Yesterday, Facebook made some major changes to Insights that are sure to put a smile on your face.
For the first time, Facebook Page owners can see post-level metrics that apply SOLELY to PEOPLE WHO LIKE YOUR PAGE (YOUR FANS).
Post-Level Export
These fan-specific metrics that are now available via post-level Insights export [pictured above] include:
- Post Reach*
- Post Impressions
- Post Engagements
- Post Stories
- Post Talking About This
- Post Paid Impressions
- Post Paid Reach
So why should you care?
You might be saying, “Mike, are you insane? Facebook has always shown us these numbers.” You’re right– sort of. Facebook has shown you these numbers; but only in reference to Facebook’s entire user base– users that are fans of your page, as well as those that are not. This isn’t good– the fact of the matter is that by including people who aren’t fans of your page, the numbers become misleading. How so?
Facebook Insights – Image from http://www.customerparadigm.com/
Prior to this change, there was no way for a Facebook marketer to know how their posts resonated with their actual fans (versus non-fans). Now you’ll find additional columns in the post-level export that say “some metric by people who like your page“. The separation of the data allows you to accurately measure your engagement rate, virality, and reach– in regard to the people that actually matter to you– your fans!
This may still be a bit confusing, so let’s consider PostRocket’s Facebook page as an example to see exactly what I mean. I exported the Insights data for the last month, in which we had 46 posts, with the intention of comparing the engagement rate of the post considering all users (total engaged users divided by total reach) and the engagement rate of the post considering just fans (total engaged FANS divided by total FAN reach). It’s also important to note that at no time were any ads or sponsored stories run. For this test, I considered a difference between the two engagement rates to be ‘significant’ if it was >30%. For example, if the engagement rate of a post was 10% considering all users reached and 7-13% considering only fans reached, the difference would NOT be significant. If it was <7% or >13% in this situation, it would be significant.
The data showed just how important these new metrics are for Facebook marketers. Out of the 46 posts, there was a significant difference in the engagement rates of 28 (~61%). In 19 of the posts, the fan engagement rate was significantly higher than the overall rate– and in 9 it was lower. I have yet to analyze this across other pages, so keep in mind this is just an example [with a small sample size], so your results could vary.
So back to the question– why is this important?
Due to the lack of data available in the past, it’s possible that some posts you considered ‘poor’ might not have been so bad after all– or vice versa.
**Keep in mind that some may not find this as important as others, depending on their Facebook marketing goals. This new Insights data is much more valuable for a page owner who’s primary goal is to engage his/her fans compared to a page owner who has other goals.
An interesting note here is that although this data has only become available in the past 24-36 hours, it appears to be available for all posts dating back to the beginning of May– meaning that Facebook has been tracking this fan-specific data for quite some time (probably even before May). Be sure to export this data immediately, as Facebook has often been quick to add and remove Insights metrics without any warning. An in-depth analysis of this fan-specific data will help you figure out what’s working (and what’s not working) for the people that matter most to you– your fans!
Update 8/7: New post: The Best Post Type on Facebook is Photos– But Why?
Have you learned anything new about your fans by analyzing this newly available data? Please share your findings in the comments!
Also, don’t forget to sign up for an invite to PostRocket! We’re here to help you beat EdgeRank 
Mike
