Imagine this: You’ve created a great piece of content that you expect will drive a lot of business your way, but then when you post it to social media and give it a little bit of time to garner some engagement, you’re disappointed to find out it yielded only a few likes and a comment or two. You didn’t even get any traffic to your website! What gives?

The reality is that we all want to have our social media posts seen by as many people as possible. After all, even though social media is technically supposed to be about being social, these posts might be your primary marketing opportunities these days. If you’re spending a lot of time crafting your message to have it reach only a few people, you feel as if your efforts are going to waste.

What They Show You

The problem is that some of these platforms are burying your content so that it’s given less exposure and other content is given more exposure. When you open up an app like a social media platform, you aren’t shown content from your followers in chronological order of when it was posted. Instead, you’re shown content that the platform thinks will be of most interest to you.

This is why so many people talk about trying to trick the algorithm, the digital operations that determine what content is shown in what order when any given person opens up a social media app and scrolls through their feed. If they can figure out how the algorithm works — that is, how it can figure out what content is worthy and what content isn’t — then they can create content that’s more likely to be favored by the algorithm. 

Stop Trying To Game The Algorithms

Here’s the thing: You need to stop doing that! Seriously. It’s just detrimental to your social media marketing efforts.

One of the main reasons is that the algorithm is always changing based on what these platforms think their users want. You might figure out how to manipulate the algorithm only to have it change in six months and send you back to square one.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t be smarter in your digital efforts.

Start Providing Value

Focus LESS on whether the algorithm likes certain keywords, short-form vs. long-form captions, or calls to action included in your text. Focus MORE on providing value.

What does that mean? It means instead of trying to figure out the algorithm, you should spend your time and energy figuring out your audience. By providing them with valuable content — that is, the type of content they want — you’ll ensure that you get their attention (and more importantly, their engagement) every time they log on to social media.

Get To Know Your Audience

So how do you do that? How do you provide value to your audience so that the algorithm naturally favors your content? Ask yourself these questions:

• Who is my target audience?

• What does my target audience want?

• Why is my target audience on social media?

Remember that your audience is not on social media to be marketed to or spammed with advertisements. They are on social media to socialize — so all of your posts should provide some sort of value to them even if that particular member of your audience doesn’t make a purchase. Get them to laugh, offer them some valuable information, or inspire them in some way!

What Problem Are You Solving?

Remember to always consider the conflict-resolution component to every post. Even the briefest of posts tells a story in some way. Introduce a problem your audience relates to, then provide a solution. If your post is announcing a new hire, let people know that you needed a bigger staff to accommodate your increased demand from customers—and you know this new team member will be an answer to that problem. 

What if your post is about a product you have to offer? In this case, address what pain point your customer might have that this product will resolve.

Mix It Up

You should also use a variety of content, as this will keep you fresh and interesting to your followers. Remember that social media tends to be visual, so things like photos, infographics, and videos are always a plus. Links to your blog or product pages will give your followers an incentive to head to your website.

Don’t be afraid to create discussion. People love to reply and weigh in on stuff, and this is a great way to encourage engagement in the form of comments, likes, and replies. Ask questions, or make relatively harmless controversial statements (such as “Brunch is the best meal of the day”) that will make people want to offer their input.

Be Consistent

If there is one theme to our advice, it is consistency. Be consistent. Posting once a week or even three or four times a week will not be enough to build loyalty among your following. Instead, you need to make time to offer your audience fresh content every single day.

While there’s no simple way to outsmart the algorithms of your favorite social media platform, following these steps will ensure you’re encouraging your followers to keep an eye out for your content every time they get online — and that’s the ultimate goal!

Our team at ASMM Digital can help your craft relevant, interesting, engagement-worthy content that your target audience will love. Reach out today by calling 443-679-4916 or emailing ann@asmmdigital.com.