It happens to the best of us: you spend twenty minutes editing your photo, think of a stellar caption, and finally post it to your timeline. It took you forever to get the lighting and angle right but once you did you just knew that it was going to make an absolutely amazing post for your company profile. You sit by, anxiously checking and re-checking your feed, watching with glee as the likes and comments slowly roll in. 

After your thirtieth refresh in two hours, you know your hot post has fizzled out. How could this happen? You remember getting tons and tons of comments from customers and strangers alike that usually lead to a spike in sales and an uptick in positivity for your brand and business.  But why have things suddenly gone quiet?

 The hard truth is, social media houses millions of people and you’re just another drop in the ocean. The same content day after day might be a hit at first but it gets stale after a while. You might retain loyal customers but you want your business to be continually growing and reaching new individuals. So, the question then becomes, how do you keep your content fresh for new and loyal customers alike?

Pay Attention to What Time You’re Posting

Are you posting the same time everyday or are you simply posting whenever content presents itself?  Sources show that the best time to post varies by platform. For instance, Instagram suggests morning and evening hours to be the best time (think before and after working hours), while Facebook recommends afternoon hours during the workday. If you’re looking to tweet about your business, try and do it around lunch hours. 

 There are numerous studies that examine the exact times and days of the week that statistically garner the most attention and interaction. You owe it to yourself and your brand to decide which platform and posting times work for you and post accordingly.  A routine posting schedule that adheres to peak times might just be what your social media is lacking.

Interact With Your Audience

Too often, businesses and companies get too caught up in the simple act of posting that they forget to follow-up with meaningful interactions with their customers. This can be challenging for businesses with a large number of clients, but the time it takes to reply to a customer or involve them in some way is bountiful in benefits. Not only does it show that you care about your customers, but it keeps people engaged and maintains an open door for communication.

There are several ways to embrace your customers and show them how you value their business.

One thing to think about is holding a contest or a giveaway.  As Brent Barnhart suggests, “People cannot resist the power of ‘free’”.

Think about the way you interact with other companies’ social media.  If you see the word ‘free’ on their page, chances are you’re going to pause and read what they have to say.  Few things in life come free and so when they do you can be sure there will be eyes on you and your company.

The announcement of a contest or giveaway can easily become a way to keep customers returning to your business. It’s important that whatever you giveaway, you implore customers to engage in some way. Be it retweeting, commenting on an Instagram post, or liking a Facebook announcement, this ensures that people are seeing your brand and lending their interest.  

A word of caution: don’t rely on this to maintain your business’ social media presence!  Be careful not to do this too often as it can simply bring people in for the wrong reasons.  The goal here is to get your product or service in front of potential (and loyal) customers so that you can keep your social media fun and exciting while still involving your followers.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Questions

This goes hand-in-hand with staying engaged with your audience. Social media provides a direct link to customers. Don’t be afraid to reach out to them!  Ask questions about their satisfaction with your goods and services, let them know that you’re accepting feedback and ask them what they’d like to see from you. Instead of sitting around and guessing what your social media is lacking,  why not reach out and get the answer straight from the source? 

Instagram is a great example of how to engage with your audience in this manner. Using their popular ‘stories’ feature, you can pose almost any question to your audience.  Brian Edmondson outlines a variety of ways in which you can utilize this feature in order to gain feedback and information from your customers and followers.

One of the best things about Instagram Stories is the rate at which you’re able to get information. Asking questions to your followers provides a quick and simple way in which you can hear directly from customers. 

You can also source customer experiences this way. Posting a question is a call to action and you should capitalize on this opportunity to allow customers to perhaps share an experience they’ve had with your business. Compile these reviews and replies into one post that highlights the important role your clients play and use this as an opportunity to reaffirm how valuable they are to you and your business.  

Shake-up Your Posts

Take a moment to look over your social media. Do you post nothing but photos? Maybe your account is full of text posts that lack any color or engagement.  A variety of content is key to keeping your social media relevant and appealing. The good thing about this tip is that there are a variety of different content ideas to consider for your business.  Depending on your business type, you have the freedom to play with your posts a little.

Throw out a fun video of your employees at work or a behind-the-scenes clip of your business in action. Perhaps you should consider posting some fun quotes or memes to engage your audience with humor.  Whatever you choose, make sure you’re comfortable with it and that it still fits with your brand. For instance, if your social media is typically driven by corporate standards, be wary of posting things that could contradict the image you’re striving to uphold. 

With that in mind, don’t be apprehensive about trying new types of posts. Keeping your content fresh means not reusing the same format time and time again. One thing to remember, though, is to be aware of the goal of your post.  Don’t post something simply to surprise your audience.

If you choose to post a quote, for example, try and think about how it resonates with your company’s values. Will it register with your customers and followers?  Does it reinforce what you stand for as a business? These are questions to keep in the back of your mind when choosing your post.

Conclusion

Maintaining an effective social media presence for your business isn’t easy but it’s worth it. Over 1 billion people use Facebook each day while around 500 million use Instagram.  Those are incredible numbers. Your business is dependent on customers and their decision to remain loyal to your brand.

Social media provides a seemingly endless amount of ways in which you can establish and grow your business while engaging with potential customers and followers. It is vital to keep your content fresh and relevant in order to keep your customers happy and to invite new individuals to view your goods and services. 

The tips above are designed to be a general outline in order to reexamine your social feeds and engage your audience. Stop fretting over getting that perfect photo and start lending your attention to crafting new and exciting posts that will bring people in. Social media isn’t the be-all end-all of your business but it is absolutely a beneficial tool for you to utilize in order to continuously access the health of your customer satisfaction. For that reason alone, don’t neglect your accounts and leave them to gather dust in the corner of the internet.

Be an active presence and keep coming up with new ways to spice up your posts and content. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and remember to include your customers. Before you know it, you’ll be back to your social media superstar ways.