Facebook introduced the EdgeRank formula about a year ago, which weighs content put up on the social media site by a variety of factors. This means that the chance that any given message will reach fans is probably less than 10 percent of the time, but there are still some things that can be done to up the percentages.

While some brands spend as much as $50,000 creating a flashy Facebook page, over 90 percent of people never return to fan pages. It’s important, therefore, to create updates that link to the page itself; when fans interact with it, EdgeRank will deliver updates more frequently. Giving fans an opportunity to be heard is also key.

“Some of the most successful Facebook pages were created by users and not the brands behind them,” wrote Scott Meldrum. “We’ve all heard the story about how the Coca-Cola Facebook page got its start {link no longer active}. It reminds us that some of the most innovative content ideas come from outside of the company. Inviting fans to contribute content, such as photos, stories, or videos, brings up your EdgeRank score since they can only do that by visiting your page. It also makes for a more dynamic experience for the rest of the fans. Most importantly, it allows potential customers to experience what real customers have to say about your brand. If you say it, it’s a promise. If your customers say it, it’s a promise delivered.”

“Consistency in posting can also be key. Content and frequent (but not too frequent) updates keeps people in contact and builds a dialog with users. Finally, using Post Insights to measure how your posts are doing is key.”

“The only way to crack the EdgeRank code is to experiment and optimize,” added Meldrum. “Every user is different. The algorithm’s formula is user-specific. A high EdgeRank score for the same post to Fan A does not affect the score for Fan B. You will have to test and optimize constantly to establish an ideal methodology for posting. Even then, you will have to perform ongoing optimization as the fan base and content changes over time.”

Source: iMediaConnection