In the ever-evolving realm of social media and the dynamic business landscape, maintaining your social media content strategy necessitates staying attuned to prevailing trends.
Falling behind on this front could equate to missed opportunities for revenue. This is far from ideal for your business.
Remaining current and fine-tuning your social media strategy is imperative. Nonetheless, unforeseen challenges can arise even with a well-structured social media content strategy. You certainly want to avoid such setbacks, as they may affect your business extensively.
Social Media Content Strategy Compelling Reason And Its Performance
- Social media accelerates your business growth.
- 37% of people in a survey stated that they used a service after seeing a social media post.
- 40% of consumers find a service through an organic post by a brand.
- 34% of consumers research services through social media.
- 71% of live stream viewers end up using a service on social media
Social media offers various advantages to your service business, and it's advantageous to optimize and maintain its relevance. Now, how can you identify if your social media content strategy is falling short?
Social Media Content Strategy:17 Telltale Signs Why Isn't Working Social
Source: Thrive Internet Marketing Agency
Here Are Some Unmistakable Indicators To Keep An Eye On Your Social Media Strategy.
1. Low Engagement
It can't get any more evident. When your social media engagement consistently dwindles, and you're barely getting any comments, shares, and likes, it's a clear signal that your audience isn't actively connecting with your content.
2. Declining Follower Numbers
Here's the deal: When you consistently share valuable content, people will naturally gravitate to your page. So, if you observe a continuous decline in your follower count, it could boil down to one of two reasons.
Either your followers no longer see the value in your content and are jumping ship, or you're failing to attract new ones.
3. High Bounce Rates
If visitors arriving from your social media channels swiftly depart your website without delving further, it may suggest a misalignment between your social media content and your website.
Elevated bounce rates are a reliable indicator that your social media content strategy isn't living up to its potential. They could also point to technical issues such as:
- Poor user interface
- Sub-optimal user experience
- Slow-loading web page.
You must tackle these issues to give yourself a chance of success.
4. Ignoring Analytics
Your analytics aren't just a collection of complex figures and charts lurking in the background. They serve as an interpretation of your social media efforts, shedding light on what you're doing right or where improvements are needed.
Source: Hootsuite
Think of it as a mirror reflecting your actions. Staying attuned to your analytics is instrumental in making informed, data-driven decisions that can enhance your social media strategy. Consequently, neglecting these insights is another telltale sign that your social media strategy is falling short, as you miss out on valuable data that could potentially revolutionize your business.
Furthermore, failing to monitor and analyze conversions, whether they involve sign-ups, purchases, or inquiries stemming from social media, can result in missed opportunities.
5. Poor Quality Content
If your content is riddled with typos, features blurry images, or includes lengthy blocks of text, it's a clear indicator that your content strategy isn't up to par. There are additional telltale signs of subpar content quality, such as:
- Misaligned content.
- Poor choice of keywords.
- Lack of business relevance.
When one or more of these elements are evident in your social media content, it's evident that your content strategy is facing challenges.
6. Inconsistent Posting
Source: Adobe
An essential component of your social media content strategy involves crafting a content calendar. This calendar serves as a written schedule outlining where and how frequently to post content. It's also a data-driven tool, as you establish it based on:
- your audience’s favorite platforms,
- their preferred content format, and
- what time they are likely to engage with your posts.
So, if your content posting is inconsistent, it's likely due to either not having a content calendar or struggling to maintain one. In both scenarios, it signifies a lapse in your content strategy.
Irregular or sporadic posting can hinder your audience's ability to engage and establish a connection with your brand. Consistency is a fundamental element of a successful strategy.
7. Lack of Employee Advocacy
Your team members can serve as valuable advocates for your brand on social media. If they aren't actively participating, you're missing out on a great opportunity.
According to an MSL group survey, employee-generated content garners 8 times more engagement than content from brands, and employee advocacy can potentially increase your reach by up to 561%.
Just like user-generated content, content created by employees connects with people. Therefore, if your team isn't actively sharing content related to your brand, it could be a sign that your content strategy needs some adjustments.
