How to Write Good Status Updates on Facebook

Steps

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   Try to write an update that is both compelling and relevant. Instead of repeatedly telling people how boring work is, or how much sleep you've yet to catch up on, it's best to leave information that's a little out of the ordinary. Try to:
   • Be witty;
   • Find interesting ways of phrasing what you'd normally say without over-thinking it - for example, instead of saying "I just ate a calorie-laden muffin", say "My svelte body deeply regrets that muffin";
   • Word updates as if they're news headlines, or opening lines aimed at drawing in the reader for more; and
   • Keep them short.
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   Focus on good news. Whether it's your own good news or the good news of a friend, most of us enjoy reading the positive, uplifting news.^[1] There's enough bad news out there already without your status updates adding to it.
   • Find things that make people laugh - good jokes, funny stories, hilarious anecdotes
   • Find things that make people smile - happy photos, sweet sayings, friendly banter.
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   Ask questions or ask for advice. Either of these two approaches can help to draw in people who like to give their advice, opinions, or ideas. It can spark off a two-way conversation that can last for days. And often, it's interesting for others to learn from too. The key guidelines are brevity, ease of reading and answering, and interesting topics. Also, multiple choice questions can be a great way to draw people in because they're easy.
   • Use pop/short quizzes or surveys/polls to get people answering and sharing their thoughts. Facebook has a questions feature that makes it easy for you to add a poll. Try to avoid the polls that "data mine" and make it easy for identity theft (like those that ask what your first pet's name was, what your mother's maiden name is, what street you grew up on, and other questions that are typically security questions).
   • Ask for tips. You don't know how to do something or you just plain don't know something? Use your Facebook Page to ask for the answer! Use this as a chance to "share experiences".^[2]
   • Ask questions with an edge to them, like "Do you live near a nuclear power station?"^[3]
   • Use "fill-in-the-blank" questions. Make sure you use the term "Fill in the blank" at the commencement of your post.
   • Avoid questions that require too much thinking. It should be as easy as "What's your favorite color" in terms of being able to answer fast. In terms of closed versus open-ended questions, there is a divergence of opinion. Social media expert John Haydon says closed questions (that elicit yes or no answers) are fine on Facebook because nobody wants to chew up time answering in long ways.^[4] On the other hand, that shuts down the chance for interesting comments, so it's best to try a little of each, while ensuring that your open-ended questions are short and easy.
   • Be careful asking for too many details; be specific rather than general in your question. For example, asking people what they do to reduce their carbon footprint might encourage your die-hard fans to leave a response but everyone else will think "whoa, too big a question" and move on.^[5]
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   Share interesting links, photos, and causes with your updates. If there is a beautiful photo, it'll be hard to resist checking it. If there's an appeal for a cause, a lot of people will take time to check it out. And links - if they're good, topical, and regular, you'll have friends clicking on them and leaving comments and likes.
   • Photos are great for sparking comments. Ask a question about the photo, such as whether people like it, or if they know where/what it is a photo of. Or ask people what's wrong about the picture if you're dealing with a provocative issue.
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   Be mysterious. If you can inject a little intrigue and unknown into your updates, it might encourage your friends to ask "Hey, what's going on?!" Be careful though, the mystery touch can really annoy the more cynical, "been-there-done-that" crowd.^[6] If you want to use this method, tease your friends with messages about:
   • 5, 4, 3, 2, day countdowns
   • Secret information
   • Knowledge of hidden objects whereabouts that you're not telling
   • Strange illness leaks that you or someone else has... "Oh I am dying", "Oh, I can barely breathe..."
   • Don't make the explanation long-winded though.
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   Be adventurous. Oddly, the people sitting around online all day aren't being that adventurous but they are clinging to the hope someone else is. If you're adventurous and you really are skydiving, pole vaulting, or base jumping, get on once in a while and tell your friends. It'll brighten up their day–dramatically–and perhaps remind them that there is more to life than being hooked to status updates all day.
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   Discuss topics people love. There are some topics guaranteed to get a response:
   • Music, that is bands, songs etc.
   • Chocolate^[7]
   • Current disasters
   • Current sports events
   • Seasonal changes and what to do for summer, winter activities
   • A cause you're clearly passionate about (some of your friends will have followed you for this very reason)
   • Gifts you've given or received
   • Things you should be doing instead of letting Facebook time-suck you.
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   Search online for ideas. Search for topics such as "funny Facebook updates", or "best Facebook updates", etc., if you need inspiration or you're completely lost for ideas. You can "borrow" someone else's ideas until the creative flow starts on its own account.
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   Don’t try too hard. Status updates should be short bursts of brilliance – the less you think about them, the better they’ll be.
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    Respond. Facebook is about interacting and being responsive. When people reply to your updates, it's not only polite to acknowledge their interest but it can also take things to a new level if you continue to interact about a particular topic and you never know what you might learn or what good might come from it!