Organic social media used to be a fairly simple way to keep up with your audience and your fans and is now ruled by a merciless algorithm. While some businesses have embraced social media and utilized it to its full marketing potential, some still refuse to “get on that dancing app” or post regular content on platforms like Instagram as if it is below them.
Today, social media is a crucial cog in the marketing machine — and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Having both a paid and organic social media strategy in place will help you expand your business’s online presence and attract a new audience in the digital world.
Although social media has become a pay-to-play game over the last few years, there is still value in utilizing organic social media strategies across various platforms. Organic social media simply refers to posts made without any paid promotion — just upload the post and let the algorithm do its thing. That said, you can’t just throw up a screenshot from your latest newsletter or a graphic announcing a new sale and call it a day. It can be frustratingly easy to get a little lost in the algorithmic sauce.
If you are unsure of where to begin, or you’re looking to upgrade your current social strategy, here are some helpful tips for incorporating organic content into your feeds.
Why is posting organically on social media essential to your strategy?
Let’s be real: we may all be used to it, but nobody wants to be bombarded with ads every time they go online. Most people use platforms like Instagram or Facebook for social connection, entertainment, and information. Utilizing organic social effectively gives your brand the opportunity to become a consistent presence in their social media routine. Done properly, organic content can delight and inform your followers without feeling pushy or sales-obsessed.
There’s just one problem: social media platforms exist to make money. Shocker, right? Publicly traded companies having revenue goals may not be surprising, but many businesses new to social media are surprised to see that their organic posts are often only seen by a small percentage of their followers. For instance, a brand with 5,000 followers might only expect about 500 of those fans to actually see an average organic post — and that might be on a good day. There are two main reasons for low organic reach:
- The social media platforms sell exposure — they would rather you buy ad space than get it for free.
- Social media platforms want users to stay in-app and on-site. If your content isn’t engaging the people who see it, the algorithm sees no reason to aid its distribution.
What does this mean for you? If you want to pursue an organic strategy, you need to put out content that puts your audience first. What do they want to see? What do they care about? How can you influence them with your regular content?
The answer to those questions is almost never corporate impact statements or lists of key selling points. Not everything in your arsenal is great for social media (including that TV commercial you shot in 2012), but that doesn’t mean it can’t be somehow repurposed.
While some amount of trial and error is inherent to building a social media presence, you still need a strategy to ensure that your audience is engaged and your brand remains well-represented.
Work with the algorithm, not against it
Today, it can feel like social media management is a battle against each platform’s specific algorithms and what they deem as quality content. Each platform’s algorithm defines how organic content is distributed — who sees your posts and when. While each platform’s algorithm works to keep people glued to their screens, they also have their own unique quirks. Taking note of what each platform prefers and using it in your content strategy will give your posts a better chance of being successful.
Let’s look at Instagram as an example. Where video content was favored the most by Instagram’s algorithm from the years 2020 to 2022 to combat TikTok’s massive growth and success, the 2023 algorithm changed to favor both video and photo equally, especially single images. As an app originally created for photo sharing, this shift back to its old roots went favorably with users considering that posting photos is a much easier feat than posting edited Reels regularly. Today, a successful strategy for Instagram would include single images, carousel, and video content to diversify your feed and get the most reach.
Here are some tips to help make the algorithm work in your favor.
Customize your content for each platform
It’s best practice to not have a one-size-fits-all mindset for posting on social media. What performs well on Facebook may flop on Instagram. Where you can spread your content across multiple channels, it’s important to reflect on how each piece can be optimized to thrive on that particular platform.
For example, if you want your users to visit your website, LinkedIn is a great platform to add links in your post copy for easy accessibility — however, this would not work well on Instagram as links are not clickable in-feed, and “click the link in our bio” requires multiple steps for the user.
Take a look at what your audience reacts to on each platform: does your Facebook audience comment more on your brand-centered content? Does your Instagram audience love sharing your educational videos? Once you gather an idea of what performs well on each platform, you can plan to create more tailored content for that specific audience.
Encourage engagement
Algorithms across all platforms have one thing in common: they prefer posts that are engaged with by their target audience. Likes alone just don’t cut it anymore — engagements like comments and shares show the algorithm that your content is valuable and therefore should be pushed out to be seen by more people. The metrics you’ll pay attention to include clicks, likes, post saves, shares, profile visits, comments, and mentions. So, how do you get people to engage with your posts?
You can strategically earn engagement by:
- Asking a question for your followers to answer in the post’s comment section
- Having your followers vote using the poll feature on Stories
- Asking your followers to share your post with a friend or tag them in the comments
Creating content that prompts responses from your audience is a great way to keep your followers engaged and involved with your account.
