Not Seeing Social Media Growth? Here's Why
For a brand, there are few things more frustrating than pouring resources into something that gives you nothing back — zero, zilch, nada.
And yet, we see some incredibly successful brands dealing with subpar social strategy performance because they just don’t know how to reverse directions. Pair slow-growing social with an overcrowded market, paid ads, and the notorious algorithms affecting how your brand gets seen…
It’s enough to make even the biggest brands want to walk away.
Maybe you’ve been on social media for a while and saw some traction in years past, but now all you hear is crickets. Or maybe you’re new to creating a social media content strategy and can’t seem to find the footing needed to make a dent.
If you’re not seeing any social media growth in 2023, here are six reasons why it might be happening and what to do about it.
You’re relying on the algorithm too much
The algorithms are not here to benefit you or your business. Straight up, they’re designed solely to keep people on the platforms they’re using.
Generally, when we see figureheads like Mark or Adam talking about “this new feature” or “how to get the most out of this app,” they’re talking to content creators who spend most of their time on the app. They want all of us to spend more time on the app.
Algorithm “hacks” and most of these companies' “best practices” don’t work for businesses like yours.
Does it help to at least know and understand what’s going on with them? Sure. Should you base your entire strategy around “what the algorithm is doing”? No.
Focus instead on delivering content your audience wants to see, and that drives the results YOU want to see. (Let’s shelve prioritizing what the algo wants to see. These companies have enough money.)
Not sure how to create social content that serves your audience and your biz? We can help with that. Check out our next F* the Algorithm Workshop.
You’re pushing quantity, not quality
We’ve all heard it — there’s some magical number that’s supposed to boost us up higher into people’s feeds. No rhyme or reason, but “this” magical number of posts per day or week will get us more reach, simply by virtue of showing up.
Wouldn’t that be nice? * insert eye roll *
Let’s be honest, though: If you’re posting three times a day, it doesn’t guarantee that what you’re posting is even what your audience wants to hear from you. Sure, you might get likes or comments or “LOL that’s so me!” reactions.
But does that really drive your sales goals? Boost your authority in your space? Connect you with actual social users who could become paying customers?
There’s no point in expending resources for all that content if it’s not providing value or giving you a return on your investment.
Posting more isn’t going to get you anywhere. Posting with a strategy that connects target psychology to your brand sales funnel will. And yeah, you may have to show up more once that strategy is outlined and in place, but it will feel more sustainable and intentional.
You’ll also be able to measure results easier and with more clarity than posting to simplify check a box.
You’re not on the right platforms
Where your audience is showing up matters. Why post content on LinkedIn if the majority of your people are spending the majority of their time on Facebook?
It’s easy to get tunnel vision if you aren’t on the right platform. The numbers show low performance, yet if you went elsewhere (aka where the right people are showing up) the numbers might tell a different story.
Different platforms have different goals. Get to know your audience and figure out what they’d enjoy seeing and where. Then assess which platform(s) are really going to align with your goals.
Your storytelling is disjointed (or non-existent)
If you want better content, you need stories. The narrative is interesting and excites us, resonates with our own experiences, shows us what’s possible.
And you need stories to sell. So if your content isn’t performing well, reflect on what you’ve been putting out there.
Are you only posting sales content? Or are you using your content pillars to make connections?
In a world full of information overload, that’s the one thing that can help you stand out from other businesses offering the same things you do.
If you have been telling stories, it might be time to reevaluate the stories that perform well vs. those that get crickets.
Because as anyone knows from being at the same table with a grandpa or older uncle… some stories just aren’t that good (or worth repeating).
Your strategy isn’t aligned with reality or resources
There needs to be some alignment between your business strategy, your social media strategy, your goals, and your budget.
Alignment isn’t just “what feels good” — it’s based on real data and clear expectations. You don’t want to pour all of your resources (time, energy, people hours, etc.) into social media if you’ve done nothing but eat costs from past efforts.
You also don’t want to pour so many resources into social media that other efforts within your business suffer (I’ve seen this happen so often, and it can really compromise the brand’s capacity when that growth kicks in).
You also can’t expect social media to carry your entire business strategy. You know what they say about putting all your eggs in one basket.
There needs to be some alignment between your business strategy, your social media strategy, your goals, and your budget.
Alignment isn’t just “what feels good” — it’s based on real data and clear expectations. You don’t want to pour all of your resources (time, energy, people hours, etc.) into social media if you’ve done nothing but eat costs from past efforts.
You also don’t want to pour so many resources into social media that other efforts within your business suffer (I’ve seen this happen so often, and it can really compromise the brand’s capacity when that growth kicks in).
You also can’t expect social media to carry your entire business strategy. You know what they say about putting all your eggs in one basket.
You don’t have the right framework
In this age of paid ads and algorithms, growth is challenging, but it doesn’t need to be complicated. As far as I’m concerned, there are three ways to grow your brand faster:
- Work smarter, not harder with content strategy.
- Leverage an algorithm-proof growth roadmap.
- Delegate social media content creation and management for sustainability.
Want to grow your brand while not spending all your resources to make it happen? We’ll show you how at our next F* the Algorithm Workshop.
During this workshop, I’ll show you the first and only framework for social media marketing that transforms your content pillars from “categories” to brand stories clearly aligned with your most critical business goals!
Ready to learn the last content and social media framework your brand will ever need?
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