Using social media for business is a smart decision, as on average, internet users spend about 142 minutes a day on social media. While Instagram has 500 million active users on a daily basis, Twitter and Facebook have 126 million and 1.2 billion respectively. Given the sheer volume of social media users, are you wondering why your business account doesn’t have the desired following?
Here are the 5 most common reasons why your followers aren't increasing.
Your first impression isn’t all that impressive
The key to gain social media followers, especially as a business, is a powerful first impression. A single glance is all that a visitor bases his/her decision on. So, make sure to pay special attention to the highlights of your social media account—handle name, profile picture, and bio. Focus on making them unique, real, and intriguing.
You don’t interact with your audience
Before using social media to promote a business, invest some time in getting to know your audience. What good is social media if you’re not social? The key is in the name. If you are not engaging with your followers, you are likely to lose them.
To start with, create the perfect social media posts that encourage followers to leave a comment and then ensure that you reply warmly. Show that you are open to conversation, as this will certainly create engagement. Also, comment on posts by other accounts. Do this with honesty and engage in a genuine interaction to express your business’ personality.
You are not being the real you
Authenticity is a virtue that your followers hold in high regard. In fact, it’s the reason why influencers have gained popularity today. They are genuine and real, and their social media accounts don’t seem like they’re robotic or simply interested in making a quick buck. Your followers are looking for a trustworthy account that they can connect with.
So, create a personality for your business account and ensure that you sound like a person, not an entity. A simple theme, an engaging tone of the conversation, and candid pictures are some authentic ways of representing yourself.
You are over-promoting yourself
Social media marketing for a small business must go beyond self-promotion and lead generation. Both you and your followers know that you are a business that wants to sell your products and offerings. However, they don’t want to be swamped by unending advertisements or promotional posts. Therefore, it is important to strike a balance.
Simply displaying your products and asking your followers to buy them will not work. Telling them about your product, and creating relevance is a far better approach.
Your account has been shadowbanned
Your activity can be made invisible to your followers and the community at large if you violate certain terms of the social media platform. For instance, Instagram shadowbans your account if you use bots to gain likes, comments and followers for your social media account or use certain hashtags. Though a shadowban is not a permanent ban, it does have the potential to make you invisible to thousands of people who may be interested in following you. The only solution is to inspect your posting habits and wait for the ban to be lifted.
Learning how to increase social media followers is not all that difficult and working on the above shortcomings will certainly help you get out of the trenches gradually. Remember, a continued effort is key to shining on social media. To get more insights and grow your business, get in touch with us!
