How to Write a Facebook Post: 23 Tips to Master

Want to know what to write when posting to Facebook?

Need some good examples?

Let me guess: you're struggling to connect with your FB audience, right?

You’re not alone!

It’s tough to figure out what “works” given the vast diversity of posts on Facebook.

You have to know your niche (and the audience WITHIN that niche you want to target).

In other words, what works for your Facebook page may not work for mine, and vice versa.

So you need to test to see what gets the most engagement from YOUR particular fans.

But what happens when you’re out of ideas to test? Use these tips!

We've broken up these 23 tips into 4 parts, so feel free to skip to the section that you're most interested in:

• Part 1: How to plan and schedule Facebook posts
• Part 2: How to write and create an attractive Facebook post
• Part 3: What to add to your Facebook post
• Part 4: Facebook post ideas that never fail
• How do I maximize Facebook post engagement?

(Want to increase your Facebook engagement? Step up your Facebook marketing with your FREE Post Planner account today!)

Part 1: How to plan and schedule Facebook posts

These tips are all about setting a foundation for your Facebook posts.

Because you don't want to start posting without a PLAN.

1. Determine your target audience 

Who do you want to see and engage with your Facebook post?

Think about this very carefully, because everything you do from this point forward should take your target audience into consideration.

• What is their demographic?
• What are their interests?
• What are their problems and obstacles?
• What are their goals?

It's a good exercise to list and map out your answers to these questions BEFORE creating content.

This will give you a Facebook content strategy with a NEVER-ENDING supply of post ideas.

2. Post at the ideal frequency

Did you know that each social media platform has its own “culture”?

Users who have multiple platforms tend to behave slightly differently on each one.

That includes WHEN and how often they post.

When it comes to your Facebook posts, stay in the "Goldilocks zone" of post frequency.

You don't want to post too little, and you also DON'T want to spam either.

In other words, Facebook is NOT Twitter.

Posting 5X a DAY is typical on Twitter.

Posting that often on Facebook is probably too much.

Experts suggest you post on Facebook once a day (or around 5x a week).

BUT make sure to focus on QUALITY over quantity.  Your content needs to stand out for the right reasons.

3. Balance promotional, entertaining, and educational posts

The average person sees 6,000 to 10,000 ads EVERY SINGLE DAY!

Most of those ads get blocked off by our attention wall.

With this in mind, make sure you're balancing your promotional posts with other types of Facebook content.

The last thing you want is for your followers to see your page as one big ad.

If that happens, your engagement rate will inevitably suffer.

So note this: People are on Facebook to experience things they ENJOY, be entertained, and connect with friends and family.

Your Facebook posts should give your fans VALUE first and opportunities to buy second!

4. Use your brand tone consistently

Your brand tone is the underlying voice/vibe your audience gets from your Facebook posts.

Brand tones come in MANY different styles.

But YOURS should come down to what resonates with your target audience - combined with your personality.

Here's an example:

A company selling men’s razors will have a different brand tone than one selling women's razors.

Why?

Because they're relating to DIFFERENT demographics.

Here are some attributes to think about when pinpointing who you're writing to:

• Age
• Gender
• Interests
• Geography
• Languages spoken

You can also peek into your comment section to see what words, phrases, or slang your audience typically uses.

All of these can be incorporated into the brand tone of your Facebook posts!

Here are 2 examples of different brand tones from Kylie Cosmetics and Gym Shark:

5. Schedule your posts at the perfect time

Feel overwhelmed at the thought of coming up with unique Facebook posts EVERY day?

I’d feel that way, too!

But writing Facebook posts doesn't have to be a stressful, daily whirlwind.

Creating them in advance saves you TONS of time.

It gives you time to think your post through (and even enjoy the creative process).

Post Planner has everything you need to automate your Facebook posts EASY, including:

• Cross-platform scheduling tools
• Bulk post scheduling
• A massive content library
• Content editing tools
• AI content tools

You can use Post Planner to browse through HUNDREDS of Facebook post ideas.

Watch the Post Planner demo video here! (The video will open in a new tab.)

Post Planner even lets you save the ones you like for resharing and inspiration!

So, if you want to save time by planning your content ahead of time (like you should), then schedule your Facebook posts!

You can use that time to reply to comments and DMs!

Part 2: How to write and create an attractive Facebook post

Now that you know how to plan your Facebook posts, it’s time to figure out how to get people to PAY ATTENTION.

6. Structure your post

Sure, it's okay to quickly jot down your post idea in your drafts.

But don't recklessly create a post without thinking about how to design it perfectly for Facebook AND your audience.

For any post, there are essentially 3 parts:

• The hook - This is what people will first see when they consume your content and grab their attention.
• The body - This is the part of the posts that delivers the value after they're hooked.
• The conclusion and call-to-action - This is the next step someone should take after reading your post.

Your hook is arguably the most important part of your post because it'll be what gets your followers invested in your content.

