How to reach a wider audience on Facebook

Facebook is an inexpensive way for a post to maintain an online presence, while also providing an opportunity for member engagement not possible through a standard website. It’s also an opportunity to get the word out about what the post is doing to a wider audience, including possible community partners.

The following are a few ways to try to reach both your post membership and others through Facebook:

• When your post is involved with or hosting an event that includes other organizations, local municipal departments, government agencies or schools; or perhaps federal agencies like the Department of Veterans Affairs, make sure to tag their Facebook pages when you create a Facebook post to promote the event. This improves the chances of that agency, organization or whoever you have tagged sharing your original post, bringing it to their audience as well. And don’t forget the create a Facebook post that shares how the event went, again tagging all those involved. It’s another opportunity for shares.
• Allow comments on your posts. Although this means regularly monitoring the comments to ensure nothing inappropriate is posted, it also provides the opportunity for someone following your page to see a post they feel might be of interest to someone who doesn’t follow you page. Your follower can then tag your non-follower, who will have the opportunity to click on the Facebook notification they receive, which will take them to your page to see the post.
• Don’t be afraid to “borrow” from other sources. Share to your page what National Headquarters posts on its Facebook page with a quick note as to why it’s relevant to your post membership. Make sure to like/follow American Legion posts on FB, and when you see something posted to their page that’s either unique, successful or is a media hit on one of their efforts, share it to your page with a “great to see Post xxx making a difference in its community.” And if a state media outlet does a piece on something a post or the department is doing to assist or benefit others, post the link on your page and tag your department’s page. When other pages see you are sharing their content, they may be more apt to return the favor with your content.
• Look at the calendar. Remember key dates and note them with a note, image or video. Remember our troops Christmas and Thanksgiving messages, Veterans and Memorial Day, The American Legion Birthday and Armed Forces Day are big ones, but also maybe lesser-known ones like Gold Star Spouses Day, military branches’ birthdays, Vietnam War Veterans Day and others. Some of our best Facebook post reach metrics happen on posts like this because people want to share the message we’re sending out with other like-minded Facebook users. Hundreds or thousands of Facebook users who normally wouldn’t see your content will have the opportunity to do so when others share content that appeals to the heart of a Legionnaire or American Legion Family member.