It is easy to think that you’ve got social media down simply because you’ve had an account since you were a teen. But when it comes down to it, I hear a lot of business owners say, “I post every day and I’m just not seeing the results!” The fact is, to grow your social media accounts, the answer is not as simple as posting, posting, posting. Here are 3 tips for growing your business social media accounts.
Tip #1 – Meaningful Engagement
In today’s ever changing world, where information is literally everywhere, we cannot find new customers by sitting in a corner. We need to be an active participant. Several years ago, the social media giants faced a lot of criticism around the negativity that can be found on their platforms. Mark Zuckerberd, CEO of Facebook, shared in 2018:
“I’m changing the goal I give our product teams from focusing on helping you find relevant content to helping you have more meaningful social interactions.”
Now you may be saying “That was 6 years ago though!” And you would be right. BUT…while Meta (and all of the other social platforms) are businesses, wanting to make money, I do believe that this is still true. Pages and profiles that actively engage with followers tend to perform better than those that “just post.” So, what is a “meaningful social interaction?” It is not an emoji, or a short “yes! I totally agree!” This is a full and complete sentence that provides value to others and encourages conversation.
By actively engaging with other accounts and providing valuable comments, you are likely to see more engagement with your own content. Set aside 15-30 minutes a day to engage with content that is not your own. Do it with purpose, and don’t let that purpose be only for others to see you.
Tip #2 – Consistency
You’ve likely heard the saying, “consistency is key!” It’s a saying for a reason, it’s true! If you’re going to post every day, keep it up! Nothing can stop a page from getting exposure if you post once a month. Or perhaps you post every single day for a month, get burned out, and go down to once a week. Maybe you get frustrated because you’re posting 3 times a week for 2 weeks and not seeing much movement, so you give up. This is a common occurrence.
If you are currently posting once a week because that is all you have time for, that is okay! Just keep posting once a week. As you have more resources available, bump that up to once or twice a week, and stick with it. You need to train the algorithm to your posting frequency, as well are your audience, and YOURSELF! It can take a few weeks to make something a habit or routine. Don’t give up.
Tip #3 – Answer the Phone
This is both literally and figuratively. One thing I’ve seen while looking for services is that a lot of places don’t reply to emails in a timely manner, or at all. Same goes for calling, too many places don’t answer the phone or return voicemails. Now, accidents happen, emails or calls are sometimes missed in the chaos of your day. But, this is your brand, your reputation on the line.
This idea is also critical for your social media accounts. Timely responses to direct messages (DM’s or PM’s – private messages) is monitored by Meta. Have you ever sent a message to a business page and noticed “Typically replies within an hour.” This is good customer service being rewarded by Meta.
Not only is it important to reply to those DM’s, but it is also important to reply to comments. This includes comments on your own posts, as well as any mentions you may get. What is more organic than replying to a comment about your business? With that said, there are times that a comment could be negative, and that must be navigated with calmness and intention.
There you have it, 3 tips for growing your social media accounts! For more, subscribe to the Pink Sheep Periodical newsletter, and follow Pink Sheep Co. on Facebook and Instagram. Get in touch to find out how I can help you stand out from the crowd here.