How to Post an Article on Facebook

Sharing an article on Facebook is more than just dropping a link, it's an opportunity to start a conversation, drive meaningful traffic, and build your authority with an engaged audience. This guide walks you through every step of the process, from the simple mechanics of posting a link to the advanced strategies used by professional social media managers to maximize engagement and clicks.

The Basics: How to Post an Article Link on Facebook

First, let's cover the foundational steps. Whether you're sharing to your personal profile, a business Page, or a community Group, the core process is straightforward.

Sharing on Your Personal Profile or a Friend's Timeline

This is the most common way people share content they find interesting.

1. Copy the Article URL: The first step is to get the link. Go to the article you want to share and copy its full URL from your browser's address bar.
2. Go to Facebook: Open your Facebook app or navigate to the website. At the top of your News Feed, you'll see a box that says, "What's on your mind, [Your Name]?" Click it.
3. Paste the Link: Simply paste the copied URL into the post creation box.
4. Wait for the Preview: Give it a second. Facebook will automatically fetch the article’s information and generate a link preview. This preview typically includes a headline, a short description, and a featured image pulled directly from the article's website.
5. Write Your Caption: Here's your chance to add your own thoughts. For now, just type a sentence or two above the link preview.
6. Choose Your Audience: Use the audience selector (it usually defaults to "Friends") to decide who can see your post - Public, Friends, Friends except..., etc.
7. Click "Post": Once you're happy with your caption and preview, hit the blue "Post" button.

Sharing on a Facebook Page or in a Group

If you're managing a business, brand, or community, you'll be posting to a Page or Group. The process is nearly identical but with a few extra options.

1. First, navigate to the Facebook Page or Group you manage.
2. Find the publishing box, which will say something like "Create post" or "Write something..."
3. Paste the article's URL into the box. Just like before, Facebook will magically generate a link preview.
4. Write a compelling caption to set the stage for your audience.
5. Use Page/Group Features: As a Page Admin, you can choose to boost the post, schedule it for a later time, or even add an A/B test for different versions. In a Group, you might have specific formatting options or post topics available.
6. Click "Post" to share it immediately, or use the scheduling options to have it go live later.

Beyond the Link Drop: Crafting an Engaging Facebook Post

Just pasting a link isn’t enough. True success comes from framing the article in a way that captures attention and prompts action. The difference between a post that gets ignored and one that drives hundreds of clicks lies in these details.

1. Write a Caption That Makes People Care

The caption is your hook. It’s what stops someone from scrolling and convinces them that your link is worth their time. The headline in the link preview might grab their eye, but your caption speaks directly to your audience in your brand's voice. Avoid generic phrases like "Check out this article." Instead, try one of these proven approaches:

• Pull a Powerful Quote: Dig into the article and find a sentence that is surprising, insightful, or controversial. Put it in quotation marks in your caption. For example: "The article argues, 'The idea that multitasking makes you more productive is a complete myth.' This definitely got me thinking about my own workflow! What are your thoughts?"
• Ask a Thought-Provoking Question: Frame the post around a question that the article helps answer. This prompts immediate engagement in the comments. Example: "We always debate the best time to send marketing emails. This article gives a data-backed answer, but does it match your own experience? Let us know below."
• Summarize the Key Takeaway: Tell people exactly what benefit they'll get from clicking. Respect their time by being upfront. Example: "Pressed for time? The main takeaway from our latest guide is this: focus on one sales channel, not five. Here's how to choose the right one for your business."
• Tell a Quick, Relatable Story: Connect the article's theme to a personal anecdote or a common problem your audience faces. This builds an emotional connection. Example: "I used to struggle with client communication until I discovered a simple framework that changed everything. I wrote about that framework in this deep-dive article."

2. Optimize Your Link Preview (Using Open Graph Tags)

Ever wonder how Facebook knows which image, title, and description to show? It's not random. It pulls that information from "Open Graph" (OG) tags in the website's code.

