Are you finding it difficult to build a following on your social media? Here are three possible reasons you’re riding the struggle bus with follower growth.
- You don’t engage with your current followers
This is a frequent mistake I see with businesses. Social media is treated like a billboard where a brand will put up advertisements or content but won’t talk to anyone afterwards. It’s a little strange feeling for your audience to have conversations with themselves in your comments and DMs. Also, comments, shares, sends and saves all contribute to boosting your posts in the algorithms.
Try this to fix it: Commit to responding to every single comment, DM and share.
Bonus tip: Reach out to some of your most engaged followers and engage with their content. Start building relationships!
2. You’re not talking to the right people when you post
Your content is great, spectacular, amazing! But your audience doesn’t care.. How does that happen?
Here are two possible reasons:
You’re flip flopping your content themes and it is hard for people to follow or understand.
You’re not really speaking to your audience in the first place. Your followers began following you because they liked your brand or product, but you don’t really post content that they connect to personally.
Try this to fix it: Assess who your customers are online and in person. You can even think about who your ideal customer is you’d like to attract. Begin building content these groups will find meaningful.
Bonus tip: Use polls on your Instagram stories, ask for direct feedback, and experiment with different types of content and see what resonates. There are a lot of other ways too so get creative!
3. You rarely post on your profiles
Your followers (customers) adore your content, they engage with it too. But they never know when you’re going to post. Not only do they not seek out your content (since it’s unlikely they will find anything new), but you’re also not going to be gaining much from your platform algorithms.
Try this to fix it: Commit to a posting schedule. Maybe it is every Monday at 9 am. Maybe it is two days a week. Maybe it is twice a day. Whatever it is, commit to it! (I recommend more than once a week!)
Bonus tip: Review platform analytics to find peak times and days for your audience. You don’t necessarily need to post at a certain time, but keep up with platform trends, your brand’s trends, and see what is working well so you can adjust.
Final Thoughts: Consistency is the glue that holds it all together. But to use your time and energy MOST effectively, ensure your content is right for your audience, and be sure to engage with everyone who’s loving your brand!
Follow me on Instagram @_janasoli_ for more small business content!