Facebook Best Practices 2019

1. Facebook
Tips, Tricks, & Best Practices

2. • Introduction
• Understanding The Feed
• Housekeeping
• Do’s and Don’ts
• Content Ideas
• Getting Attention
2
Contents

3. Facebook is still holding out as the leading social platform user base with 2.23 billion monthly active users.
Holding the largest social media population of American adults on social media (68% of U.S. adults), it’s a no-
brainer to have a presence on the platform.
However, it’s worth noting the demographics on the platform have changed in recent years. In the last 3
years, Facebook’s American teen userbase has fallen to 50% of teens, from 71%. 35% of Facebook’s audience
is still under 25, but only about 7% of global users are 13-17. Conversely, the number of Americans 65+ on
the platform has doubled since 2012, to 41%.
Facebook can be complicated, but successfully managing a page becomes a lot easier thanks to simple
changes you can make in your content strategy. This guide will show you how to improve your Facebook
posts and go from “stressful” to “social.”
3
Introduction
*stats from Hootsuite

4. Facebook has been studying the way we interact with content in our feeds for years. Just like how our habits
and preferences online change overtime, Facebook changes the quality and quantity of content it displays in
the feed.
Prioritizing the types of content and fan interactions the current algorithm favors can help increase feed
impressions.
4
Understanding The Feed

5. 5
What’s IN
• Facebook Live
• Native Video Content
• Using Link-Shares
• Facebook Reactions
• Posting News
• Tagging Other Relevant Pages
• Creating Event Pages
• Gif Sharing
What’s OUT
• Using photos for every post
• “Like-bait”
• Frequently circulated content
• Text status posts from pages
• Sales language
Understanding The Feed

6. • Posts receiving a lot of engagement
• Posts most relevant to each individual user
• Trending conversations
• Facebook Live
• Share-ability
• Informative posts
• Entertainment posts
• Videos posted natively
6
Understanding The Feed
What does the Facebook news feed favor?

7. Facebook Insights are a great way to track the performance of your Facebook page and will help you drive
strategic marketing decisions based on audience behavior
7
Analytics
Facebook Insights

8. • Add a smart link to your release in your About section for easy access
• Pin post with album release information to top of profile
• Use a profile picture with people in it – fans are more likely to pay attention to faces than logos
• Include new/recent release info in a cover photo/video – it’s prime real estate!
• Add a concert app (Bandsintown or Songkick) to make sure fans can always find tour dates without
digging through old posts.
8
Housekeeping
Clean up! Take simple steps to improve your Facebook presence and make your page more effective

9. IS THIS CONTENT…
ü Relevant to my page
ü Timely?
ü From a trusted source or safe website?
ü Interesting enough for others to share?
9
Do’s and Don’ts
Before making a post on Facebook, ask these questions:
If you answer yes to all of those questions,
you’re ready to post!
The following slides have tips
for making your updates as
engaging as possible.

10. 10
DO:
• Tag other pages mentioned in your posts. If your
content is relevant to fans of the other pages,
Facebook may show your post in those fans’ feeds.
• Tag other artists, festival names, venues, retailers, and
websites/blogs/magazines related to your post.
Do’s and Don’ts
Tagging
DON’T:
• Introduce unrelated tags to try to reach other pages’
fans. Spam tactics won’t work here, as Facebook’s
algorithm is looking solely for relevant content to
share.
*image via BalconyTV

11. 11
DO:
• Use link-shares. Facebook’s focus on making the feed a better
news source for users means their algorithm favors links
• Use the link format when premiering with media partners
Do’s and Don’ts
Link-Sharing
DON’T:
• Delete link-share info and use a text URL. Keep the
automatically populated info
• Post a bare link or photo with a link in the caption. Rich link
posts are clicked on at twice the rate of captions and plain links *via pronoun

12. 12
DO:
• Share important news across multiple
platforms. Some people like Twitter, while
others prefer to check Instagram. Having
info on every platform extends your reach
and keeps you from missing fans.
Do’s and Don’ts
Content sharing
DON’T:
• Sync all your services together to post from
one source. Social networks don’t all
communicate the same way. Prevent broken
tags, poor formatting, and useless links by
taking a minute to make separate posts.
*via Snarky Puppy
*via Snarky Puppy

13. 13
DO:
• Post about individual shows
• Tag the venue to increase your reach
Do’s and Don’ts
Event Sharing
DON’T:
• Share show posts with everyone. Instead, geotarget
fans by city or state to make sure your audience only
sees content that’s relevant to them. Geotargeting will
let you be more specific with your copy and avoid
clutter.
*via My Brightest Diamond

