The five kinds of brand Facebook updates
Five structural types of brand status updates produce most of the meaningful engagement on Facebook.
The text status. A plain text update from the brand. Short, punchy, often question-driven or opinion-driven. The format works best when the brand has a clear voice and is comfortable expressing it without visual support. Wendy's, Old Spice, and Starbucks have all produced strong text-only updates.
The photo update. A photograph from the brand — product imagery, behind-the-scenes content, customer photos, or campaign visuals. Photo updates consistently produce the highest engagement of any single update type on Facebook because the format takes more space in the news feed and the visual content stops scrolling.
The link update. A link to off-platform content — the brand's website, a blog post, a media article, or a related resource. Link updates work when the linked content is substantively interesting. They underperform when used purely as promotional traffic-drivers.
The video update. A video from the brand — produced content, customer testimonials, behind-the-scenes footage, or campaign creative. Video has been growing fast on Facebook across 2012 and 2013 and is becoming one of the most engagement-rich update formats.
The question or poll update. A direct question to the brand's audience, designed to drive comments and conversation. Question updates produce the highest comment volume of any update type because they explicitly invite audience participation.
Each format has specific operating considerations.
Text updates work when the voice is distinctive. A generic text update produces minimal engagement. A text update with strong brand voice — humor, opinion, or unexpected commentary — produces meaningful reach and sharing. Brands without a defined social voice should not lead with text updates.
Photo updates need photographic quality. Poor-quality product photos produce worse engagement than no photo at all. The brands that consistently produce strong photo updates are investing in social-specific photography rather than reusing product shots from other channels.
Link updates need substance behind the link. The audience that clicks a brand's link expects substantive content on the other side. Link updates that lead to thin promotional pages produce both worse engagement and worse perception of the brand.
Video updates require platform-appropriate length. Long-form video that works on YouTube does not translate to Facebook. Short, scroll-friendly video of 30 to 90 seconds produces better engagement than five-minute branded content.
Question updates need genuine interest in the answer. Audiences can tell when a brand is asking a question because it actually wants the answer versus asking a question purely to drive engagement. Authentic questions produce better engagement and stronger brand perception.
What's working across brand examples
Several brands have been producing strong Facebook brand updates across 2012 and into 2013.
Oreo. The "Daily Twist" campaign across 2012 — running 100 days of culturally relevant Oreo creative — became one of the most-studied social brand campaigns of the year. The Super Bowl blackout tweet last month extended the broader Oreo social discipline into one of the most-shared brand moments in social media history.
Old Spice. The Old Spice Guy character continues to produce social content that breaks through. The broader Old Spice social work since the original 2010 Wieden and Kennedy campaign has sustained the brand's social leadership position.
Starbucks. Starbucks produces some of the most consistent brand social content across Facebook and Twitter. The combination of product photography, customer integration, and culturally relevant content has built one of the largest brand audiences on Facebook.
Red Bull. Red Bull's social architecture is built around the Red Bull Media House content engine — extreme sports, music, and culture content that the brand produces specifically for distribution rather than as marketing.
Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola has built one of the largest brand Facebook audiences globally — over 60 million followers — through sustained brand content production and integration with broader marketing campaigns.
Nike. Nike's social content is anchored on athlete narratives, product launches tied to athlete moments, and inspirational messaging that aligns with the broader Nike brand voice.
JetBlue. JetBlue has been operating one of the most-cited customer service Twitter accounts. The broader JetBlue social work integrates customer service and brand communications in ways that other airlines have not matched.
What separates strong from weak brand social work
Five operating practices distinguish the brands producing strong Facebook social updates.
Defined brand voice. The strongest brand social accounts have a clear voice that is recognizable across multiple updates. The voice is built and sustained over years.
Sustained posting cadence. The brands generating real engagement are posting multiple times per day across multiple platforms. The cumulative volume produces brand presence that episodic posting cannot match.
Customer integration. Strong brand social accounts integrate customer content, customer questions, and customer stories rather than operating purely as broadcast channels.
Real-time responsiveness. The brands generating the most engagement respond to comments, mentions, and questions in real time. The responsiveness is the difference between a social account and a social conversation.
Platform-appropriate content. Strong brand social work adapts content to platform conventions rather than cross-posting identical content across all channels. The differences in voice and format between Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube are real.
What kills brand social work
Five common failures show up across struggling brand social programs.
Promotional-only content. Brand accounts that post only promotional content produce minimal engagement and audience growth.
Inconsistent voice. Different voices across different posts confuse audiences and undermine brand perception.
Slow response times. Audiences expect brands to respond to comments and questions within hours, not days. Slow response times damage perception.
Format mismatches. Treating Facebook the same way as a press release distribution platform produces neither engagement nor reach.
Lack of platform-specific investment. Brands that try to run social as a side function of broader marketing produce weaker work than brands that invest in dedicated social capability.
The broader trajectory
Three structural questions worth watching across the rest of 2013 and beyond.
How will the Facebook News Feed algorithm changes affect brand reach? Facebook continues to adjust the News Feed algorithm in ways that affect brand reach. Recent changes have generally reduced organic reach for brand pages, pushing brands toward paid promotion. The trajectory will shape how brands invest in Facebook content.
How will video continue to grow on Facebook? Facebook video has been growing fast. The strategic position relative to YouTube is becoming a significant question for brand video strategy.
How will Instagram integration evolve? Facebook acquired Instagram in 2012. The integration of Instagram with the broader Facebook platform — and the implications for brand content strategy — will be one of the most-watched social media stories of the coming years.
The bottom line
Brand Facebook status updates are one of the highest-leverage formats in modern brand communications. The five structural types — text, photo, link, video, and question — each have specific operating considerations. The brands that have figured out how to use the formats produce sustained engagement and brand perception that competitors cannot match. The category is evolving fast and the brands that invest in sustained social capability now will be ahead of the brands that try to catch up later. The discipline is learnable. The investment is real.
