 30 seconds)

• Create high-quality videos 

• Include the key message or capture attention in the first few seconds

• Consider posting vertical videos that are optimized for mobile viewing

• Design an enticing thumbnail that attracts clicks

An example of a brand that does Facebook videos well is the Dollar Shave Club. Their videos are fun and slick.

6. Leverage user-generated content

You might think user-generated content is best suited for Instagram but that’s not true. 

According to a survey, consumers found user-generated content to be 9.8x more impactful than influencer content during the purchasing process.

This goes to prove how powerful user-generated content is. At a time when people are bombarded with ads and marketing messages, user-generated content adds an element of authenticity and credibility, thereby leading to higher engagement and social shares.

Here are some ways to integrate user-generated content into your Facebook content strategy:

• Curate and re-share them on your feed

• Create visuals highlighting user reviews and testimonials

• Include them in your Facebook ads

• Create multi-image posts or an album featuring a collection of user-generated content posts

• Create video montages with the user-generated content

Be sure to seek the original user’s permission before you use their posts. It’s also a good idea to tag them while sharing their content on your page. 

One of the most effective ways to gather user-generated content is by hosting a Facebook contest and incentivizing people to share original content featuring your brand. 

Loews Hotels’ Facebook posts often feature user-generated content. Notice how they add a relevant caption to the post while tagging the original creator. 

7. Use contrasting colors and fonts

A huge part of posting enticing visuals lies in using the right colors and fonts. After all, there’s no way a Facebook post with a distracting color scheme or illegible font can grab attention. 

The team at Venngage recently compiled the top graphic design trends that will dominate 2021. As per the findings, muted color palettes work well because they make graphics feel more authentic and natural. 

Similarly, if your visual includes text, use classic and simple fonts that are easy to read and appropriately sized. 

As social media posts are generally viewed on smaller screens, make sure you don’t use too many types of fonts as that will end up crowding the image and confusing the reader. 

Take a look at this Facebook post by Socialbakers (now Emplifi Social Marketing Cloud). The blue bubbles stand out against the yellow background and convey the information clearly. 

8. Maintain brand consistency

With the number of posts vying for attention on the Facebook news feed, brands with a consistent look and feel certainly stand out and appeal to their target audience. 

This is why it’s very important to maintain visual brand consistency on social media. Use your brand’s color, fonts, and aesthetics while designing social media visuals. Doing this will help you establish a memorable presence and enhance recall value. 

Take a look at Salesforce’s posts -- they are all in line with their brand colors (white and blue). Some of them also include their brand mascots, making them instantly recognizable. 

The takeaway

It’s safe to say that the difference between a Facebook post that gets engagement and one that doesn’t is the use of powerful visuals. 

These visual content tactics will help you boost your Facebook content strategy and create posts that spark conversations and entice people to engage with your brand.

Editor's Note: This article was originally published on socialbakers.com. Any statistics or statements included in this article were current at the time of original publication.