How Your Nonprofit Organization Can “Beat” Facebook’s Algorithm

The first part of the donor or customer journey is building awareness.

As a result, organizations often wonder how they can build awareness on their social networks.

It is not easy and increasingly more difficult, particularly on platforms such as Facebook.

Let’s face it; there isn’t enough room on Facebook for everything to be seen!

For you see, social media channels such as Facebook, have algorithms and if you don’t know or understand the algorithm, the chance for your organization’s “awareness building” success plummets.

Recently, I read that “every 60 seconds 510,000 comments are posted, 293,000 statuses are updated, and 136,000 photos are uploaded to Facebook.” (Source: The Social Skinny).

That’s great for Mark Zuckerberg… but what does it mean for us?

The Algorithm is Facebook’s way of sorting through the huge number of posts that people and businesses share every day — using a large number of factors; the Algorithm determines what people want to see and what they don’t.

Here’s the thing: Facebook is a social network. It was designed and still functions as a place for people to be social — to build relationships, create community and stay in touch with new and old friends, near and far.

Like it or not, that is reality.

Below are the steps that I have recommended to clients to “beat” the Facebook algorithm.

1. Create content that engages and helps to create a sense of relationship. Lots of likes, comments, and shares are what Facebook is looking for on posts.
2. Video of any kind! Especially video that has a large number of views.
3. Even better than video itself is live video. There is no doubt about it. It is king! Learn to use it.
4. Being to create posts that reflect trending topics if applicable to your cause.
5. Create posts with conversational headlines — Facebook does not like overly “dramatic” headlines.
6. Don’t link too content outside of the platform in the post header; use the comments below. Facebook does not like external linking and driving people off their platform.
7. Keep your content chatty, conversational, and include various content approaches. Facebook does not like overly promotional content.  Grab my Social Posting Best Practices  suggested content and weekly calendar!
8. Start thinking of Facebook as a place to connect and have conversations with people who may be open to what you have to offer.  Post content that creates conversation through asking questions, etc.
9. Post content that educates entertains, and inspires your audience because that is what people love to be – educated, entertained, and inspired!
10. Rather than be a “push, predicatable” medium, consider acting counter-intuitively and post things that have NOTHING to do with your organization but think about interacting with your audience as people, such as posting photos of kids, pets, lunches, recipes, and inspirational quotes.
11. Post things indirectly related to your organization such as resources, tips, hints, share testimonials and stories but without “asks” associated! Create curiosity, and don’t push!
12. Consider creating a Facebook Group rather than a Facebook Page. Facebook wants its pages to “pay for play.” In Facebook groups, you can build a sense of community and foster deeper engagement and conversation. 

Remember, people are on social platforms to be exactly that, be social! It is about developing a relationship first and not pushing or asking. It is a known fact that Facebook is a social platform, and the algorithm rewards people who treat it as such!

Be a human first and a fundraiser second. Take 15 minutes each day to scroll through the newsfeed and interact with your followers and those in your group. Comment back and like their comments.  When you interact with the people in your feed, the Algorithm takes notice — and it will show your content to more people.

Remember — the ultimate goal of the Facebook Algorithm is to improve the user experience.  Your ultimate goal is to “build awareness” of your organization.

By becoming someone whose posts people WANT to see in their newsfeed, and someone, your followers, WANT to interact with, you will ALWAYS win the Facebook Algorithm game, no matter how often it changes!

Consider grabbing a copy of my Best Practices In Social Media that include the different types of posts you should be using and a suggested weekly calendar.

Development Consulting Solutions has a team of experts who can meet your needs by serving as your grant reviewer, grants researcher, proposal template developer, and ongoing grant writer.  Check out our list of grant writing services here.

Contact us today to discuss your grant writing needs.

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• What is good governance and what is not
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Photo by Glen Carrie on Unsplash