When making a post on Facebook, the process is so simple, it’s easy to click the “post” button without really thinking about what you’re putting out there. In our personal lives, this may be acceptable. We all have those friends or family members we adore in person but can’t stand on Facebook.

When it comes to your business, you can’t afford to post anything less than ideal. Whether it’s a post worded wrong, an unflattering image or a comment that is not well received, Facebook posts can put us in the doghouse and make it difficult to gain back the followers we lost.

Before you post anything to Facebook, give it a second thought. Make sure that what you’re putting out there is something that you’re proud of; something that will improve your image, represent your company and build good rapports with followers. What we’re saying here is – follow these suggestions!

Short and Personal Text

Aim for 90 words or less. You want to share a message that is interesting yet personal and will grab your followers’ interest as they scroll through their News Feed. Asking questions is a great example of drawing in interest and engaging followers.

Include a Call to Action

Status updates are great for including a link to your blog, your website or an industry-related article. Just be sure to make it look fancy by shortening the URL with bit.ly.

Upload an Image

Our brains like visual images best, and Facebook has become a hub for sharing photos. Since you’re representing your business, choose a photo that is at least 300×300 pixels, has high-impact images and shows a unique side of your company.

Sponsored Story

Have a status update that holds significance? Sponsor it with the Sponsored Story option on Facebook. For 24 hours, your post will be given an additional boost and reach a greater audience.

Mobile-Optimized

Keep in mind that nearly 70 percent of your followers will be looking at your post from their mobile phones. To meet this platform, keep things simple. Use short text, simple photos and yes/no questions.

Encourage Engagement

Just because the update has been successfully posted doesn’t mean you should walk away and let your followers handle the rest. In the comments section, ask a question. Respond back to others’ comments. Ask for “likes” if your followers agree.

Measure Your Results

Facebook offers two great tools to measure results: Engaged Fans metric and Talking About Us metric. With Engaged Fans, you can learn more about which posts get the most feedback from your followers. With Talking About Us, you can review how your page is ranking compared to others in your industry.

Perfection isn’t alway possible, but it’s something to strive for. Remember that each post counts, so by spending a few seconds thinking about the above criteria, you can continue churning out status updates that are good for your followers and your business.