Social media is one of the most powerful tools a brand can use to reach new customers. However, getting results is not as easy as it looks. Just because you are sharing interesting content regularly, does not mean you will get a response. Social media requires a degree of flexibility and willingness to try new things. There are also a few key factors that play an important role in improving your results from social media.
Keep in mind that in most scenarios, success on social media is NOT measured by the number of followers. You should measure your results by how they align with business goals, wether thats driving traffic to a landing page, establishing credibility or branching out into a new market.
You’re not boosting posts
Organic reach has been declining since Facebook made key updates to their algorithm, a tactic to decrease the overwhelming amount of content appearing in newsfeeds. Now, in order to see success with blogging and content sharing – it is critical that you boost your posts to see more clicks, likes, comments and reach.
“There is now far more content being made than there is time to absorb it. As a result, competition in News Feed is increasing, and it’s becoming harder for any story to gain exposure in News Feed. In addition to the growth in content, people are also liking more Pages, ” explains Facebook.
Facebook is far more effective when businesses use paid media or “boosted posts” to help meet their goals. It allows businesses to reach broader audiences more predictably, and with much greater accuracy than organic content. You may also reach new people who are likely to be interested in your Page or business, but don't currently follow you.
You’re not speaking to your audience
People love content they can relate to. So before you start putting out blog posts, videos, graphics, etc. – you better know who it is you're speaking to. That means knowing your audiences’ age range, location, specific interests, and problems they are looking to solve. Find out what matters most to your customers and cater to their specific interests and needs.
A great way to get to know your audience is by using buyer personas – Buyer personas (sometimes referred to as marketing personas) are fictional, generalized representations of your ideal customers. Personas help us all -- in marketing, sales, product, and services -- internalize the ideal customer we're trying to attract, and relate to our customers as real humans.
You’re on the wrong platform
Find out where your audience is first, before you start draining resources on every social media platform. For example, while Facebook may be more ubiquitous across types of users, Instagram is primarily used by people between the ages of 18-29. LinkedIn is most popular with college graduates and high income earners while Women use Pinterest at much higher rates than men. Only 10 percent of Internet users ages 65+ use Twitter while 71% of Snapchat users are are under 34 years old.
“Facebook has grown older – the once spring chicken of the internet celebrated its 14th birthday earlier this month – so too has its user base, along with its popularity among older people. The largest growth will be among older users, with 500,000 new over-55s expected to join Facebook this year. There will be 6.4 million 55- to 65-year-old-plus regular Facebook users this year, the biggest demographic save for 16- to 34-year-olds.” The Guardian, Is Facebook For Old People?
Your content doesn’t fit the medium
Make sure you are sharing the right type of content that fits the medium. For example, your infographic will not do well on Facebook. You can’t share links on Instagram. LinkedIn is a place for professional content. Here is a basic breakdown of how you can format your content for each platform.
• Facebook: Videos, blog articles and curated content
• Instagram: high quality photos, quotes, Stories
• Twitter: Breaking news, blog posts, GIFs
• LinkedIn: Job listings, company news, professional content
• Pinterest: Infographics and step-by-step photo guides
It’s not as easy as it looks
Social media marketing success requires a consistent commitment of time – this includes doing extensive research, strategizing, creating quality content, publishing content and interacting with users. Not to mention, you want to consistently be analyzing and improving your efforts. While social media may look easy from the outside looking in, it requires diligence and expertise.
“Social media is a full-time job -- marketers who try to take it on as one of the many tasks on their to-do list might be surprised that they're struggling to tread water. If you want to really generate and nurture leads through social media, do your brand a favor and find a smart, dedicated social media manager who knows how to use social media to form real relationships with your audience members,” explains Hubspot. If you want help growing your social media, check out how we can help with our social media management services in Houston TX.
