Every Community Manager on Facebook makes three major choices when they create a post:1. What type of post should it be? Should it be a “Fill in the Blank,” a “Quote,” or a “Fan Appreciation Post?”2. What is my tone? Is it funny, professional, or promotional?3. When is the best time to post this?Really good Community Managers will tell you that there is no hard and fast answer to these questions. However, the best approach is to match your strategy to your audience. In the same way you would never speak to your daughter or niece the same way you talk to your boss, tone/type/time choices heavily impact the response a post gets.It was our goal to give Community Managers a blue print for reaching the audience they want to reach. Facebook has recently added more opportunities to segment who sees your posts, making actionable data about your audience more important than ever. For the purpose of this study, we will be analyzing ways to reach the most valuable audience on Facebook: females.

Methodology

Socialtyze took a look at 200 posts in 9 different communities in the CPG category. These groups were selected based on similar size, a consistent posting strategy, and a lack of seasonality to protect against any skews.The first step in our analysis was to create a baseline of performance for every age. So we knew exactly how 13-18-year old females responded to posts vs. 35-44-year old females. Response was defined by PTAT by audience type.After establishing our baseline, we monitored how posts with differing tone, type, and timing performed in every age group.

Post Type

Your strategy can drastically change your audience; in some cases, Socialtyze saw shifts of 200%. That’s why it is imperative that brands know exactly what to share with their fans. Before launching into the best performing posts, there are a few key points that should be highlighted:

Under 25

• Females under 25 aren’t creating stories about deals or discounts. 91% less likely to respond when compared to post averages.
• If you want to activate Females 25 and under, make sure “Fill in the Blank” type posts are a part of your CM strategy.

Over 25

As your fans get older, the idea of the “Thank You” economy starts to become more important.

• Females 35+ were 89% more responsive to Fan Appreciation posts.
• Females 45+ are the best targets for sweepstake posts - 15% more likely to respond to sweepstakes post.
• Females 45 and under responded 39% less.
• The prime target for product posts are Females 25-44. They were 12% more likely to respond to product posts.

Tone

The words and tone you choose are critical for reaching the right age group on Facebook. The big takeaway is that Facebook is meant to be a fun place. Just like any good party, no one likes it when someone is trying to hand out business cards.

Under 25

Were especially responsive to tone, and leaned heavily (+295%) towards funny and casual posts. Keep this in mind with your copy. They want content that comes from a voice that is familiar and relatable.

Over 25

Showed more tolerance toward posts with a promotional tone – as long as it stayed casual. Funny, cheeky posts underperformed with this group, at 52% below the average. Their expectations from a brand are clearly different. They aren’t looking for entertainment so much as deals.Below are some basic rules to live by when it comes to tone:1. Talk to your young fans like a real friend. Females under 25 were more likely to respond to posts written in a conversational form. These fans were 83% more likely to respond to these posts when compared to their average performance.2. Your older fans are far more receptive to posts written in a promotional and promotional-fun tone. While 13-24 year olds were 71% less likely to engage with such posts than other posts, Females 25 and up were 9% more likely to engage.3. Activate the moms: 25-34 year olds and 35-44 year olds are more likely to respond to posts written in a promotional tone than to other posts.Females 25-34 and Females 35-44 were respectively 9% and 29% more likely to respond to promotional-fun posts than to others.

Time

As the chart below indicates, understanding how women spend their time on Facebook will help you capture the correct audience.

Under 25

Are more active in the early evenings as they settle in and are ready to socialize with their friends.

Over 25

There is a dramatic shift in posting times as females move into adulthood. Once they’ve effectively transitioned their schedule from the school to workday, their Facebook exposures move with them.Primarily, what our results indicate is how much age and work schedule are reflected in Facebook usage. The higher likelihood a demo is to have a job with a 9:00-5:00 schedule, the more likely they are going to interact with Facebook during lunch breaks and early mornings.To activate this information follow the table below to best reach your desired audience at the right time.

In Sum

It is Socialtyze’s hope that with this information you will be able to optimize your posting like you optimize your Facebook ad buys. Keep your audience in mind when creating your posting calendar and strategy. Know when it’s the best time to reach them and how they want to be reached.