The digital marketing world is full of highs and lows, much like a rollercoaster. For social media managers, observing metrics trending downward can be a daunting experience. If this is your current situation, take a deep breath and continue reading. This guide offers actionable steps and insights to diagnose and combat the downturn.

Stay Calm and Strategize

First things first—don’t panic! Social media is inherently volatile, with fluctuations being a natural part of the landscape. Temporary declines can result from a myriad of factors, such as algorithm changes, increased competition, or simply the ebb and flow of user engagement. However, when they are consistently down for three consecutive months, it’s time to rethink your strategy. Here are some tips to troubleshoot and mitigate decreases:

1. Dive into the Analytics

Before you can fix a problem, you need to understand it. This means closely examining metrics like engagement rates, follower growth, reach, impressions, and click-through rates. By analyzing these key data points, you can uncover insights into how your audience is interacting with your content. Are certain types of posts generating more likes, shares, or comments? Is your content reaching the right audience, or do you need to refine your targeting? Understanding these details helps you identify what’s working and what isn’t, allowing you to adjust your approach to maximize your social media impact and drive better results.

1. Time Frame: Identify any particular periods or events that might correlate with the decline. Was there a specific date or week when the metrics began to dip? Can this be linked to any specific event or change in content strategy?
2. Engagement Metrics: Understand which metrics have been impacted the most. Are likes, shares, or comments decreasing? Or is it the reach and impressions that are declining?
3. Content Analysis: Review the performance of your different content types. Are videos, images, or articles more affected than others? For instance, depending on the platform you’re using, certain features may be prioritized by the algorithm over others, such as video content being favored on LinkedIn or trending hashtags gaining more visibility on Twitter. Understanding these platform-specific nuances can help you tailor your posts for maximum reach and engagement.

2. Account for External Factors

Occasionally, external elements like the following are the culprits behind decreasing metrics.

1. Algorithmic Shifts: Social media platforms often tweak their algorithms, which can influence the visibility of your content. To stay ahead, we rely on sites like Social Media Today, which provide updates and insights on algorithm changes across various platforms.
2. Seasonal Trends: Depending on your business, certain times of the year may naturally affect engagement. For instance, B2B companies often experience a slowdown around holidays, while B2C companies may see a surge during these periods due to seasonal promotions and holiday sales.
3. Competitive Actions: Always keep an eye on your competitors. Their campaigns might be overshadowing yours.

You can stay ahead of these external factors by following influencers in the space on LinkedIn and other social platforms. One of our favorites is Annie-Mai Hodge, who posts weekly about social media trends. Subscribing to newsletters from social media companies also keeps you informed of the latest updates directly from the source.

By keeping tabs on these external factors and staying up to date with industry developments, you can make proactive adjustments to your content and ensure you’re staying competitive in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

3. Assess Your Content

Content is the heart of social media, so it makes sense that something about your content may be causing your metrics to shift. Here’s how you can realign if things go south:

1. Relevance: Ensure your content aligns with your audience’s evolving preferences. Is your content resonating with your audience’s current interests and concerns?
2. Quality Over Quantity: Maintain consistent quality in terms of format, frequency, and production values. Have there been any changes in production values, content format, or posting frequency?
3. Maintain Consistency: Avoid unpredictable posting schedules that can confuse your audience. Are you posting regularly, or has there been a dip in activity?

4. Engage Directly with Your Audience

One of the most powerful ways to ensure your content resonates with your audience is to engage with them directly. Direct communication fosters a sense of community and trust while providing invaluable feedback that can inform your content strategy. Here’s how to leverage this interaction for success:

1. Use Interactive Tools: Platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter offer a variety of features, such as polls, surveys, and question stickers, that make it easy to gather feedback. For instance, create a poll asking your audience which topics they find most useful or which content format (e.g., videos, blogs, infographics) they prefer. These tools not only encourage engagement but also offer quick and measurable feedback.
2. Open a Dialogue: Go beyond surface-level interactions and ask your audience direct, open-ended questions. For example, you could post, “What are your biggest challenges when it comes to [relevant industry topic]?” or “What type of content would you like to see more of from us?” These questions invite more thoughtful responses and give your audience the chance to share their pain points, preferences, and ideas.
3. Analyze the Feedback: Once you’ve collected feedback, analyze the responses to identify patterns and trends. Look for commonalities in what your audience enjoys or wants more of and adjust your content strategy accordingly. For instance, if a significant number of respondents express interest in how-to videos or case studies, consider ramping up production in those areas.
4. Create a Feedback Loop: Engaging your audience shouldn’t be a one-time event. Establish a regular cadence of interaction where you consistently ask for feedback and report back on how you’ve implemented it. For example, after conducting a survey and implementing changes based on the results, share an update: “Thanks to your feedback, we’ve started producing more video tutorials—keep an eye out for our latest!”
5. Cultivate Loyalty through Inclusion: By asking for feedback and showing your audience that their input is valued and acted upon, you’re cultivating a sense of ownership and loyalty. They’ll feel more invested in your brand because they can see their influence in the content you produce. This deeper connection can lead to higher engagement rates, more shares, and, ultimately, a more robust community around your brand.

In Conclusion

A downward trend in social metrics doesn’t spell doom for your brand. By embracing a comprehensive, data-backed approach, you can pinpoint areas that need enhancement, revive your strategy, and guide your brand back onto the growth path. In the ever-changing realm of social media, being adaptable isn’t just beneficial—it’s essential.

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How to Bounce Back When Social Media Metrics Dip is an original blog post first published on Go Fish Digital.

The marketing world looks vastly different than it did a decade ago with the rise of social media. Businesses now use social media to connect with customers, build brand awareness, and drive sales. Social media allows businesses to communicate directly with their target audience and create personalized experiences that build trust and loyalty. It also provides valuable data and insights, allowing businesses to track their performance, identify trends, and refine their strategies.

Related Content:

• Digital PR Services
• