PostEaseThe short answer
On Facebook, post things people stop for and talk about with the people they know: photos of real moments, local news, questions, events and stories. Images are Facebook’s strongest format on both counts that have been measured. In Buffer’s 2026 engagement report, the median Facebook image earned 5.20% of reach, video 4.84%, text 4.76% and links 4.43%; in Socialinsider’s 2026 study of brand pages, images reached about 1.20% of a page’s followers per post, against 0.55% for Reels and 0.20% for links.
Meta says Facebook’s Feed predicts, among other things, whether you will scroll past without engaging and how you interact with friends and groups, while Reels predicts how long you will watch and whether you will watch to the end. A post that holds attention and starts conversation is ranked up.
Twenty ideas, by pillar
Each idea names the format that suits it on Facebook.
| Idea | Pillar | Format |
|---|---|---|
| A photo from today, with the story behind it | Show the work | Image |
| The team, one person at a time | Show the work | Image |
| How something is made, start to finish | Show the work | Video |
| What is new this week, in a few photos | Show the work | Album |
| A customer’s photo, shared with permission and credit | Prove it | Image |
| A before and after | Prove it | Image or album |
| A review, with your thanks | Prove it | Image |
| A milestone: years open, orders, people served | Prove it | Image |
| A tip your customers can use this week | Teach | Image or text |
| Answer a question customers ask often | Teach | Video |
| A seasonal checklist | Teach | Image |
| A local event you are part of | Community | Event or image |
| Thank a neighbouring business | Community | Image |
| A question about the local area | Community | Text |
| A poll: which new product, which colour | Community | Text or image |
| Why you started | Be a person | Video or text |
| A memory: an old photo of the business | Be a person | Image |
| Opening hours, changes and holidays | News | Image |
| An offer with a clear end date | News | Image |
| A short Reel cut from a longer video | Any | Reel |
Which format to use
Lead with images. They earned the most in Buffer’s data and reached the most followers in Socialinsider’s. Albums suit a set of moments. Video and Reels earn well among people who see them but reach fewer of a page’s followers, so use them for content that needs motion, and expect Reels to find people beyond your followers rather than your existing audience. Links reached fewest; put the point in the post and the link second.
Pages and groups
Facebook’s Feed gathers posts from friends, Pages a person follows and groups they have joined, and Meta lists engaging with group posts among its predictions. For a local business or a community, a group can carry more conversation than a page: members post too, and the business takes part rather than only broadcasting. A page is still where people find opening hours, reviews and offers.
What holds people
Turn Meta’s predictions into choices:
- Stopping: lead with a real photo or a clear first line, not a stock image or a logo.
- Watching to the end: keep videos and Reels as short as the idea.
- Talking: ask a question people can answer from experience, and reply to every comment.
- Not hiding it: avoid bait such as “comment YES”, which Meta has demoted on Facebook since 2017.
When nothing new is happening
Most weeks have no news, and that is fine. Facebook audiences, often local and often long-standing customers, respond to the ordinary: the first coffee of the morning, a regular customer’s order, the window display changing for the season. Photograph something real every day for a week and you will have more posts than slots. Old photos work too, as a memory post with the story of then and now.
Turn ideas into a week
Buffer’s 2026 frequency guide suggests 1 to 2 Facebook posts a day; most small pages do well with fewer, kept steady. A workable week of five: two photos from the work, one proof post, one tip or answer, and one community post or question. Schedule them, and keep the comments live.
Questions
What should a business post on Facebook?
Real photos of the work and the people, customer results, tips, local events and news such as hours and offers. Images earned and reached the most in 2026 studies.
Do Reels work on Facebook?
They reach beyond your followers, but in Socialinsider’s 2026 data they reached a small share of a page’s own followers (about 0.55%). Use them alongside images, not instead.
What are good Facebook content pillars?
Show the work, prove it, teach, community and news. Community posts suit Facebook more than most platforms.
How often should a business post on Facebook?
Buffer’s 2026 guide suggests 1 to 2 posts a day. A steady three to five a week is enough for most small pages.
Sources
- Buffer, The state of social media engagement in 2026, March 2026.
- Socialinsider, Social media reach has a 14% YoY decrease on Instagram, September 2026.
- Meta, Facebook Feed AI system, October 2026.
- Meta, Fighting engagement bait on Facebook, December 2017.
- Buffer, How often to post on social media in 2026: a data-backed guide, January 2026.