So far, in our Marketing Therapy blog series, we’ve addressed why a company might need a little marketing therapy and what to do if you are having an identity crisis. Those two topics set the stage for us to pull up a chair and address some very common difficulties that companies experience in the world of marketing.
Nobody Likes Me
You spent an hour crafting the perfect professional-sounding post with the #mostcleverhashtags, promoting your amazing product. You read up on when you should post to get the most likes, so you wait until that moment to send your brilliance out into the digital universe, then…
Nothing. An hour later, your great aunt likes it and comments with enthusiasm and an animated sticker. The next day, you’ve gained a couple of likes from her friends. The day after that, your post has faded into oblivion with a reach of 12 and 3 likes.
How does that make you feel? Defeated, invisible, frustrated?
Are you really invisible?
Quick disclaimer: People really do like you. People also really do like your company. But being visibly liked online is different. Everyone has heard of the infamous Facebook algorithms that determine how our followers see us. There are a few things that you can do to make sure you are being seen as much as possible:
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- Post consistently. Regular posting is key, no matter the platform. Set a schedule and stick to it, whether it is daily, weekly, or every other week. Don’t expect one great post to work magic for your business.
- Present value. Yes, you should tell people why your company is great. But if that is all you have to offer, people will keep scrolling without a pause. This in turn informs the platforms that your content is not interesting, which lowers your chances of being put in front of people. Share advice, insights, and inspirations with your audience to keep them coming back for more.
- Show your smile. Pictures and videos of real people help with engagement. Celebrate your team, show your personalities, be yourselves.
- Know your audience. “When to post” articles are nice, but your audience may not follow that schedule. Know who your people are, what they like to see, and when they’re online. Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter all offer insights to help you determine the best time to post for your audience.
- Engage. Social media is not the same as placing an ad in the newspaper or a commercial on television. Social media is a two-way conversation. Just like in real life situations, a conversation involves listening. When followers comment, they need to know they’ve been heard with a follow-up comment or question, or at least a like. Messages need to be answered. Mentions and reviews need to be acknowledged. Mentioning others (with permission, of course) is also a great way to grow your reach.
- Ask and offer. You can ask people to share your content – but make sure your content is shareworthy. Just as in face-to-face interactions, you can’t beg for things (shares, likes, etc.) and then never offer anything in return – see above “present value.”
The Organic Wall
The simple thoughts above will help you to maximize your organic (unpaid) reach. However, almost every business will eventually hit an organic wall. This means the following will not increase further organically. There are many factors that determine when a company will reach that point – for one company it could be 50 followers and for another 50,000.
When your company hits this wall but is not satisfied with the number of followers or the amount of engagement, it is time to consider other marketing efforts, such as paid advertising. We’ll talk about this in a later blog, but for now, it’s a great time to start implementing the above steps and see what happens! You might just find that you are well-liked, after all.