One of the first things we say when it comes to content strategies for Facebook pages is “think of coming home to Facebook.” From our experience managing our client’s social media channels, we find that the most successful content – whether your talking about birds, autism research or science competitions – is content that is relevant to people’s personal lives.

People check Facebook to catch up with their friends and family. They want to see their cousin’s new baby pictures and maybe even watch a funny cat video. Remember, that even when people are checking Facebook at work – it’s to escape from work! It’s those few minutes of downtime that we all need to goof off a bit, reset our purpose, and re-engage in our lives.

So we are delighted that Facebook is calling their new mobile interface “HOME.” Zuckerberg promises that this is the “next version of Facebook.” But beyond it’s functionality, it’s the name that intrigues us.

Facebook is what people first check in the morning, before or after email depending on your workaholic tenancies. It’s the thing people check when they are bored. It’s the place to share your greatest accomplishments and hardest days. Facebook is often the glue that keeps friendships together when weekly a coffee become impossible because of the thousands of miles in between.

If you want to engage your fans on Facebook, you have to keep their usage in mind. They don’t want to hear about your boring meeting or depressing news story all the time. They want to real way to engage in your mission to make the world a better place. They want to see a funny image, every once and a while. They want to see that you understand that they need an escape from reality, if just for a few minutes. Think about the content you want to read on Facebook and share that.

Escape doesn’t have to be frivolous or silly, it can be very meaningful and emotional. We deal with some seriously heavy issues in nonprofit work. Give people a real way to make in impact in a few seconds – ask them to share a sad news story to spread awareness of an issue. People want to help – tell them how to help!

But, we can all benefit from some levity, too. It’s the old adage of you’ll either laugh or cry, and trust me laughing has more viral reach.

Now, let’s all try to figure out a way to fit our mission in a funny cat video and we’re golden.