BOOST YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT
LIKE A SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIST
Are you one of those people who have spent HOURS, everyday, digesting non-stop social media content?
Exploring every nook and cranny, and trying to elevate your business’s presence in this digital jungle?
Despite your tireless efforts, the results just aren’t what you expected.
You might be feeling overwhelmed and disheartened, wondering if hiring a social media strategist would make a difference.
But maybe that seems out of reach for your budget right now, leaving you to face the ever-changing social media landscape on your own.
So, the temptation to abandon the perplexing maze of social media content begins to grow.
Social media can be frustrating and daunting.
BUT, your DTC brand cannot afford to miss out on the vast opportunities it presents.
Don’t throw in the towel just yet!
We have meticulously curated ‘11 tactics to boost your social media content‘ that are guaranteed to enhance your organic reach.
As well as, increase engagement, and help you navigate the social media landscape like a seasoned pro.
That’s right; there’s no need to be an expert!
However, you do need to learn some of the tricks of the trade to make the most of your efforts and not be left in the dust by your competitors.
With these tactics in hand, you’ll be better equipped to face the challenges that social media marketing presents and turn them into opportunities for growth and success.
Before we delve into our proven tactics and valuable insights.
It’s crucial to understand how Facebook’s algorithm works, as this knowledge will set the foundation for your social media success.
Grasping the inner workings of the algorithm, you’ll be able to tailor your strategies accordingly.
Giving your content the best chance to shine in the vast digital landscape.
Social Media Strategist Explains: Facebook’s Algorithm
First, understand that the biggest social media platform (Facebook) now follows Google’s algorithm.
There’s a widely accepted, misconception that the reasoning for this is due to revenue.
Although this is true to an extent (they’re a business, after all), the ultimate concern is actually the end users.
Here’s how Facebook’s Algorithm Works:
When someone posts content, it will be visible to ~1% of their followers.
If users react to the content by liking, sharing, commenting (remember – negative reactions are still reactions), the pool will get larger – 2 to 3%.
The more people respond, the wider the pool gets.
This is what ultimately drives virality.
In a nutshell:
Content that engages well with users will reach more and more people, and those that fail to do so won’t see the light of day.
Why The Decline In Social Media Content Reach?
Facebook explained that the focus on the algorithm change is for users to stay engaged in the platform.
Think about it…
People will leave if they only see lame content on their feed, day in and day out.
The problem is, businesses need to keep up with the times.
Imagine a company that has posted thousands of poor quality posts.
Facebook’s bots have detected that people don’t react to this type of content.
(Not to be confused with chatbots).
SO, they simply won’t show them in people’s feeds.
Let’s say that this business creates one high-quality piece of content.
What happens?
Well, since the crawler-bots are “used to” sub-par content from this business, the high-quality content will be negatively impacted, like its predecessors.
Is all hope lost?
Of course not!
Read on to find out how you can think like a social media strategist to remedy the situation (we’re almost there!).
The Most Common Social Media Planner Mistakes
Here’s why you need to know about the algorithm: so you can stop doing this fatal mistake.
Believe it or not, people tend to share too much content.
Thinking that the more they share, the more visibility they get.
We’ve seen that, even though in the past it has worked, it doesn’t anymore.
Sharing content for the sake of sharing is no bueno.
It will hurt your ROI and waste your time (and time is money).
This is the first thing that you must stop doing.
What else do you need to do?
We’ll discuss this through the 11 points below so you can get a high level of engagement on your social media accounts.
1. Stop Wasting Time
It sounds counter productive, right?
Maybe we should be clear:
Stop wasting time on the platform, where you don’t get engagement.
There are too many social media platforms out there for you to be doubling down on what isn’t working for you.
Granted, they all have a potential of bringing you customers, BUT it’s impossible to be everywhere at all times.
Instead, limit your presence to be in a top few that have constantly shown the highest level of user’s engagement.
How can you figure this out?
- Use the analytics features. You can use a built-in analytics (Google Analytics or Twitter Analytics), or use a social media analytics tools. Many are free but offer semi-accurate data recording.
- Check out other businesses within your niche. Especially those who have been in the game longer. Where are they the most active? It’s probably logical that you shouldn’t try a platform that your competitors don’t use.
- Ask your followers. That’s right, ask their opinions through a survey, at the end of blog posts, or weekly newsletters: where do you like engaging with us? After all, it’s them you’re trying to attract.
2. It’s High Quality Or Nothing
But… we have seen from the example above that a high-quality content won’t help me with the latest algorithm!
You’re right!
That’s why we need more than just one.
We need to post several high-quality pieces of content.
Consistently!
As a matter of fact…
You must always post high-quality content.
If it’s not good, it’s better not to post it at all.
Quality > Quantity, always and forever… mmmmkay!?!
