Social media platforms have evolved dramatically in the last five years. Scrolling on Insta, or sharing on Facebook has become such a central part of people's daily lives and habits. Instagram alone has 2 billion active monthly users. Wading through and reaching the right people is no mean feat. That's why building connections on social channels is critical to breaking through the noise.
It's no longer enough to get a simple like. The bar has been risen. Comments, shares, DM's, saves, mentions and clicks are the aim of the game. Algorithms are also leaning into this by rewarding interactions as meaningful and increasing visibility on people's feeds.
So, how can you ensure you are nice and popular on socials?
1. Stay true to your audience
Keep your audience front and centre of your social media content. Remember to think if the content you are putting out there is of use to your followers. Will it inform them, entertain them, stir their curiosity to hear more?
It's true that video content is king. Nothing is more watchable and clickable than video. Bite size clips are always a winner, no matter the audience. According to a 2023 survey, short form video (30-60 seconds) offers the highest return of investment than any other social media activity.
However, it's important to remember that reels don't always bring the feels. Don't feel like you have to jump on trends to fit in because chances are you'll get lost in sea of hashtags and Beyonce audios. It's always better to stand out. Just because social media is such a big stage, it doesn't mean you have to perform to the masses. Maybe pick a reel trend that isn't as popular as the rest and one that will resonate with your followers. If you want to explore the video route, then make sure your message is clear and most of all, meaningful to your audience.
2. Be a familiar face
Finding a posting balance can be a little tricky. You don't want to bombard your followers but you definitely don't want to be a stranger who only checks in once in a while. Consistency is key but don't be too boring with your schedule. Showing up at the same time every week makes you loyal, reliable even. But it's important to show up at other times too: surprise and delight as much as you can.
On Instagram, stories is a great way to keep you in your follower's gaze. Ranking of stories increases the more that a person likes and comments on your story. Stories are a quick and easy daily activity to keep on top of. Whether that's sharing behind the scenes footage or a sneak peek or lovely product pic/review.
You can measure the effectiveness of your stories by looking at the completion rate. So if that starts to drop off, think of ways to make your content easier to watch and engage with.
3. Find a happy balance
No one wants to keep seeing the same picture from a different angle or the same message with a few words tweaked. It's important to mix it up. Cover all bases. Your brand isn't one dimensional. And your social media shouldn't feel like a sales pitch. Directly promoting products and services should make up around 20% of your content, while the other 80% should be full of insights and entertainment. So, try and be as creative and original as you can. Don't just point out that its pancake day, make it relevant to you or tell them how the office is celebrating. Even when its a national event, grab the spotlight and keep it personal.
Share products and services, reviews and recommendations, Q&As, behind the scenes footage, industry news, events, awards, blogs, hashtag themes, and don't forget the office dog (always a surefire hit)!
Knowing how the algorithms work on the different platforms will also help inform your content choices:
For Linkedin, visual case studies are a winner.
Facebook users love to share video content.
On Tik Tok, you need to know your hashtags for maximum visibility.
Over on X and Threads, posts need to be short, sweet and most of all timely.
And on Instagram, motivational storytelling and behind the scenes insights raise plenty of smiles and red hearts.
If you're struggling to post something new, why not re-purpose content from your website or blog. In a new way for a new season? In a space, where the more frequent you post, the more noticed you are, something is always better than nothing.
4. Hand over the reigns
Not all of your content on your social pages has to be created by you. It can be from a follower or influential figure in your industry. That could take the form of sharing and commenting on a relevant news or opinion piece.
Or you could give a takeover a whirl. Having a 24 hour takeover by someone else in the business or by a relevant spokesperson or brand advocate could give you extra exposure to your target audience. In return, you could offer to takeover their channels and take the opportunity to share your message more widely.
5. Keep the conversation going
One sided conversations or speeches are not why people open their social apps first thing in the morning. They want to get their social juices flowing, find out the latest goss, learn new hacks and be inspired. So, it's important to be warm and friendly. Think of it as a conversation. Open dialogue. A mutual connection. Reciprocate follows.
Even after you've scheduled or published your posts, remember to keep your voice active. Liking and commenting on other accounts' content keeps your name in the frame and shows you as supportive. Follow other local businesses in your area, even if they're a competitor. Be part of the conversation, not on the sidelines.
Social media in its early incarnation was aimed at reuniting old friends. Catching up and checking in. That ethos should underpin your interactions too.
6. Show that you truly care
An increased amount of people are opening up their social media apps to contact companies with queries. Respond to queries and mentions as much as possible and always in a likeable fashion. Be authentic, no one wants to think they're chatting with a bot. Others will see how you've responded, which in turn will boost your brand's trustworthiness.
The social media world is rapid. So, every second counts when it comes to providing answers to questions. Although, it's good to set expectations too so no one's getting the hump because its two minutes past midnight and you haven't answered their query on your opening hours. You're only human.
7. Use your data insights for new opportunities
There really are no hard and fast rules for what to post and when. Because audiences will interact differently. The absolute beauty of the social media universe is being able to monitor and track activity so you can become much more savvy.
Analytics in the social media world are amazing. The insights can support you to make much more informed content decisions. You can visualise audience growth, interactions, and engagements in great detail.
Social listening is also a brilliant way of gauging how your audience feels about you. Tracking every mention of and conversation about your company, as well as your competitors gives you a much clearer picture of how your brand is performing.
So, make sure you study your audience and what floats their boat. Find out when they are most likely to be online, what content they've interacted with the most, their user journey once they've clicked from social media through to your website.
Join up the dots to ensure you stay relevant and can keep reaching the right people. The people who want to interact with you and become your brand fans.
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