If you have watched your social media organic reach decline recently, you're not alone.
A lot has changed over the past few years in social media.
Case in point: The average reach of an organic post on Facebook is only 4.32%.
It means only 1 in 19 followers gets to see your organic content.
A Simon Kemp study also revealed that the organic reach of organic content on Facebook was only 6.4%.
Not only that, but Trust Insights also identified a sharp decline of 0.64% in Instagram user engagement in only 3 months.
Social media platforms are constantly changing their algorithm. So, you also need to learn to adapt. This means investing more time and money so you can keep your content fresh for your fans to be engaged.
But here’s a catch...
Social channels like Facebook are also keeping an eye out for low-quality content. If your content isn’t worthy, Facebook will reduce its distribution or will be disapproved altogether.
That's something you don't want to happen.
So, what is the solution?
One way is to increase your budget for advertising. Before you do that, don't underestimate the power of organic reach.
So, are there any specific tactics to boost organic social media reach?
Let’s find the answers in the following sections. But let’s begin with the basics first…
What Is Organic Reach?
Organic reach is the number of people you’re able to get your content across without paying for it.
That's right. It's free! You don't have to put a specific budget towards it. That means this excludes any paid promotions that you used before.
Every time a unique account sees your post in their Timeline, Facebook Story, or looks into your page, that's organic reach.
The number of monthly active advertisers on Facebook is in the millions. That means it is more important than ever for businesses to increase their organic reach.
(Source)
Besides that, organic reach is important for several other reasons. I am going to highlight a few of them down below.
Why Is Organic Reach Important?
1. It Boosts Validity
When people see your ad on social media, the next thing they want to do is visit your profile.
What do they gauge there?
The simple answer is your followers and engagement. Do your customers connect with your brand through testimonials and reviews?
Eighty-eight percent (88%) of customers trust online reviews before buying anything online. Some even ask for recommendations from friends and family.
And that’s only possible when your organic reach strategies are in place.
You can imagine how the absence of organic reach can affect your share of voice.
Organic reach also helps you truly connect with your ideal customers. Here’s how...
2. Organic Reach Helps You Connect With Your Audience
If you want to build brand awareness, paid advertisements can be your best friend.
But building a relationship with your customers is definitely more important. That’s only possible when you reach out using organic methods.
Let me elaborate...
Social media's organic reach enables brands and buyers to know more about each other. They can create and share content that they feel is relevant.
Paid ads act as one side of a story. In fact, paid ads only work when your customers already know about your brand or have heard of it from someone else.
Another obvious benefit of using organic social media reach is...
3. It Is Cost-Effective And Long-Term
Do I even have to explain that organic reach is cost-effective? It’s organic. It’s free.
The only area where you need to spend money is your content. That’s because organic social media strategies revolve around tailored content.
Also, reaching your ideal customers through organic reach can go a long way.
Paid ads are short-term. They will fetch results if your campaign is active.
If social media's organic reach is so important, why is it dying in the first place? Let’s find out...
Why Is Organic Reach Dying?
You must have seen many people talking about the death of organic reach. But ever wonder what caused it to happen in the first place?
I believe there are three reasons for this.
First, there is more content than ever on social media. More than 500K comments are posted on Facebook every minute. Brands have flooded user timelines with content.
Second, almost all big platforms keep on changing their algorithms for good.
Third, is the change in user behavior.
As the lockdown isn't as strict anymore, people are changing their interests and hobbies, as well as the fast-paced trends on social media.
Sure, the current situation is disappointing, especially for new ventures that don’t want to invest a lot in paid ad campaigns.
But the good news is...
You can still get tons of organic traffic through your social channels. How? Let’s explore!
Smart Tips To Increase Social Media Organic Reach 2024
1. Know Your Platform
Each social media platform is different. What works best for Facebook will not necessarily work great for Instagram and TikTok.
If your goal is to reach more people organically, your posts need to be optimized. This is only possible when you have a clear idea about content guidelines on each platform.
For example, you can create creative hashtags for TikTok and Instagram. But for your Facebook posts, you might need to work on your captions.
Learn the ins and outs so that you can get the most out of your social media organic strategy.
2. Create A Robust Content Strategy
Your social media organic reach strategy revolves around your content.
The first step is to know about your audience. What type of content drives their attention?
Most social channels allow sellers to track analytics. Keep track of that to know about the type of content your audience is engaging with.
Next, remember...
3. Automation Is Cool, But Don’t Overdo It!
Social media - the name says it all.
This is your chance to socialize with your ideal customers and build relationships.
Don't just schedule posts and blogs. Think out-of-the box-ideas to connect with your customers.
A little humor never hurts anyone. See how Nutella has nailed it with its funny post. You can also do the same.
Want more ideas? Look what Zappos is doing to promote diversity and equity. These types of live social events will make your brand look more authentic and reliable.
Make sure that you...
4. Maintain Consistency
You know the rule. Post often and always do it at the right time. Cross-check your analytics to see at what times most of your followers are online.
Create a content calendar and follow it religiously. Don't let your followers wait too long for your awesome posts.
I am in love with the Starbucks content calendar. The best thing about it is they give their customers a voice by asking them to post UGC.
Remember their #RedCupArt Campaign?
The customers had to buy their favorite brew. But instead of throwing the red cup into the bin, they draw on it, click, and post it on the official Starbucks Instagram channel.
The result?
Starbucks got a chance to generate tons of UGC daily. Customers, on the other hand, got a chance to win a year's worth of their favorite brew. It was a win-win. ✌️
5. Do Not Spam!
Buying likes, posting gibberish headlines, or bombarding users with updates will do more harm than good.
Almost all social platforms have a strict policy for spammers. Stick with the platform's code.
After all...it's all about sustaining your fan base.
6. Build A Fan Base You Can Sustain
While it is tempting to have a large fan base, sustaining it wouldn't be easy.
The larger your fan base is, the more you have to work on creating personalized content.
What would you prefer? A large unresponsive fan base or a small but engaged audience?
Well...of course, the latter! For the sake of enhanced engagement...
7. Looking For Engagement? Ask For It!
Starting a conversation is the best way to drive engagement.
Take the example of Shelcy and Christy here. The creator of the famous nycxclothes brand increased post engagement by asking a simple question.
They got over 120 responses on this post.
How awesome is that? If they can do it, you can do it too...
Here's a little tip on how you can do it...
Make sure that your posts spark a conversation.
One thing to start a conversation is finding your target audience and engaging with them.
It will also help you build a genuine connection with your potential and existing buyers.
Speaking of engagement, make sure that you...
8. Get Down In The Comments Section
We engage better with someone when we know the other party is interested in the conversation too.
Get down to your comments section and respond to comments. This is the best way you can stay in touch with your customers.
The sooner you reply to their messages, the better they will connect with your brand.
So...now that you know organic reach ain't as good as they used to be, then...
What Can You Do About It?
Social media organic reach is all about going back to the basics. Take time to read comments and respond to them. Create relevant and engaging content. Ask yourself:
- Does it educate, inspire, and entertain?
- How does my content add value to my customer (not my funnel)?
Remember, it's all about them, not you.
With increased organic reach, you are one step closer to your eCommerce goals! Ensure your Shopify store keeps getting better!
Now is the perfect time to...
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