Why a Daily Social Media Presence is a Necessity
Here’s the short version: You need to be on social media for at least a little bit of time every single day or you need to hire someone to do it for you. That’s right. There cannot be any days off — even if you’re scheduling your posts.
Why? Well, in short, because social media is about being social. It’s about interaction and engagement. And when you’re not checking in on your social media platforms every day, you end up losing the interests of your followers. And equally important, the social media platform’s algorithms will definitely take notice!
Is there an ideal number of times to post to social media?
We’ve touched on this in previous blogs, and there’s never really an easy answer. Sure, any of us can speculate on the ideal number of times to post to social media, mostly based on what has proven to be successful in the past, but it’s always a tricky guess at best.
If you’re too passive in your social media presence, or if you don’t post frequently, you face the risk of losing followers. The frequency of your posting might also affect the way you’re treated by the algorithms. If you are perceived as an inactive user, then your occasional posts might end up being buried and going unseen. After all, these platforms want active users, so they’re going to give priority to those who are consistent (potentially your competition).
Focus on posting engaging and high-quality content — and that should include at least one post a day on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. In the case of Twitter, where tweets have a much shorter lifespan than posts on other platforms, you should post at least three times a day.
What if I don’t have anything interesting going on that day?
Sure you do — even if you don’t think the day-to-day activities of your business are interesting, you need to find a way to present it as such to your followers. Make it exciting and make it useful. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Share photos, videos, infographics, or GIFs that reflect the mood or the current state of affairs at your business
Post quotes that will inspire your followers
Share user-generated content from one of your followers
Find links to news related to your industry
This is why creating a schedule of social media content can be so helpful — you’re able to brainstorm ideas to keep your page active. You also have the option of scheduling posts.
But it’s not enough to merely schedule posts and then forget about them. That’s because your social media presence is about much more than merely posting…
If I’m not posting, what am I doing?
Not all the time you spend on social media is about creating posts. You should also be engaging with your followers and with other members of the online community. Remember that social media is about being social.
If you are not in the position to hire an agency, carve out 10 to 15 minutes of your time every single day to socialize on social media. What does that entail? Here’s what you should do:
Go through any comments on your posts and reply to them, even if it is with just a few emojis or a simple “Thanks!” This will not only let your followers know that you appreciate their engagement but also improve your chance with the algorithm.
Scroll through the social media pages of your most active followers/fans and your competition. Comment on their posts and try to start a conversation with other commenters. This will bring your brand more exposure in places where there are individuals who will be interested in you. For example, let’s say you’re a hair salon — you seek out pics that somebody has shared of their latest hair styling and you leave a comment to compliment them on it. Those who are interested in hair care/styles will likely read through the comments and see your engagement — and this might even drive traffic to your page. You can also try this trick with hashtags to find pictures related to your industry.
And I Need to Do This Every Day?
Without a doubt! Here’s the thing — you can’t just sit back and expect your social media presence to explode with activity. You can’t exist in a vacuum. Social media is boring if you do that. If you engage with others only sporadically, it won’t do you much good because there’s no chance for you to build momentum.
On the other hand, if you are active on social media, and you don’t go dormant for days at a time, you can expect to slowly but surely build your presence.