Sharing information with your social media audience plays a vital role in developing trust between you and them, and in building a community. However, understanding the Facebook platform and knowing the best time to post on Facebook is an important part of delivering your message effectively. With some Facebook training, it's possible to get a sense of how to properly post on Facebook. However, the key to knowing when to post is to understand the lifespan of a post and how metrics can help you measure the efficacy of your posting method.

Facebook Lifespan

Facebook marketing is much different than Twitter marketing because Twitter messages have a much shorter lifespan. That means that Twitter messages get buried in the avalanche of 140-character marketing much faster than Facebook postings do. In fact, the lifespan of a Facebook post is about 22 hours. So, unlike Twitter, which requires you to post frequently, you should post on Facebook no more than once a day. The key is figuring out what time of day is optimal for Facebook posts.

Collecting Metrics to Understand Lifespan

Collecting Facebook metrics -- the impressions, comments, and likes per post -- will help you determine the average lifespan of your Facebook posts.

• Impressions -- The number of times your post is seen. These numbers are accurate, but the updated figures can sometimes be delayed because impressions are collected for millions of fan pages daily.
• Comments -- Comments are time-stamped, so they will help you better figure out what time of day your posts are being seen.
• Likes -- Although Likes aren't time-stamped, they are probably the most accurate metric on how your post is being viewed and when.

The key to knowing the best time to post on Facebook lies in understanding and effectively reviewing these three parameters.

Posting on Facebook

Once you've used metrics to determine the lifespan of your posts, use the following method to test the best posting times:

• Post a status update.
• Record the metrics -- impressions, Likes and comments -- of the post every hour.
• Figure out when the rate of new metrics slows down.
• Repeat this process for about 10 to 20 posts to obtain an average posting lifespan that is unique to your fan page.

Finding a delicate posting balance is important to gaining and retaining fans on Facebook. Posting too frequently can drive away fans, but not posting enough results in missed opportunities for engagement. 

To learn more about social media training and how to master platforms like Facebook, take advantage of our 14 day Free Trial which includes our software management tool, SplashCube.