Facebook is the world’s largest online social network – making it an ideal place for brand marketing. Apps, ads, and your own business page allow you to establish a marketing strategy that has the potential to reach millions of users.  But, it is important to be aware of where the real marketing actually takes place. It is the Facebook news feed, not your page or costly ads, which has the potential to create the biggest impact on your audience.

One of the most effective benefits of the news feed is that friends of your Facebook fans can see the interactions of your fans with you. Basically, your Facebook fans act as a recommendation without even knowing it. The more they interact with you, the more visible you become to an awaiting audience.

Characteristics of a High-Quality Facebook News Feed

Clear and Concise Content

Content is what matters on your Facebook news feed. Clarity and conciseness are essential; you must be able to deliver your brand’s message quickly and effectively. While the Facebook news feed is where the audience spends the majority of their time, new updates, information, and comments regularly push your “news” off the “front page” of the feed. This means that you have to be able to constantly deliver content that is fresh and attractive. Is it valuable to the viewer? What will make them want to interact with it? While your content can be seen, it doesn’t mean that it has “reached” the audience.

Original and Attractive Visuals

For the most part, visuals are the most appealing. They are easy to load but still deliver the message. Infographics and other visuals quickly deliver a message and are visually prominent on a Facebook feed. But, originality and relevance should be maintained in all your posts. News feed’s can and will be littered with repetition, so you need to have content that is yours. This ensures that when the audience shares matters, it is your content that they are sharing and reaching the audience.

Regular Interactions

While getting their attention is the first step, the next step is holding onto it. Participation is necessary, but it takes two to keep things flowing. Keep up the conversation. The more interaction your post has, the more prominent it becomes on the news feed. This means that you have to be able to maintain continuity in your conversation, in a timely fashion. When you post, keep up with it to keep it highlighted on the news feed.

And while quality content and consistent interaction are important, it is even more important that you share regularly. Maintain a news feed presence, but avoid spamming or repeat posts (for example, Twitter to Facebook to Pinterest reposts).

When it comes to Facebook, it’s important to stay on the news feed. This is where your marketing is most effective through your audience’s commentary, approval, and above all else, word of mouth sharing with their own unique networks who are just waiting to begin interacting with your brand.