14. 14
DO:
• Join or create conversations by tracking trending
topics and using relevant hashtags
Do’s and Don’ts
Joining Hashtag Conversations
*image via Snarky Puppy
DON’T:
• Go overboard on the hashtags. Limit it to one per
post and only use hashtags that are relevant, like
an album title used throughout your marketing
campaign or a common hashtag like #tbt

15. 15
DO:
• Use the “reply” feature to answer fans within 24 hours. It is
important to connect with fans to develop and keep a strong
fan base.
Do’s and Don’ts
Interacting with fans
DON’T:
• Use Facebook like Twitter. Spread posts out and have distinct
purposes for making them. Contain conversations with fans to
the comments section of a post.
*image via RJD2

16. 16
DO:
• Use Facebook’s crossposting video to reach
new, relevant audiences. This makes it possible
to use the same video in a new post and see
aggregated insights for posts across all pages
Do’s and Don’ts
Crossposting Video
DON’T:
• Rely on an outside video link to have a high audience reach.
Facebook seems to favor native videos over outside videos. To
bring fans to a page such as YouTube, share a 30 second teaser
natively with the link to the full video in the description.
*image via adweek

17. 17
DO:
• Replace retail/sales posts with videos
• Go live on Facebook with a buy link to the album
in the description. Start a conversation around
the record, sharing fun facts, inspiration behind
the music, answering fan questions, etc.
Do’s and Don’ts
Retail Posts
DON’T:
• Simply tell fans to go buy your record with text
and a link to the retailer. Facebook has de-
emphasized the sales language-y post, so these
posts are appearing less in the Newsfeed *image via Michael Bolton

18. 18
DO:
• Share videos that are HD and use text. This has
been shown to grab Facebook users attention
and encourage engagement.
Do’s and Don’ts
Videos
DON’T:
• Rely on a video’s audio to engage fans. Videos
uploaded to Facebook can auto-play without
sound.
*image via Run The Jewels

19. 19
DO:
• Ensure that websites can share to Facebook well
• Use proper Open Graph Tags: FB Tags Best Practices
• Share links to premiers rather than caption photos
• Allows for beautiful, full-image posts
• Optimize images on your site: FB Image Best Practices
• Ensure a full-size shared image
• Preview your shares with the Debug Tool
Do’s and Don’ts
Websites
DON’T:
• Post content without optimizing it for the
platforms you’re sharing it on. Great looking
content will be more engaging and ultimately
be more share-able

20. 20
DO:
• Create Facebook event pages for important events
• Fans will be alerted when there is an event near
them and again as a reminder when the date gets
closer
• Fans can also see which of their friends are going
as well as invite friends that may be interested
• Now, fans can even buy tickets and get reminders
through a well-crafted Event Page
Do’s and Don’ts
Event Pages
*image via Valley Maker

21. Developing content for Facebook can be a struggle for artists
and their teams. We have suggestions to better plan and
prepare for your Facebook posts.
21
Content Ideas

22. Adhering to a rough content schedule keeps your options from becoming overwhelming.
22
Content Ideas
Make a schedule
M T W R F S Su

23. Fans want to know you. With that in mind, posting to Facebook can be as easy as:
• Photos of gear backstage at a show
• A cross-posted Instagram video from the van/bus
• A funny GIF
• A link to a favorite song or video with a little background on why it’s important/influential
Still stuck? The next slides list different posting options.
23
Content Ideas
Never doubt that you’re interesting

24. 24
• Album / single art
• Video stills
• Merch
• Venue during soundcheck
• Backstage
• Gear
• Screenshots of tracking
• Crowd at a show – encourage
fans to tag themselves!
• Short announcements
• Album Trailer
• Music Video Teasers
• Answers to fan questions
• Backstage tours
• Studio tours
• Acoustic versions of songs
• In-feed Track Stream
• Themed playlists; setlists,
riding in the van, songs that
inspired the new album etc.
• Recorded greeting / update
Content Ideas
Photos / Images Audio Video

25. 25
• Schedule videos to automate your content calendar
• When video is uploaded click the arrow
next to “Publish” and choose “Schedule
Post” from there you can select the date
and the time.
• Set expiration date
• If an expiration date is necessary for your
video, once the video has expired it will no
longer be available on your timeline or
anywhere else. This feature may come in
handy when there are licensing restrictions.
Content Ideas
Uploading Facebook Video

26. Facebook videos automatically play on users’
Newsfeed without sound. Adding captions will help
capture fans attention even when the sound is not
turned on.
26
Content Ideas
Add captions to Facebook video
On computers, users can choose to turn captions
on by clicking “CC” at the bottom right corner.
Mobile Facebook video users will automatically
have captions if the device is on mute.

