Since the introduction of social media, the online community has been abuzz with activity. This excitement drew in small businesses and explains why SMEs include social media in their marketing activities. Statistics indicate that 57% of small businesses in the UK are using it and reaping the benefits. One vital thing, however, is that engagement is a powerful element on these platforms. Failure to utilise it can be detrimental to your business. The discussion below highlights some things that negatively affect your business’s social media engagement.
1. Low follower count
For a business, having a strong social media following is vital in how effective your engagement will be. These people in the online community appreciate your brand and product and are willing to be engaged. Consequently, believing in your brand and business product becomes the magnet that draws them to anything you have to communicate online. Admittedly, it is not an easy task to get followers for your business on social media. Therefore, when you have an appreciable number, it would be best to do all it takes to keep them loyal and interested in you.
Learning to build an online community takes time, professional help, and creativity. Sometimes, you may still gain some reach even with a low follower count. However, your content may not reach the same audience twice. Therefore, you should try your best to get people to follow your account every chance you get. The question is, who or what group of people do you want to engage online? This information will be useful when planning your content.
2. Poor consistency and long breaks in the frequency of posts
So, you have a huge following on all your business’s social media accounts; but how often do you post? Social media growth does not stop at building a huge following only. Consistency matters and, more importantly, is one of many driving tools for effective engagement. Consistency involves the frequency of your posts and interactions. Do you have a schedule that guides your posts and engagements? If you don’t have it, there is an increased chance of forgetting to get onto these digital platforms.
It is better to have a once-a-week schedule than none at all. At least, your target audience will know that you are consistent enough to engage them weekly. A long absence or non-engagement may result in the dwindling of your followers. Furthermore, others may perceive your business’s social media accounts as defunct when there is a long break in the frequency of your posts.
3. Poor responsiveness
Your responsiveness will be needed if you expect a two-way social media engagement. This involves giving answers to questions on your pages, responding to comments and commenting on others’ posts, liking, and doing everything it takes to reinforce the engagement you’re receiving. Some businesses are excellent at being responsive on social media, while others are not. However, this can set you apart from your direct competitors. Moreover, because the social media community is discerning, the audience will want to be associated with you more than others. Certainly, that is a win-win situation for business.