One of my favorite ways to hook readers is to hint at a problem they experience that my post will solve for them.

7. Veer towards short posts

A Facebook news feed is like a crowded and loud subway train for your followers.

So it makes sense that most skim through posts and won't take a second look at long captions.

That's why I recommend you keep your Facebook posts in an 80-160 character range.

Aim to be short, sweet, and to the point. Make your words efficient while still impactful.

8. Have a clear (and concise) message

Shorter posts are much more likely to deliver a clear message.

Clear Facebook posts avoid the following:

• Unnecessary tangents
• Wordy sentences
• Bad grammar

Clear, readable messages open your posts up for higher engagement potential!

9. Provide valuable information

Valuable information is essential when it comes to Facebook posts.

If you're a coach, educator, or consultant, valuable info can position you as an authority on the subject you're talking about!

Here’s an example from fundraising expert John Haydon:

AND Here's another example from The Nashville Zoo!

Find statistics, reports, or other data you think will make your fans go "WOW."

Then, package that info into an entertaining or visually pleasing post.

The result?

Viewers sharing your post with their friends!

10. Be positive

People tend to engage and share more often with positive posts.

Motivational, inspirational, and funny posts always get the most shares on Facebook.

Sure, people might agree with your negative sentiments.

But they’ll hold back the Likes, comments, and shares because they don't want to be perceived negatively.

So if you want engagement up, stay positive!

11. Use emotional words

Emotional words create connection.

They grab attention and keep people reading.

Using the right words is even more critical when keeping your posts short.

Here’s an example from Whole Foods that makes my mouth water:

But what if you're not a gold-medal wordsmith?

You can use a thesaurus to expand your vocabulary.

But you can also explore Post Planner’s content streams to find viral posts in your niche.

Most likely, those posts are viral because they’re using the right words.

12. Make your Facebook post VISUAL

Facebook rolled out a great feature a couple of years back that lets you turn your regular text post into a graphic.

You can do this with just a few clicks.

Simply select the colorful box icon at the bottom of your Facebook post box and choose the background you like best.

This helps attract more eyes to your post because you're using color to your advantage!

Facebook post backgrounds are ideal for short posts.

The enhanced visual is a scroll-stopping tactic you CAN'T forget to use.

Consider adding your caption idea to the image

I recommend posting an image 70-80% of the time.

Historically speaking, photos carry the most weight in the Edgerank algorithm on Facebook.

PLUS, people are more likely to share image posts.

You still need to adhere to the other tips that I mentioned above (stay positive, keep it short, use emotional words, etc.).

But using images is an indispensable engagement-boosting practice.

Here’s an example of what an image post can look like from Kim Garst:

13. Use emojis for emphasis and to keep attention

Emojis are another creative way to spice up your Facebook posts since they:

• Draw attention
• Help space out your sentences
• Are relatable

Use relevant emojis in your posts to guide the reader's eyes to read the words next to the emoji.

As with all great things, DON'T overuse emojis.

1 to 2 emojis per post is a reasonable limit.

14. Understand the Facebook algorithm

The Facebook algorithm scores posts based on "edges," aka Likes and comments (comments hold the most value).

The more engagement a post has, the more the algorithm sees it as valuable enough to push out to more people.

On the other hand, it discards posts a user probably isn’t going to engage with and demotes content people don't care for.

That’s why posting during peak hours is essential for engagement.

Publishing Facebook posts when users are more likely to see them will cause your engagement to go up.

The algorithm notices that increase in engagement and boosts your posts.

Why?

Like all other social media sites, Facebook wants its users to stay on the platform for as long as possible.

So it ranks posts based on what the user sees as valuable!

Do you now see why creating valuable content is king?

You should also note that the Facebook algorithm varies content types on the Facebook newsfeed.

So it'll balance out images, text posts, videos, and live streams as the user scrolls through, prioritizing topics that interest the user.

That said, vary the types of content you post.

As users Like, comment, and share your page and posts, your page and posts become more visible.

So creating incentives for people to engage with your page is HUGE.

The Facebook algorithm also takes how recent your post is into account, prioritizing new posts over old ones.

Part 3: What to add to your Facebook post (what to include)

Writing out captions for your Facebook posts is where you get to REALLY have fun.

Here are some tips to keep in mind:

15. Add a call-to-action at the end

Your Facebook posts should range from informational and logical to funny and laid-back.

Across genres, you should let your fans know what actions you want them to take next.

In other words, strategically end your posts with a call-to-action (CTA).

Maybe it's to show up for a webinar you're hosting, a live stream you're running, or a product pre-order.

Whatever the case, CTAs should make your audience’s next steps CLEAR.

Here are some fun examples from Shark Tank’s Lori Grenier:

Like Lori’s example, your CTA can just be for engagement.

I often use "Click Like if you agree and comment if you don't" (or something to that effect.)

If you'd like some other CTA ideas, check out the Facebook ads library!