Pro Tip: Think about how an engagement can add value to your followers. Will clicking read more get them the answer to a question? Will voting in a poll let them see how others feel about a topic they’re passionate about? Look for ways to reward your followers for interacting with your content.
Create valuable videos
It’s one thing to tell a potential customer that your brand or product is great, but showing them can drive even greater results. For example, if you sell mattresses, posting a photo of your mattress with the caption, “This is the most comfortable mattress in town!” may not fully resonate with your average social media user. They can’t really visualize themselves lying on it, so how will they know it’s comfortable? But posting a video of someone physically lying on the mattress saying, “This mattress is so comfortable because it forms to my body perfectly,” will have a better chance of resonating with your target audience because they can see and connect with the person on the other side of the screen enjoying your product.
Video allows you as a company to create an emotional connection with your audience. Videos can convey emotions and feelings in a more valuable way than images can. You can sense a person’s tone, their personality, and how they really feel about a brand or product. This is why influencer video marketing has become so popular in the past few years!
Brands that lean into short video content tend to see higher engagement rates and reach! Videos tend to be more eye-catching on feeds than static images, inspiring curiosity from the everyday scroller. Having a video content strategy in your organic social rotation can not only help you engage with your current followers but reach a whole new audience who may not be aware of your brand yet.
Be sure to keep your videos educational and entertaining. You want to showcase your message in under a minute if possible to retain a longer watch time. Showcase your product, your brand, and your people for a well-rounded content portfolio. Using trending audio or music can also help your videos gain more visibility.
See how Texas Mattress Makers uses video to inform their audience in a fun and engaging way.
Make content that is fun to consume
For many people, social media is used for entertainment purposes first and information second. That means that no matter what content you post, it should appeal to your followers’ interests and expectations. Users are looking to follow brands that they can relate to, meaning that if your content lacks authenticity, your content won’t resonate. In other words, it’s time to get personal.
Show off your people
Now more than ever, people are looking to follow other people on social media. Human connection is still heavily sought after online which gives brands a great opportunity to show that they are more than just a company selling products or services. Putting a face behind your brand, either through a representative or showing off your employees regularly, gives your audience a chance to connect with real people. It’s easier for audiences to form trust with Emily, an expert at your business, than with Banjo, your company mascot.
Posting content with Emily as your spokesperson will help audiences retain information about your brand. Seeing Emily on their feeds will instantly connect them with your business — and if they like what Emily has to say, they may become loyal customers and followers.
Let your brand personality shine
Your content strategy should reflect your brand’s unique voice and tone as if it’s a real person posting. The last thing you want is to sound like a robot wrote your content. With every piece of content you create to share, let your brand’s unique personality take center stage.
Are you helpful? Witty? Humble? Sarcastic? Inspirational?
Your brand’s personality allows your followers to distinguish you from other brands online. There may be hundreds of other businesses that do what you do, but there is only one you. Utilize that uniqueness in your content to push the messages you want your audience to see.
Authenticity is key
Your followers can smell a stiff sales pitch from a mile away. Although you want to put your best foot forward on your feeds, you also want to connect with your audience and that is done best by being as real as possible. Humanizing your brand allows your followers to feel closer to your brand and really absorb what you’re trying to convey to them.
Here are some easy ways to create authentic content on social media:
- Post behind-the-scenes content from your business
- Post videos and photos of your employees for face recognition and human connection
- Sharing real testimonials from real customers will build trust with your audience
Don’t worry about being perfect. Focus on sharing your message in a way that will resonate with your audience to garner trust and respect from your fans. If you want your audience to care about what you have to say, post content that revolves around what your brand cares about.
Take the relatable route
Consumers want to interact with brands that understand them, their experiences, and their needs. Content that is relevant to your audience is a surefire way to boost your engagement rates, especially shares. Spotlighting holidays, pop-culture moments, or local events can help improve your content’s visibility and make it more “share-worthy.”
Crafting a post about hating Mondays may seem like low-hanging fruit, but you’d be surprised how successful content surrounding a shared experience can be on your feeds!
Baal & Spots can help you develop an organic social media strategy
Organic social media gives your audience the opportunity to see your brand’s personality and establish a relationship with your brand. With the right strategies in place, you can create high-quality, valuable content that is engaging and authentic. Remember, success in organic growth takes time and persistence, so stay committed to your goals and be ready to adapt to changes in the digital landscape.
While organic social media is great for building communities, reinforcing your brand’s value, and more, a paid ad strategy can complement your organic efforts by driving results. If you’re searching for a partner to help you create and optimize content on social media, look no further than Baal & Spots. We offer some of the best content marketing services Houston has to offer by providing creative strategies implemented with intention and personalized to your needs.
Ready to jumpstart your social strategy? Let’s talk!
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