As the old saying goes, “the pen is mightier than the sword.”
This is definitely true when it comes to Facebook marketing, and I’ve found that the words I use (or don’t use) play a huge role in audience engagement. It’s a science really.
Certain words possess persuasive qualities that can provide the spark of encouragement that get people to “Like,” “Love,” “Share,” “Comment” and so on.
The key is to understand which words and persuasive, why they’re persuasive and how to use them in the right context to drive engagement.
Once you get into the habit of this, you can accomplish a lot more with essentially no more effort.
Here are the 20 phrases that I’ve had tremendous success with and that you should incorporate into your Facebook updates.
1. Check it Out
This may very well be the most simplistic, straightforward call-to-action of all time.
But it’s nonetheless one of the most effective for getting people to do something.
Regardless of your update, saying, “check it out” is the universal way to urge Facebook users to dig a little deeper.
Whether you’re wanting them to read a new blog post you created, visit a website or click on a landing page link, this phrase works with astonishing effectiveness.
2. How To
Humans are inherently curious creatures, and many of us have an undying thirst for knowledge.
We also tend to enjoy “being in the know” and understanding something that not everyone else does.
That’s probably why there’s been such a big explosion of “how to” content online. There have even been entire websites created with the sole intention of offering instructional content.
“How to be a better blogger,” “how to get more conversions,” “how to create content that doesn’t suck” — you get the idea.
People eat this kind of stuff up.
Beginning your Facebook updates with “how to” is an excellent way to grab attention and get clicks.
3. Learn Why
This is just another way to drop knowledge on your audience and is likely to motivate the knowledge seekers to engage with your content further.
In fact, “learn” can be thought of as a power word in marketing.
When what follows after “learn why” is compelling, you’re almost guaranteed to get Facebook users to take notice.
4. The Most
“America’s most expensive homes,” “the most eccentric writers,” “the most villainous athletes.”
All three of these phrases suggest extremes, which many people find fascinating.
We like to see how far something can be taken to the limit and how far human behavior can be pushed.
As a result, I’ve found this phrase to be highly effective for capturing the attention of my audience and more importantly, getting them to take some type of action.
5. Get Exclusive
Most of us love the feeling of knowing something or having access to something that not everyone else has.
Whether it’s exclusive knowledge, inside access to a beta launch or getting a product before the public at large gets it, this makes us feel important.
Even news sites can do this with some success:
Saying something like “get your exclusive member starter package” can be very appealing to your audience.
6. Remarkable
With so much of the content we digest being bland, mediocre and vanilla, we have a natural desire to find something that’s extraordinary and stands out.
I’ve found that remarkable is the perfect word to use to convey this.
By using this word within a phrase, you can get people to take notice and distinguish your content from the rest of the updates vying for their attention.
7. Would You?
“Would you try this?” Would you eat that?” “Would you ever?”
This phrase can be used in a variety of different ways and often boosts engagement because it gets your Facebook audience in on the action.
It very matter-of-factly asks people what their stance is on something and tends to be an effective way to get them interested in a topic.
8. Will Inspire You
Who doesn’t want to be inspired?
In a world that’s often bleak and negative, people love to be refueled by the positive things that are going on around them.
Maybe it’s “10 random acts of kindness that will inspire you” or “the top quotes from entrepreneurs that will inspire you to take the plunge.”
Whatever the case, this simple phrase can increase engagement considerably.
9. Will Surprise You
According to a study from Emory University and Baylor College of Medicine, “the brain’s pleasure centers are more ‘turned on’ when we experience unpredictable pleasant things, compared to expected pleasant events, according to new pictures of the brain responding to surprises.”
Translation — people love to be surprised.
As a result, this phrase can be extremely beneficial for getting plenty of clicks and ultimately shares and comments.
10. Will Amaze You
Astonishment and amazement tend to evoke a strong emotional reaction from people. Deep down, we want to have our minds blown from time to time and see what possibilities there are.
You can use this to your advantage by throwing in this phrase once in a while.
Doing so should trigger curiosity and inevitably ignite engagement.
11. Most Amusing
When you consider the popularity and the massive number of shares that crazy cat videos and ridiculous memes get, it’s clear that sheer amusement can also be a catalyst for engagement.
Sometimes you don’t need to offer any groundbreaking, earth-shattering discoveries. You simply need to entertain your audience.
12. Best Deals
Nearly everyone loves a bargain, even wealthy people.
It makes us feel smart and savvy when we’re able to pay only a fraction of what others are paying.
If you’re looking for a surefire way to lure people in, use a phrase like “best deals” or “great deals” in your updates.
13. The World’s
There’s something about discussing topics on the global level that evokes interest.
Whether it’s “the world’s biggest,” “the world’s largest” or “the world’s craziest,” this is a good phrase to convey something that’s large-scale.
14. Proven
There’s a lot of uncertainty in the world, and everyone has an opinion.
Consequently, people have a tendency to respond to what’s concrete and definite. They want to know for sure that something will work or improve their lives.
For example, you might say something like, “5 proven way to succeed at…” or “top proven hacks for getting results with.”
15. New Blog Post
Okay, this might not sound like a phrase that’s particularly revolutionary.
However, I’ve found that this can have a significant impact in terms of increasing click-throughs on the blog posts I promote through Facebook.
This should definitely grab the attention of those who are diehard followers of your blog.
16. Please
Sometimes, some good fashioned etiquette can go a long way in driving engagement.
No matter how smart and teched-out we become, being polite will still usually work to your advantage.
Saying “please” can add to your likability and can be all it takes to warm your audience up to the idea of engaging.
17. Try This
“Looking to boost the engagement of your Facebook updates? Try this.”
This is just another way I could have phrased the title of this post.
Saying, “try this” encourages people to take action and explore further.
It also shows that you want to get them involved and be part of the action, both of which are important for making your audience more responsive.
18. Why Did?
This is the perfect phrase to use if you’re looking to get input from your audience and more specifically, leave a comment.
In just a couple of words, you make it clear that you value their opinion and that you’re wanting to get them in on the conversation.
I know that I’ve personally been persuaded to chime in on a discussion when someone asks me for my take. It makes me feel more comfortable with giving a response.
19. How Did?
This achieves essentially the same thing as saying “why did” but takes a slightly different angle.
It’s simply a way to invite Facebook users to be participatory and join in.
For example, you might say, “how did you your experience compare to the findings of this blog post?”
20. Tell Us
Saying something like “tell us your thoughts” or “tell us about a similar experience” can both be great phrases to include in your Facebook updates to motivate people to give their two cents.
Sometimes this can mean the difference between someone leaving a thoughtful comment or simply skipping right over the content in their feed.
Conclusion
With Facebook accounting for the lion’s share of many company’s social media traffic, it’s important to understand the fundamentals of boosting engagement.
These 20 phrases serve as psychological triggers that can turn a passive audience into one that’s highly engaged, willingly participates and shares your content with others.
In the long run, this can make your Facebook marketing much more effective and help you achieve more without a lot of extra effort.
Do you have any other suggestions for phrases to use in your Facebook updates that will drive engagement through the roof?
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