You can gain some helpful ideas from advertisers, which you can implement into your own Facebook page posts.

But remember:

Your users want to see MORE than just promotional CTAs.

Even if your end goal is to sell more of your product, your tactics should include MORE than just constant promos.

16. Use storytelling 

I know, I know, earlier I said to "keep your posts short."

This is true MOST OF THE TIME.

But there are occasions to toss in a long post.

This is your chance to tell a compelling story that resonates with your audience.

Maybe it's funny, motivational, strange, or downright scary.

Continue to incorporate expressive words and add value.

And even though you’re extending the caption a bit, you still want to keep your message clear.

If you’re going to go long, make every word count!

17. Start or end posts with a question

Questions are the bait for engagement!

But don't ALWAYS ask open-ended questions.

Sometimes giving people an easy choice of answers will result in MORE comments and engagement!

And sometimes you can do BOTH (like in this example):

What if you can't think of any questions to ask?

Try the fantastic "Questions" category in Post Planner's Status Ideas Engine!

18. Share a link

If you're asking people to do something with a CTA, then make sure to provide a link where you want them to go (site, app, etc.).

Below is an example from the TabSite App:

This CTA gives readers clear instructions on what to do next.

PRO TIP: Make sure your links WORK (and aren't too long).

Bitly is nice, but you can use a custom link shortener like short.io to create a clean and branded short link!

Part 4: Facebook post ideas that never fail

Even though we just gave you all the tips you need to make captivating Facebook posts, we get it - thinking of ideas is still hard.

So here are 5 popular post formats to get your creative juices flowing!

(Don't forget to sign up for a free Post Planner account if you want an UNLIMITED amount of post ideas!)

19. Write a post on a topic your fans care about

If I ask you what your favorite TV show is, I bet you'll have more than just a few words to say about it!

Why?

Because you care about it!

When writing great Facebook posts, you want to write about a subject your audience enjoys!

I'll give you an example:

Say Company Y's audience is adult women and their Facebook post is about finding the perfect clothing size.

They can compare having the wrong size to being as annoying as having split ends.

When you talk about topics your audience likes/knows/experiences (directly or indirectly), they start to see you as relatable!

20. Align your post with the time of day

Some of your posts will perform better at certain times of the day.

For example, posting a motivational quote early in the morning is just what people need when trying to drag themselves out of bed.

Think of what message you want your post to convey and think about the time you're going to post it.

If your message and posting time are harmonious, you'll likely see solid impressions, Likes, comments, and shares!

21. Share a tiered number list

No matter what subject/niche you're knowledgeable about, you can compact that knowledge into a tiered number list.

Some examples would be:

• "Top 10 home decor ideas for Fall"
• "Top 6 productivity apps for entrepreneurs"
• "The 8 BEST bodyweight exercises"

Think of what topic you can condense into a list and write it as a Facebook post!

Tiered number lists are very skimmable and direct, which is perfect for users who don’t have time to read a dissertation on your Facebook page.

22. Talk about personal experiences

Sometimes your Facebook posts can be about your personal experiences.

You can share hopes, struggles, and victories you’ve experienced as a brand owner.

Take social media expert, Shay Rowbottom, as an example:

Opening up is a great way to show your audience the human side of your brand.

Since we all experience adversity, your fans will likely be able to relate to you.

23. Call out a demographic

Here's an underrated one. Sometimes your Facebook post will be speaking to a specific demographic.

One of the best ways to get their attention is to call them out.

For example, a restaurant chain opening a new location in Atlanta can say: "Calling all residents in the Atlanta area!"

Using this as the first line piques the interest of those in Atlanta.

This can be applied to all kinds of posts, like images and videos as well.

The more specific you are, the more likely you’ll be able to connect with your TARGET audience!

How do I maximize Facebook post engagement?

To maximize Facebook engagement, you have to post quality content at the right time!

The most successful social media marketers understand the power of content and use processes that make posting easy!

Look at your current analytics and adopt a Facebook post scheduling tool to see how your engagement changes over time.

BUT maximizing post engagement still doesn't end there.

Facebook has plenty of tools you can use to get even MORE out of your posts.

For example, Facebook has a "Boost" feature that allows you to promote your post to a larger targeted audience.

This feature is ideal for increasing engagement and acquiring new followers (not necessarily for selling a product).

3 Final takeaways about what to write when posting a picture on Facebook

Whether posting on your personal or brand Facebook page, keep these 3 takeaways in mind:

• Craft posts that your followers and fans enjoy by sharing value in a digestible way.
• Use analytics to understand how changing your approach impacts engagement.
• Good content + a good number of impressions + right audience = ENGAGEMENT and GROWTH.

Creating good content and maximizing your impressions can be done with the help of Post Planner's content library and social media scheduling tool.

Find viral Facebook content and schedule it at PEAK times to maximize impressions!

Wanna get started?

Create a free account to try Post Planner today!