Facebook has officially added the option to embed status updates, photos or videos to any site.
You now have a new way to share public Facebook posts on your blog or website. Following in the footsteps of Twitter, Instagram and other popular social media networks, Facebook has officially added the option to embed status updates, photos or videos to any site. Prior to Facebook rolling out embedded posts, users wanting to share posts would need to take a screenshot or copy the text and paste it where they wanted it. This made it difficult for users to go back and find the original source. Now users don’t need to worry about that.
Embedded posts are also great for your social media because they let visitors directly interact with a post without being directly on the Facebook page. For example, you can use the code for an embedded link on your blog post and users can comment, like a post or follow the person behind the post itself without ever leaving your blog site. However, you need to keep in mind that these embedded posts are limited to public posts, so if you want to keep a conversation between you and your friends under wraps, make sure your updates are set to private.
Now that you understand what embedded posts are and why they are so important, here are a few tips on how to use them.
1. Reference & Support Your Content – If you have a business blog it is always a good idea to support or reference the content you are writing about. In the past, you may have used a screenshot of a Facebook update to help support your content. Now you are able to use a live Facebook update. This is great if you are quoting other people on Facebook, because you can directly share their post with an embedded link, letting them know you have shared their update.
2. Extend Your Social Media Reach – According to Social Media Examiner, embedded posts help you extend your social media reach to more fans. For example, if you like sharing videos, consider sharing it on Facebook first. By doing this, you can then share the embedded post with the video, instead of just sharing the video. This will in turn help you get more likes, shares and possibly more fans in the long run.
3. Hashtags – Although hashtags have recently been made into a joke by late night talk show hosts like Jimmy Fallon and singer Justin Timberlake, the reality is that hashtags can help you find useful content. When posting an embedded update, be sure to use hashtags. They allow outside sources to click on the hashtag on your embedded post and see a Facebook pop-up of related topics. Consider checking which topics are trending before you use a hashtag, this way you can find appropriate, popular hashtags to help get your post more exposure.
4. Best Content Upfront – When you’re drafting updates that you plan to embed, make sure to be mindful of the word limit before the “see more” expansion button. You want to hook your audience with the most important or visual part of your post before it is cut off by “see more.”
While embedded posts for Facebook are new, it is important to remember that they are great tools to use. As content curation becomes more and more important, so does learning how to use these tools in creative ways to get your brand the most views possible.
Have you used Facebook embedded posts? What tips to you have for using them? We want to hear from you!
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