Over the past few years, we’ve seen the decline of organic reach on social media. Many platforms want more companies to invest in paid ads.
But that doesn’t mean that organic reach is not an effective strategy.
In fact, many brands utilize organic reach strategies to engage their followers.
Here are 10 essential tips to boost your organic reach on social media.
Learn the best practices
Content is universal, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all when it comes to posting on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or LinkedIn.
Each social media platform has its specific requirements or practices. So, never just create a single caption or image for all your profiles.
For organic content, especially, your posts need to be optimized. How can you optimize your content? You need to know the best practices of each platform and the audience you’re targeting.
Concentrate on social networks that make sense for your brand. While we always want to look nice or look good, we don’t see beauty influencers trending as much on LinkedIn. But we definitely feel their presence on YouTube and Instagram.
So, if you’re an export/import B2B company, doing challenges on TikTok may not be the best fit. Instead, try focusing your attention on more professional platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and even Facebook.
Know the right platform
Speaking of platforms that work best for your business, don’t assume that you have to have your presence felt on all networks.
Your demographic may not be using Pinterest, TikTok, or Snapchat. So, why waste your time thinking of and planning content for those platforms?
Here are some PRO tips to guide you.
Find your competitors
Look at your competitors’ social media. Where are they posting? Where are they getting the most engagement? If you don’t find them on Instagram, chances are you’ll have low ROI and engagement there too.
Figure out your audience
Get to know your audience. Do you have an email list? Send them a short survey they can complete quickly. Ask simple questions like “Do you use social media,” “Which platforms do you have,” and “Where are you most active.”
Look at your share counts
Check your data analytics if you have a blog. Because chances are, you’ll be able to see how where your articles are being shared at. Once you know where you’ll know what platform to focus on.
Always endorse your profiles
Think of this as a business card. CEOs, entrepreneurs, and other business-oriented people always have a stack of calling cards in their wallets or bags. You’ll never know when the opportunity arises, so always share your social profiles.
Add your social handles on your email signature, your website, your store’s windows, and, yes, your business cards.
Cross-promote your social media profiles. Tell your Instagram followers to subscribe to your YouTube channel or like your Facebook page.
Engage and connect always
Unlike paid ads, increasing your organic reach needs a lot of love, care, and attention to detail.
From replying to comments to responding to your DMs, you’re creating a brand reputation that can turn followers and passive browsers into happy shoppers.
Optimize your profiles
Yes, even social media profiles need to be optimized.
Here’s what you need to know when it comes to optimizing your profile. If you’ve worked on SEO for your website, these may sound familiar.
- A memorable username
- An identifiable image or logo
- A link to your website
- A Keyword-rich description that reads naturally
Host social media events
There are several options for virtual events. You can have a live chat on Instagram. There’s also creating content for IGTV that you can share with your followers.
If you’re trying to engage consumers on Instagram, you can host an Ask Me Anything in your story. Start a Twitter chat for your brand every Tuesday and use #TwitterChatTuesday.
Learn the algorithms
There are over a billion posts shared every day across all social networks. To help users see the most relevant or trending topics, platforms use social media algorithms. These are ranking signals to categorize which organic content appears in someone’s feed. Algorithms factor in relevance, timeliness, and the connection a profile has with the account.
Algorithms arrange posts that have a high probability of engagement. Posts that use high-quality content such as videos, images, and GIFs are the celebs of social media.
Always work smarter
We already know that social media is oversaturated by a lot of content on the daily.
According to Facebook for Business, the largest social media network only displays about 300 stories on one’s feed. Still, the average user is exposed to more than 1,500 stories per day.
Rather than working hard on creating more stuff to post, work smarter by focusing on high-quality and relevant content.
Quality trumps quantity. It sounds cliché and repetitive, but always a good reminder to prioritize high-quality content when it comes to increasing your brand’s organic reach.
So, stop spamming your followers’ feeds.
How many times should you post?
- Instagram – 1.5x/day
- Facebook – 2/day
- LinkedIn – 1/day
- Pinterest – 5/day
*Data from Buffer.
Be fast and responsive
For better organic reach, respond to the comments people are leaving on your posts. You’ll receive more engagement when your followers know that you’ll respond to their comments.
But it should be fast. Your reply should not take a week. There’s a reason you have notifications! Use it wisely. Respond within a few minutes, but no more than 24 hours. It’s a great way to show you’re approachable and always puts the consumers’ needs first.
We don’t have control over who can comment or what kind of messages they can leave. But you can take this as an opportunity to show what your brand stands for. When you see inappropriate comments, address them instantly.
Not convinced why you need to respond? According to Twitter research, consumers will spend 3-20% more with brands that respond to their tweets.
People attract people
Images with people in them on social media receive more likes and comments. Why? Because people attract people. We connect more to people than products.
Posting facts and figures may be great once in a while. They are beneficial, but seeing a human face is more effective when it comes to organic reach and engagement.
Researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology and Yahoo Labs looked at 1.1 million images on Instagram. They found that posts that include faces are 38% more likely to get likes and 32% more comments.
How are you increasing your organic reach on your social media accounts?
Are you having a hard time juggling updating your social media and running your business? Let us help you. From creating and planning a content calendar to managing your accounts and your online reputation, our expert team is the friends you can lean on.
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