With the new changes to Facebook, some business owners may be wondering…
What is engagement bait and am I guilty of doing it?
Facebook defines engagement bait as “a tactic to create Facebook posts that goad people into interacting, through likes, shares, comments, and other actions, in order to artificially boost engagement and get greater reach on News Feed.” – Facebook’s Newsfeed Guidelines
Here are 5 types of engagement bait posts that businesses should avoid:
Comment Baiting – asking people to comment with words, numbers, phrases, or emoji’s is considered engagement bait.
Tag Baiting – asking people to tag their friends in a Facebook post or message.
React Baiting – asking people to comment with reactions.
Vote Baiting – asking people to vote using reactions, by commenting or sharing.
Share Baiting – asking friends and followers to share a post so they can win a prize or receive some type of reward.
Facebook wants your followers to engage with your page authentically.
Notice that all of those engagement posts begin with the word “asking”. When you ask your followers to react, share, or comment, you are baiting them to take action.
As a Facebook user, these posts are frustrating. When we interact with Facebook on a personal level, we want to see posts from our family and friends. Ever been tagged in a post by a friend trying to win a 7 day vacation of a lifetime, and get a thousand notification from everyone who comments after you’ve been tagged? That is exactly the frustration Facebook is trying to avoid.
Should you continue to post engagement bait posts, remember, Business Pages that don’t follow the rules will be demoted.
You may be asking, but how do I grow my page organically and continue promoting contests? There is still a way. You can create a contest without asking followers to engage on your timeline. And honestly, that is the best way to do it anyway. Running a contest from your timeline directing your followers to your website allows you to get more engagement becuase you can encourage followers to engage on other social media platforms, generate more leads, and gather user-generated content.
So what can business owners do to make sure their page is visible? Post quality content that promotes genuine engagement with your Facebook followers. Think of it this way, as long as you are playing by the rules, your page has an even greater chance at engagement and being shared.
Further Reading
Experts Think Facebook Should Be Paying Publishers
10 Simple Ways to Grow Your Email List
