Hacks sound great. They promise quick growth for your account, and who wouldn’t want that? The problem is that this quick growth is often followed by a prolonged slump. That’s because hacks are focused on the short-term.
If you want to make money from your social media marketing efforts and create sustainable growth that lasts long-term, hacks won’t cut it.
Our advice? Avoid the three common social media hacks and see what you should be doing instead.
HACK 1: RELYING ON GIVEAWAYS
Giveaways aren’t the magic pill that many breweries want them to be. While they can be effective if done properly, they can be a waste of effort if they aren’t. That’s because the attention that you get from a giveaway is wasted if you aren’t creating posts before and after the giveaway that are designed to keep your audience engaged and convert them into customers.
Remember, you can get people to your page with a giveaway, but if you don’t have a strategy that keeps them interested in the rest of your content, they’re going to unfollow or unlike your page as soon as the giveaway is over.
What to do instead:
Be mindful about all of your content, and use giveaways as a piece of your strategy – not the only thing that you rely on for growth. If you’re going to host a giveaway, make sure you get the most out of the increased eyes on your profile. That means consistently putting out content that is designed to convert your increased reach into customers.
HACK 2: SPEED LIKING
Engagement leads to more engagement. So you should run through all of the posts in your feed and like them as fast as possible, right? Wrong. Facebook and Instagram’s algorithms are smart. They are designed to detect spammy behavior and punish it. And yes, speed liking is considered spammy.
What to do instead:
When it comes to your profile, meaningful engagement can lead to sales. But if you want people to engage with your posts in a meaningful way, your engagement has to be meaningful, too. If you like a post, do it because it resonates with your brand. If you write a comment, put some thought into it. We suggest time-blocking at least 15 minutes a day specifically for engagement.
HACK 3: CHASING FOLLOWERS
Be honest. Have you ever spent time following a bunch of people and hoping that they follow you back? Maybe you even liked a couple of their photos so that they feel flattered first. If you have, you probably noticed that it can be exhausting, and it often doesn’t work. What’s worse? It can make you look spammy and desperate for followers.
What to do instead:
Instead of spending your time and energy chasing after followers, think of ways that you can attract them. That includes developing a hashtag strategy that expands your reach, using @mentions strategically, and creating shareable content.
CREATE SUSTAINABLE GROWTH
If your tactics are focused on the short-term, then your growth will be fleeting. But if you build up your social media accounts using long-term strategies, then you’ll see sustainable growth. We know that this can be easier said than done. If you need some insight to get started, contact us.