For your own articles, you control this presentation. Using a tool like the Yoast SEO plugin for WordPress, you can specify:

• og:title: This is the headline that appears in the preview. It can be slightly different from your on-page article title to be more engaging for a social audience.
• og:description: The 1-2 sentence summary beneath the title. This should be a compelling synopsis of the article.
• og:image: This is the most important one. The image for the link preview should be eye-catching, high-resolution, and formatted for Facebook. The recommended size is 1200 x 630 pixels.

Pro Tip: Before posting, use Facebook's Sharing Debugger tool. Paste your article link into it to see exactly how the preview will look on Facebook. If it’s not right, you can use the tool to "scrape" the page again after you've updated your OG tags.

3. Use Strategic Tagging to Expand Your Reach

Tagging other Pages or individuals in your post can significantly increase its visibility.

• Tag Sources and Mentions: Did you mention a specific influencer, company, or tool in your article? Tag their Facebook Page in your post's caption by typing the "@" symbol followed by their name. If they engage with or share your post, their entire audience gets exposed to your content.
• Use Relevant Hashtags Sparingly: Hashtags on Facebook aren't as powerful as on Instagram or X, but they can still help. Add 1-3 highly relevant hashtags to your post (e.g., #contentmarketing, #smallbusinesstips) to make it discoverable in searches.

Advanced Strategies for Maximum Impact

Ready to move beyond the fundamentals? These tactics are what separate casual posters from seasoned social media pros. They are designed to work with Facebook's algorithm and maximize the lifespan and impact of your article.

1. Find the Best Times to Post for Your Audience

While plenty of infographics claim the "best time to post" is Tuesday at 11 AM, the real answer is: it depends on your audience.

If you're running a Facebook Page, go to your Meta Business Suite and find your Insights. Here, you can see detailed analytics about when your followers are most active online. Experiment by scheduling posts during these peak hours and track your engagement to see what works best.

2. The 'Post and Re-Share' Strategy

You spent hours writing a fantastic article. Why would you share it only once? Great content is an asset that can be shared multiple times to reach different segments of your audience.

Here’s a simple system:

• Share 1 (The Day of Publishing): Post it with a caption that announces it’s live.
• Share 2 (One Week Later): Re-share the link, but this time use a different caption. Pull a different quote or ask a different question.
• Share 3 (One Month Later): Create a simple graphic in a tool like Canva with a key stat or quote from the article. Post the graphic as an image post, and put the link to the full article in the caption.
• Share 4 (Three Months Later): Share it again, framing it as a "popular throwback" or a piece "from the archives."

This approach respects the effort you put into your content and ensures it gets seen by the maximum number of people over time.

3. Turn Every Post into a Conversation

The Facebook algorithm loves engagement, especially comments. Don't "post and ghost." When someone takes the time to leave a comment, respond to them. This not only encourages more conversation but signals to Facebook that your content is valuable and interesting, which may lead to it showing your post to more people.

If your caption asked a question, jump in and answer it from your own perspective. Pin the most thoughtful or engaging comment to the top of the comment section to highlight it.

4. Test Native Content Formats With a Link in the Comments

Many social media experts believe that Facebook's algorithm prioritizes native content (posts that don't send users off the platform, like photos and videos) over external links. While this is debated, it's worth experimenting with.

Instead of a standard link post, try this: create a post with just a compelling image or a short video teaser related to your article. Write a caption that summarizes the topic, and then add, "Read the full guide by clicking the link in the first comment!" Then, be the first person to comment on your own post by pasting the article link there. This method may help your initial post reach more people organically.

Final Thoughts

Posting an article on Facebook is a crucial skill for anyone looking to build an audience or drive traffic. Mastering the combination of writing compelling captions, optimizing your link’s appearance, and engaging directly with your community can transform a simple share into a powerful marketing tool.

Keeping track of when to post, what to write, and how to recycle your best articles can quickly become overwhelming with just a notebook or spreadsheet. That's why we built Postbase. We use our visual calendar to plan our content weeks in advance, making it easy to see where each reshared article fits into our strategy. Scheduling it all ensures our posts go out at the perfect time without us needing to be online, helping us stay consistent and focus on creating more great content.