Did you know you can’t say “double tap” or “comment below ” now because of the whole “engagement bait” rule from Facebook?? Did you know asking your homies to tag their friends or biz besties in the comments is among one of the 5 types of “engagement bait” that Facebook is now penalizing your visibility for? YIKES. I’m SO guilty of doing this!
So what’s a girl to do? Sit back and chillax, ‘cause I just wrote out your whole game plan including:
- The 5 types of “engagement bait” being flagged by Facebook.
- What to say besides “double tap” and “comment below”.
- And swipeable phrases to create truly authentic conversations so Facebook keeps your posts at the top of the feed.
The “Engagement bait” debate: Can I really not say “double tap” or “comment below” now?
Apparently not.
Source: Facebook
Real talk? I’m kind of excited for this announcement and you should be too.
Basically, Facebook will now “demote” posts that use any of these 5 types of engagement bait:
- Tag Baiting
- Comment Baiting
- Vote Baiting
- React Baiting
- Share Baiting
I’m excited because I’m all for “ authentic engagement”–I mean, that’s why we run a personal brand right? That’s why we’re drawn to the small business world where conversations are more meaningful than salesy, Amen?
So hey, when Facebook wants to threaten to keep us out of the newsfeed because they think we’re not being “authentic”… let’s use it as an opportunity to show them how authentic we really are and steward our stories more meaningfully!
Let’s talk about what to say besides “double tap” or “comment below” to create authentic engagement and boost visibility.
Honestly, I was annoyed the instant Facebook put this memo out there. I’m fighting for a business I’m passionate about…so duh I want to be in the feed! Honestly, my first thought about how to tackle this went something like these smart aleck responses:
- “Emoji below if…”
- “Tap twice for..”
- “Leave feedback for me…”
- “Tappety-tap this pic if you…”
But then I realized that even though I’m confident I could figure out a way to out-smart this stupid algorithm, I should *probably* spend more time making sure I just have a go-to plan in place to abide by the rules. Le sigh.
And so I created this list of categories to get those creative juices flowing for when I’m drafting those Insta posts, to keep my engagement style fresh, and to resist the “double tap” urge.
8 categories and swipe-able phrases to create authentic engagement without using “engagement bait”.
1. Questions. “Do you struggle with this too?”
2. Polls. “Am I alone thinking …?”
3. Opinions. “Should I do this or that in my business?”
4. Conversation Starters. “Do you have any kids?”
5. Advice. “Real talk, running a business and being a mom is hard. Any advice for a struggling mompreneur?”
6. Recommendations. “Any app recommendations for….?”
7. Tips. “ I can’t stay focused for the life of me! Send any and all tips my way PLEASE!”
8. Brainstorming Ideas. “What’s a good name for my e-course I’ve got coming up? Thoughts?”
Engage with your audience in a way that not only ranks you at the top of the feed, but is also useful information for you to know. Think about asking your users where they’re from, what topics they’re interested in, what they want to see more or less of, etc. so you can better serve them in the future.
And whether you’re looking to find our more about what your audience is thinking or just straight-up want to know what to rent at Redbox on a Friday night…having these categories jotted down near your social media planner will help get you in the habit of constantly engaging with your peeps in meaningful, fresh ways.
…Just don’t be fake. Yes I want to see you get engagement, but don’t ask about what their favorite color if you really don’t care and your goal is just to get ahead of the feed…ok? People notice that, I promise.
Tell me what kinds of topics has your audience been most responsive/engaged with? Drop some feedback in the comments below…before Facebook takes away our privilege of saying “comment below” in our blog posts. 🙂
Toodles poodle.
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