27. Find your video library under “Publishing Tools” at the top of the artist page. This is where you can manage
and edit all videos.
27
Content Ideas
Managing Your Facebook Videos

28. 28
Facebook Live is a unique feature that can help artists directly connect with fans. Fans are able to watch and interact with real-time video that will
broadcast through your Facebook profile. Ways to utilize this feature:
Content Ideas
Facebook Live
*via Facebook
*via Facebook
BEHIND THE SCENES
Take fans backstage at a show,
into the studio with you, or
to a music video shoot.
FAN Q&A
Invite your audience to ask you
anything for an hour and watch
the comments roll in!
LISTENING PARTY
Host a virtual party for your
new album release. Answer fan
questions while they hear the new
music for the first time.
LIP SYNC LIVE
Promote tracks in a fun way
by using the “Lip Sync” feature.
Some tracks will even auto-display
the lyrics as you “sing” along.

29. 29
• Watch Party is a co-watching experience that allows fans to see pre-recorded videos together at once. Think of it as Facebook
Live, with any pre-recorded video of your choice: music videos, interviews, etc.
Content Ideas
Watch Party
*Images via Facebook
SCHEDULE
Schedule a Watch Party,
so fans know exactly when to join.
LIVE COMMENTATING
Slowly rolling out, allowing
a host to go Live within
a Watch Party.
LIVE CHAT
So your community can
discuss what they’re watching.

30. 30
• Have a brand new piece of video content coming? For new music videos, big announcements, and never-
before-seen footage, consider Premieres, where pre-recorded video functions as a scheduled Live stream.
Content Ideas
Premieres
*Image via AdWeek
SCHEDULE
Follow the process for posting any video,
but after clicking “Publish,” select the
“Premiere” option & select a date / time
(up to 1 week in advance).
ANNOUNCE
A Premiere announcement will
automatically appear on your Page,
where fans can request a
reminder to tune in.
DURING
During the Premiere, fans can
like, comment, and share in real time.
AFTER
Post-premiere, the video appears
like a regular video post on your Page.

31. 31
• Similar to Instagram and Snapchat, Facebook is pushing
user-generated content with Stories. This is a great way
to connect on a more personal, casual level with fans.
HOW TO
1. Open Facebook’s mobile app
2. At the top of the timeline press “create story”
3. Take a photo or video to share with fans
4. Edit with filters, location or use the Facebook lenses
feature for something a little more abstract
5. Tap the sticker icon to add music to Stories!
Content Ideas
Facebook Stories
*Image via @cutcopy
*Image via Facebook

32. 32
• Custom frames allow fans to use your branding on their profile
pictures or in Facebook camera.
HOW TO
• Design a frame or choose elements of your frame to upload in
Frame Studio
• Arrange elements in the editor screen
• Select an owner of the frame (which page this frame will be
associated with)
• Create a name and schedule for the frame to go live for your
use as well as all of the followers on of the page
Content Ideas
Filters
*Images via Facebook

33. 33
• The 360 feature on Facebook is perfect for sharing a
more immersive experience with your fans. While
you need a special set of cameras to record a 360
video, it is easy to share a photo:
• Take a panorama with an iOS or
Samsung Galaxy phone.
• Use an app like Street View or Google
Camera.
• Take a 360-degree photo with a 360
camera.
Content Ideas
360 Photos
*Images via Facebook

34. Fans will easily discover your 360 content with the 360 icon that appears over the image before interaction
34
Content Ideas
360 Photos
WHEN TO USE 360:
• Concerts or festivals
• While in the studio, alerting fans you are recording music
• At rehearsal
• Share your favorite spots on tour

35. Invite your audience into an interactive full-screen mobile-only experience through a Facebook Canvas.
35
Content Ideas
Canvas
HOW TO
1. Create your canvas through Publishing Tools.
2. Add photos, videos, buy links and tour
information for your fans to discover while
they swipe up, down, left and right through
the canvas.

36. Pinning content on your page helps posts get noticed and stay noticed. It will keep your post at the top of your
page for up to 7 days making it the first post fans will see.
36
Getting Attention
Pin important posts
*Image via Matt Stell

37. • Grab the attention of users coming to your Facebook profile quickly and keep their attention on the page
with the new video option for profile and cover photos.
• The video auto-plays without sound, so be sure the video gets the point across without sound.
37
Getting Attention
Banners and Profile Photo
*Image via Jorja Smith

38. 38
• While posts don’t need to have a sales-y tone,
fans should be able to find products easily
• Facebook pages have the ability to add a shop
tab where you can add physcial products for
your customers to browse
• After you have set up a shop tab, you will be
able to tag products in posts by clicking this
icon:
Getting Attention
Shop Products
*Images via @henrygreenmusic

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Thank You