Here's some perspective...
a brand is 2%
a personal account is 5%
a public figure is 6%
microinfluencers is 8% (with > 1K followers)
Whether you fall within the range of 2-8%, your rate is below this range or you want to increase yours, (first take a deep breath) and consider these 6 tips to lower your stress and increase your social media reach and engagement to grow your following/audience.
#1 Calculate your engagement 📊
There are a handful of websites that will give you this information for free, so you don't have to default to a paid calculator option. Keep in mind some websites will have a minimum follower requirement to calculate the engagement and you may be limited in how often you can pull this information within a certain timeframe. Hence, the paid for calculators.
Phlanx and GRIN are two of The Asé Group favorites. But there are so many others!
#2 Learn more about your audience and engagement 🧐
Most social media platforms have native/built-in analytics so you can easily track how your content is performing and review audience demographics, in real time or over a span of time.
You can optimize your reach by looking at insights like:
where traffic is coming from (e.g. hashtags, feed, etc.)
how followers vs non-followers engage with your account
your average likes, shares, comments, saves, website clicks, follows, etc.
your audience demographics (days/times online, gender, location, etc.)
This will help you create a more solid strategy around reaching your audience and identifying content trends and user behaviors for future content.
#3 Listen to your audience and study others in your niche👂🏽
When it comes to content creation, make your life easier with social listening and monitoring the accounts of brands/creators within your industry.
Ask your audience what they want to see and look at what others in your niche are doing. They say emulate the greats 😉
Where are there gaps? What information or value can you provide that's different from what's out there.
#4 Find your voice, aesthetic and stay true to yourself 😎
Authenticity > gimmicks. Be careful with overpackaging your brand and striving for perfection. Remember your audience is still made up of human beings who likely appreciate genuine interactions, make most of their decisions based on emotion and enjoy learning in a relatable way.
Ask yourself: would I follow my own social media account?
#5 Engage with your audience and industry 👋🏽
We mentioned social listening earlier, but that part means nothing if you don't engage with your audience and industry. Your reach and brand positioning can improve by interacting with your followers and related accounts that follow.
If you're looking for engagement, you also have to engage...this means comment, like, share and save content around your niche/offerings.
#6 Grow with consistent, quality content and repurpose the high performers...
But also be ready to adjust/pivot accordingly ☝🏽
Again, we're all for simplifying your social media marketing strategy. Once you get into a flow with steps #1-5, getting the hang of this step becomes easier.
Consistency, quality, variety (e.g. content formats like carousel, video, single photo/static post) and authenticity should be top of mind as you create content and grow your social media following/audience.
Recap
If you get stuck creating content or start second-guessing your content performance, remember to take a deep breath and go back through the steps. Your content is a medium to be seen as a thought leader, influencer, must-have brand so it may take time to find the right approach.
Marketing is all about experimentation. What works on Instagram may not work on TikTok or LinkedIn. You also want to think about where your audience "hangs out" online, where do they spend their time and know that one size does not fit all. So expect to adjust/pivot or create tailored content based on the platform and your audience. Don't be afraid to try something new or fail, think of them as lessons learned.
Going viral can't be your main or only motivation, instead focus on building a community where you are trusted for your expertise and/or entertainment. Tell a story that people want to read/know, so much they start telling your story for you to others.
If figuring out this kind of thing and managing it all is challenging for you or you just don't have the time, contact The Asé Group. Let us help take the stress away and create an custom social media marketing strategy that will increase your following and engagement.
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