Beyond the algorithm question, top notch content will lead to a solid reputation for your brand.
3. Take Care Of Your Facebook Post Scheduler
You’d think marketers would learn by now, that over-posting is bad.
But how many of you are still doing it?
It’s not your fault, its your agency’s fault and it’s your data’s fault.
I’ve seen the same metrics you have and what it shows is that your competitors are continuing to post more and more.
SO… You have to as well, right!?!
Negative Ghostrider.
Like your Dad used to say, “If they all jumped off a cliff, would you?“
But how many times per day should you post on social media?
Many strategists recommend twice.
Every business is unique though.
And every audience is different.
How people use each platform is not the same either.
So there is no exact right answer.
Set up an experiment, where you change your posting frequency on each platform every week.
Then, based on the data, you’ll know what works for you.
4. Different Content For Different Platforms
Instead of repeating what you’ve shared on Facebook on Twitter, Instagram, or others, consider creating unique content for each platform.
The idea is to not drive people (at least not all the time) to your website or blog posts, but let them stay on the platform.
You can, for instance, use your Instagram for beautiful photos of your products, and Snapchat ads for the behind-the-scenes of making the photos or how to use your products.
For your followers, it’s good to see not the same content everywhere.
It also sparks their interest because you’re showing them the multiple layers to your business.
Another trick is to use CoSchedules headline analyzer and create multiple headlines for the same piece of content to match the users mindset on every platform.
5. Focus On Your Audience
You may think that by not setting up who can see your posts, more people will see them.
But expert social media strategists say that if people don’t find your content relevant, they won’t engage or react.
This is why you need to set up a target audience: only show your content to those interested in them.
Facebook has Enhanced Page Post Targeting that will let you set up your audience based on gender, relationship status, location, educational level, age, and language.
Of course, there are no set-on-stone rules about this either.
You should make several trials before finding out which audience engages the most with your content.
6. Create Content That Has A Long Shelf Life
It’s understandable that you want to leverage a trend to be more popular.
Although this may work once, it won’t forever.
Social Media trends come and go.
But there are questions or problems that people constantly need your help with.
This is a better content topic for you than writing about what’s in.
Evergreen content is something people will need for a long time.
7. Apply The 80/20 Rule
The rule is about the ratio of the promotional and other types of content you should post.
Although there’s no exact science for measuring the rate, social media strategists agree that you must post less promotional and more helpful content.
We know the point of your social media accounts is to get more customers.
But the truth is people are more interested in what provides value to them.
This is the reason that guides and tips are among the most preferred content for users.
The more you give your followers what they’re looking for, the more they will engage.
8. Polish Your Profiles
If you think that filling every part of the form on your profile is a waste of time, think again.
The goal is to make your brand identity recognizable and your profile findable during a search.
So do make sure to include your location, type of business, and a great profile picture.
Your profile is another way to acquire leads & customers, so USE IT!!
Polishing your profile also means including keywords indicators in the description (for those who like to scan, as well as search engines).
Don’t overdo it, however, since it can create a negative effect.
9. Talk To Your followers
You want your followers to engage, so when they do, return the favor.
The beauty of this extends beyond your social media marketing reach, but to your reputation as well.
Brands who reply to comments are seen to care about their costumers genuinely.
Use this opportunity to answer questions, address complaints, or just say thanks.
Doing this will make your customers happy, and create a word-to-mouth effect that enhances the good image of your brand.
10. Diversify Your Social Media Post Ideas
We do hope that you mix several kinds of content.
It’s easy to stick to what we know, but people always look for other ways to consume information.
Studies have shown that people want to see more videos and online courses in the future.
This doesn’t mean you have to bust thousands of dollars to create a full production Youtube video.
You can start small to test the waters.
For Example:
Post a short video, captured with your phone, on your Instagram or TikTok.
Same with other types of content marketing campaigns.
A professional strategist will recommend you to research and trial to find the types that generate more engagements.
11. Don’t overtly ask for likes or shares
Be careful about asking your followers to like, follow, or share!
Facebook will penalize businesses who openly or consistently ask for engagement.
According to social media strategists, people will find you spammy.
Also, you want genuine engagement, not staged or asked one!
Instead, focus on creating quality and helpful content to share.
When people honestly find your content great, they will be happy to like and share, even without you overtly asking them to.
Take Away Lesson
With the latest algorithm change, there are two keywords for you to remember and apply religiously: quality and consistency.
Content is king, yes, but crappy content gets nowhere near the throne.
Admittedly, it’s not something easy to deliver continuously over the years.
That’s why you need to think like a social media strategist.
How have you been doing with your social media reach?
Any tips or tricks you care to share with us in a comment below?
If you have any question, don’t hesitate, we will be happy to talk to you.
