Simple Tips to Manipulate EdgeRank

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Facebook's EdgeRank algorithm rewards pages in the newsfeed based on the number of interactions a page receives. An interaction can be defined as a summary of "likes," posts, or comments that a page may have. Therefore, the greater your interaction, the higher your EdgeRank score.

Your interaction is typically influenced by the popularity of the post. This is driven by relevance of the post to your fan. You can initiate engagement with your fans by starting things off with a question or a poll.

If you own a restaurant, you could use two approaches - in the first approach, you could simply ask your fans to click "like" if they like your food. This is a little lame unless you master the art of asking ambiguous questions. A more effective approach is to pick something specific on the menu and ask your fans to click "like" if they enjoy it, or, better yet, click "like" if they want the recipe to a delicious menu item.

So if you like rose peppermint ice cream, a click on the "like" button does well; but a click on the "like" button in exchange for the recipe to the ice cream will result in more interactions and possibly better engagement.

You need to find the sweet spot of your interaction by focusing in on your industry. The more "likes" you receive and the more interactions you drive are the main components in building a higher EdgeRank score.

Driving Your EdgeRank Score Even Higher

Facebook rewards both an organic ranking as well as a paid ranking - you can always pay to improve your position. Enhance your organic ranking by incorporating a Sponsored Story or an ad campaign that will target your fans and the friends of your fans with similar interests in your post.

You don't have to limit yourself to Facebook to build up your "likes." A multi-channel approach using email, Twitter, direct mailers with QR codes, mobile phones, or even a television ad can drive people to your Facebook page.

Your opportunity for success will improve if you direct people to an already popular story or discussion taking place on a social network. The lame approach is to simply ask your fans to go and "like" the event. The more effective approach would be to tell your fans about the popular activity on your Facebook page and then solicit their opinion.

"More than 500 fans think that our rose peppermint ice cream is decadent; we even sent them the recipe. What do you think?"

The new timeline for brand pages creates a new opportunity for engagement. You can now create a custom cover image as well as pin posts with quality content to the top of your brand page.

Here are three other tips to enhance your engagement and positively influence your EdgeRank score:

1. When a fan posts on your page, make sure that you respond. This is a quick way to turn one interaction into two. Increase your interaction by closing your response with a question. If your fan responds, you now have three interactions.
2. Use your brand page to message your fans privately. Remember that you can only respond to a message from a fan, but the advantage of a private message is the feeling of exclusivity.
3. Leverage your fan preferences in the dialogue that you have with them. The more targeted you are, the more effective your engagement.