Social media has proven to be a valuable channel for marketers to reach and convert customers. Renowned for its agile approach, social media marketing requires channel managers to stay updated of the latest social media trends to ensure they exploit every available opportunity.
It's no surprise that this year has seen an unprecedented shift in the use of social media, along with a host of other customer behavioral factors. According to Datareportal's July 2020, nearly half of respondents have spent more time on social media due to COVID-19. In this opportunity, there are challenges: how to maintain the engagement of my audience on social networks? What content is suitable for today's environment? You are not alone in asking these questions, and getting it right is more important than ever!
Why has the reach of organic social media has dropped?
Facebook and other social media platforms want to show users only the most engaging content and ditch everything else. Known as the News Feed Algorithm, which is almost similar to Google’s algorithm. Facebook provides only the relevant content to each user. In order to increase reach and engagement and optimize user experience, the content delivered is tailored to each user’s individual interests.
Social media is taking its own form of SEO in a way that promotes a positive user experience. The way this algorithm works is to put your posts in a pool as small as 1% of your subscribers. If these people engage with the content, it gets introduced into a larger pool. Slowly but surely more and more people are seeing it, but only if it's engaging.
But it doesn't help you because you don't know what Facebook and social media considers engaging. Today's ten tips are going to help you define what it means to create shareable content that people will interact with and ultimately help you spread across the platforms of your choice.
1. Focus your efforts on the right places
Most businesses will assume they need to be present on everything from Facebook to Pinterest, but that isn't necessarily the case. Your audience may not be present on all social media platforms, so why waste your energy? Here are some quick ways to help you decide which platform is worthy of your time:
Just ask
The best way to get accurate information about your audience is to simply ask them. Try using a survey or email As you catch up, ask them which social platforms they use for business and personal use.
Number Of Shares
If you have a blog, you should already be using the share buttons. Many of these tools provide analytics that shows who is sharing your content and where. Track these numbers to determine which platforms to focus on.
Research your competition
Finally, analyse your competitors. Where are the other members of your industry posting? If you don't see them anywhere on the platform, there's a good chance you shouldn’t be there either.
2. Use hashtags the right way
BuzzSumo has analyzed over a billion Facebook posts on over 30 million pages. Their study seems to agree with the general consensus that Facebook users are prone to hashtag fatigue. Posts with hashtags performed less than posts without. It doesn’t mean marketers shouldn't use hashtags on Facebook at all. They should be used in moderation - two hashtags maximum. SurePayroll found that interactions were highest when 1 to 2 hashtags were used. This comes from the analysis of 200,000 branded posts on Facebook.
3. Post evergreen content
Creating evergreen content is one of those easier said than done things. These posts must be engaging. You can always find a way to make your posts stand out despite the topic.Following are the main things to keep in mind:
- Don't post content with an expiration date.
- Consider resolving common and persistent issues in your industry. Better yet, try to post something educational and funny. Humor, shock or awe are great emotions to target with ever-green content.
- People will always share more positive posts than negative.
4. Work smarter, not harde
Facebook themselves have said that the average user is subjected to more than 1,500 stories per day. To increase engagement, the News Feed only shows around 300 of these - which are the most relevant to the user. With that knowledge in hand, you should know that publishing more isn't the answer.
Instead, you need to focus on posting relevant, high-quality content. In this case, it's literally quality over quantity. Posting less with a higher quality will increase organic reach more rather than spamming your page with whatever you can get your hands on. While there is no exact science to this, the Buffer Blog suggests that you post 2X a day. Always remember that your business is unique, so you can experiment with different frequencies after analyzing visitors' patterns.
5. Post during off-peak hours
Another misconception is that you should post when everyone is online, but that will only plunge your content into the hurricane of posts that people are seeing. If you wait until off-peak hours to post, you're less likely to drown in all the chaos. Looking at the research data, these are generally the best times you should post:
- Facebook - (Thursdays / Fridays) between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
- Twitter - (weekdays) between 12 p.m. and 6 p.m.
- LinkedIn - (Tuesday - Thursday) between 7 am / 8 am and 5 pm / 6 pm
Also, Keep analyzing your Audience data in FB analytics as business across different geographical locations may vary.
6. Optimize your social media profiles
Previously, I linked social media algorithms to those used by search engines like Google. When we create content for these engines, we optimize all on-page SEO tactics as well. Well, it turns out social media is the same way.
Every aspect of your profile on social media can be changed for better visibility and optimization. If you want to be a social media rockstar, you need to know the ins and outs of these elements. Many tactics you know and love work here too:
- An easy-to-remember username
- A recognizable brand photo/logo
- Keyword rich descriptions (which always seem natural)
- A trackable link to your website
When posting, use these same factors to decide what images you use, what keywords you include, and how you phrase your call to action. This applies to all social media platforms.
7. Groups and online communities
Further, boost the organic reach of your post by sharing it in various communities and groups. Each platform has its own set of groups and communities, and it’s certain that some of these are highly relevant to your niche. Join, contribute, and don’t go for the hard sell. Build your profile and success will follow.
8. Post the right types of content
A study by Socialbakers found that certain types of content can give you a huge boost in organic reach. The results of their study showed that videos had the highest organic reach on Facebook with a margin of almost 3%, which is huge given that the average organic reach fell to 1% or less.
Of course, you don't have to assume that the videos will work for you as well, but this tells you that you probably want to experience them. You should not only vary the mix of images, status updates, links, and videos you post, but also use tools like Facebook Insights to track your posts and see which types work best.
9. Promote your profiles everywhere
Every place your business has a presence should also showcase your social media platforms. On your website, your storefront, your business cards, your email signature, anywhere you can think of. You should also consider adding follow buttons to your website so that users can instantly follow or "like" your page, without having to leave your business blog or website.
Remember, you can also cross-promote your profiles on social media. Turn your Facebook likes into Twitter followers and vice versa. You want your presence to be known everywhere, which will dramatically increase your organic reach.
10. Post the right balance of promotional/useful content
This one is difficult because you immediately want to promote your product or service on social media. But you can't always think of yourself when it comes to these things. Users also expect to find content that is useful to them. Sharing valuable content such as, how-to guides, articles, new posts, etc. builds a user's trust in your brand. They come to know you as an authority in the industry and therefore will trust you when recommending a product or service.
The rule to master here is the 80/20 balance. 80% of your content should be useful and useful, while 20% can promote your brand or its products. Those 80% will attract new followers and build confidence, then they'll see the twenty percent and buy what you're selling. Keep in mind that this variety should also include a mix of videos, images, and other types of engaging content.
11. Interact with and engage your followers
The reach of organic social media is never easier than when people come straight to your page. If you interact well with people and respond to their comments, you will build a great reputation that will spread. People will search for your posts because they'll be genuinely interested in what you're doing. Forging this type of bond is important for all aspects of your business, but it can go viral for your organic reach. Word of mouth will spread to new members of your audience and they in turn will come to see what your business has to offer.
Final thoughts
Within a comprehensive Social Media Marketing Strategy, organic social remains an ideal method to build brand awareness and loyalty, and foster engagement with your audience. The secret to organic social media reach is the same as the secret to ranking well on search engines. It’s all about optimization, user experience, and high-quality content. If you start thinking about your social media efforts in the same way you think about your SEO work, you’ll see the pieces fall into place.