8. No Social Listening
Around 61% of brands currently incorporate some form of social listening into their strategies, with a striking 82% considering it a critical component of their strategy development. Social listening provides you with the ability to:
- Track your competitors
- Follow industry trends and news
- Find New Customers
- Understand customer sentiment about your brand
- Know the needs of your potential customers.
So, if you're not actively tuning into conversations about your brand or industry, you're missing out on valuable insights and chances for engagement.
9. Negative Feedback
If you consistently receive negative feedback, it may indicate that your service or customer support isn't meeting the expected standard. A sudden increase in negative comments or feedback, including complaints, unfollows, or unfavorable reviews, can be a clear sign of issues within your strategy.
In addition to content planning and creation, your content strategy should outline how you plan to engage with your audience and address conflicts, while also specifying the team member responsible for this.
Source: SocialPilot
So, if negative feedback persists, it might be time to take a step back and reassess your content strategy.
10. Stagnant Growth
The purpose of crafting a social media content strategy is to boost your growth. Therefore, if your follower count, reach, engagement, and other social media metrics aren't showing any signs of growth, it's an indication that you should examine and make adjustments to your strategy.
11. Falling Behind Competitor
If your competitors consistently outperform you, you could find yourself in a challenging position. There are several telltale signs that can indicate if you're falling behind your competitors, including:
- They outrank you in search results.
- They are active on more social platforms than you.
- You are not using data analytics to inform your content strategy.
- They are growing at a faster pace than you.
- Their brand gets mentioned more times than yours
These are just a handful of the more evident indicators. So, make a note of them, and if your competitors are consistently outperforming you on social media, it's a clear signal that you should reconsider your strategy and tactics.
12. Little or No Community Building
Your social media content strategy should aim to cultivate a thriving community, not merely amass followers. Community building elevates your brand's visibility and nurtures customer loyalty. Additionally, you gain valuable feedback and insights that can aid in enhancing your services.
According to a recent HubSpot study, 90% of people place trust in recommendations from friends and family, and another 71% are inclined to use a service based on referrals from social media.
You stand to gain from word-of-mouth marketing and referrals if you consistently provide outstanding services and nurture an active social media community.
Without a vibrant community, you risk missing out on these advantages. So, if you're not actively building relationships with your audience, your social media strategy might be falling short.
13. Incoherent Messaging
A brand voice plays a crucial role in establishing a consistent identity. Therefore, when you neglect to develop or adhere to one, you risk confusing your audience and diluting your brand's identity.
14. Slow Response to Messages or Comments
Around 79% of customers anticipate brands to address their posts within a 24-hour timeframe. However, even though brands usually manage to reply to 63% of complaints within 24 hours, only 32% of customers are content with the speed of the response.
On another note, businesses typically engage with comments and posts within 5 hours, yet a notable 39% of social media users prefer a response within just 1 hour.
So, these are the standards. Customers expect you to address their messages within 1 hour. If you're lagging behind these metrics, neglecting or providing inadequate responses to messages and comments from your audience, you run the risk of swiftly harming your brand's reputation and customer relationships.
15. Lack of Clear Goals
The effectiveness of your social media content strategy hinges on your objectives and how you allocate your resources to attain them.
Your goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound (SMART). If they don't meet these criteria, enhancing your strategy or monitoring your progress might seem like an insurmountable challenge.
Source: Sprinklr
16. Slow to Adapt to Changes
In the ever-changing landscape of social media, adjusting to the latest trends and algorithms can be the key to either thriving or floundering. Failing to embrace new trends, algorithms, and platform updates might make your strategy outdated.
17. High Ad Costs
Ideally, your paid ads should complement your organic social media strategy. However, if you're spending a lot on paid ads and seeing minimal return on investment, it could be due to incorrect targeting, subpar ad creatives, or keyword choices. Regardless of the issue, you should revisit your strategy to make the necessary improvements.
Social Media Content Strategy: Re-ignite Your Approach
Numerous indicators can assist you in assessing your social media performance. If you're facing challenges, early identification is crucial, and taking action promptly can safeguard your business.
If you're seeking the expertise of skilled professionals to review and reinvigorate your social media, don't hesitate to reach out and work with us. Our team of social media experts has a track record of delivering consistent results, and we're eager to do the same for you.