Many business owners spend thousands of dollars each year to build their audience through Facebook Likes. The logic seems simple – the more Likes your business page gets, the more people you’ll be able to reach. The truth is, even if you have accumulated a ton of followers, the number of people who will actually see your content is much smaller than it appears.

Let’s say you’ve obtained 1,000 Likes on your Facebook page. It stands to reason that every time you post content to that page, all 1,000 people will see it. However, the reality is that each post will only be shown to about 10% (or less) of your followers.

If you’d want the remaining 90% of your Facebook followers to see your content, you’ll have to pull out the same wallet you used to buy all those Likes and pay Facebook to “boost” your posts.

So What Am I Paying For Anyway?

When your social media strategy is focused solely on accumulating Likes, you’re essentially paying for the ability to advertise to those followers later on. Long story short, it shouldn’t be all about the Likes.

Let’s get nerdy for a minute. Facebook has an ever-changing algorithm that (among other things) assigns a ranking to each page, including your business. That ranking isn’t based solely on the number of Likes; instead, it’s actually based on page activity. In other words, the more people who are interacting with your content by sharing and commenting, the higher your Facebook ranking will climb. As that ranking climbs, so will your organic reach.

Pages that rank extremely high with Facebook’s algorithms will actually see their Facebook reach exceed its number of followers as people re-share the content and show it to their friends. Pages that rank very low will see their reach approach zero.

Then How Does My Business Expand Its Reach On Facebook?

Improving your page rank is possible, you just need to know some basics. Here are few pointers:

Post great content. Sharing original videos on your Facebook page is a great way for people to begin to interact with you. These can range from hilariously funny to inspirational stories of your customers. Since videos are easily and widely shared, friends of your community will begin to see your business appear in their news feeds.

Don’t promote yourself too often. Keep in mind that much of your content should be focused on topics other than your business. Many businesses only post announcements and upcoming events to their Facebook page and then wonder why their engagement (and Facebook ranking) is so low. Give people fun, fresh, inspirational content that they’ll want to interact with.

Ask people to check in at your location. Facebook check-ins are one of the most powerful tools on social media and one of the most effective ways to grow your business. Why? Facebook check-ins act as recommendations from your community to their friends. So instead of hearing about how awesome your business is from you – they’re hearing it from their friends, whom they already trust. Since Facebook check-ins are typically seen by about 200 friends, they take personal invitations to a whole new level.

Seeing Results

As you shift your social media strategy from a pursuit of “likes” or “followers” to a focus on engagement and page activity, you’ll see your reach grow exponentially. And you’ll save some money on boosting posts as well. Post interactive, shareable content that is outwardly focused – and most importantly, promote Facebook check-ins with your customers. Not only will your reach more people on Facebook, it will also help grow your business.