My post on Facebook Page engagement for news sites has drawn some interest in the fact that Fox News averages many more “likes” and comments per update than any other news site despite having significantly fewer fans than CNN, NPR or The New York Times. So I thought I’d take a closer look at what Fox News is doing on its Facebook Page as well as some engagement examples.
After reviewing several days’ worth of activity I have to say that nearly anything Fox News posts to its page ends up getting a decent amount of likes and comments from fans. Even more mundane news items still manage to spark a round of commenting. So it seems to me that it is the strong, passionate opinions of the fans themselves more than anything specific that Fox News is doing
That said Fox News does attempt to solicit fan opinions, particularly on more controversial topics, which certainly helps to encourage participation:
Referencing political figures that are known to generate strong reactions from their user base is also working for them:
As for the type and quality of comments being posted, I’ll share this sampling of today’s comments on Barak Obama’s address to the UN General Assembly and let you make your own assessment:
David Mathison says
Hmmm. Wonder what would happen if there was a “dislike” icon:?)