Social media has changed drastically over the last few years, leading businesses to depend heavily on social media and digital marketing as compared to previous years.
But, these social media sites (like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc…) aren’t playing around when it comes to how they show their content and to whom they show the content to on a daily basis. Constantly, social media sites are putting out new algorithms that change the way people view content on their newsfeeds. And some businesses are finding it extremely hard to keep up with the ever-changing ways!
What do you need to know for the future of your business and social media? The future of social media is to be SOCIAL. Many of the mediums are shifting away to giving businesses any focus on their sites and taking it back to a time when social media was meant to be SOCIAL.
For instance, Facebook has made it clear that they want people to spend less time on Facebook and more time hanging out with the connections they make there. But, if people do spend time on the site, they want their time to be positive and constructive!
So what can you expect to see in the changes of your newsfeed and how you view content on Facebook?
The main shift that you should need to know about is the change in preferences. On Facebook, you can set up your preferences to tell Facebook which people, content, etc… to show you more of while you’re on. And if you don’t choose the preferences, you will be subject to the algorithm that Facebook picks up for you. Preferences are changing the way your family, friends, conversations, and topics of interest show up to you on your newsfeed. Instead of seeing branded pages, links to videos, or viral content, you will see more of your friends and family that you have missed for the last few years.
Of course there is a huge question that is on everyone’s mind right now, and that is how will you get your business to actually stand out from all the noise that is not related to business? Well, you’re going to have to get ready to leverage that change and start having genuine, authentic conversations!
This may sound like a no-brainer, but many business owners who use social media find it hard to create authentic connections with people they’ve never met before and assume their marketing will bring in the clients on a steady basis.
They would be wrong, especially with the new changes laid out by social media giants.
But this doesn’t mean you have to go out and shut down all of your business accounts and stop marketing on social media altogether. Quite the contrary. This is the time to figure out how to leverage the changes to create more profit and connection in your business.
How can your business get rewarded and become seen on social media? It’s time to start being aware of the…
– amount of comments on a post – the more the better
– the length of the comments – the more the better
– thought-provoking content – the more the better
If you are already using social media to help your business stand out from the crowd, you need to “think like a fan”!
Here’s how you do that:
– create authentic and genuine conversations that will get engagement on your Facebook page
– encourage fans to engage with you by asking them to drop a comment and tell us what they think or ask a question
In a nutshell, the “new” social media is about engaging your audience.
In the past few years, the major players were organic vs paid reach and groups vs pages. But moving forward, it will be about facilitating more meaningful interaction between people! Social media wants to be used for its intended purpose – to be social.
As my friend Bryan Kramer says, “It’s about ‘Human 2 Human’,”. Social media wants to connect humans far and wide, not just serve as a business platform.
My key piece of advice here? Don’t spend your time going after spectators on your social media sites. Instead, focus on building an audience that engages and supports you through your journey.
Let’s talk for a minute about what a spectator really is? You’ve heard the term before especially in relation to a sporting event, but think of it like a quick drive-by…
Spectators watch a few seconds of your video from the sidelines, scroll a bit on your page but never stop to engage, and seldom come back to look at anything else. These spectators are not valuable unless they actually interact with you;
Spectators “like” a page, but they don’t actually engage. This means they are not valuable to your business until they interact. And if people are not interacting, you will not be seen. Remember, the new social media is about “engaging audiences”.
So how do you fix this before your social media sites become null and void? It’s time to set a new goal for your business and social media.
Your New Goal: Move spectators into action, inspire them, motivate them, and encourage them to interact with you and your community.
How are you going to do this you ask? I’m so glad you asked!
Businesses and social media managers now need to create content that builds rapport and relationships. If you don’t have a social media manager, you need to create content that shows why someone should do business with you, content that shows they can trust, content that resonates with them and inspires them to share with their audiences/friends, and content that starts authentic conversations.
It’s time to scrap the organic reach and viral videos and start understanding the power of conversation.
Your fans need to become advocates who become evangelists of your brand that builds conversations with others.
Go out and really find out what your fans love, why they love that, and how you can make an impact on them and their community with your talents and conversations!
Listen, it’s not about 5k followers browsing your site anymore. It’s now all about 500 people engaging.
It’s time to stop broadcasting your promos and products and start inspiring conversations. What you want them to do is find you intriguing enough to venture to your website and take action from there!
Having repeat viewership of your content is so much more important than your total number of views because it means you are building a Facebook community! Brands who invest in community and build trust will be on TOP! These people in your community are the people you will want in your funnels, getting your value and buying your products!
The big picture here? Understand where your community is going tomorrow but focus on where your brand is today – think like a fan! Imagine how you feel when you watch your favorite football team, hear your favorite band, and watch your favorite actor.
It’s time for you to book a discovery call to learn how you can redefine your 2018 business strategy and build your community online so you can keep on top of the new rules that are popping up daily on all of the social media sites!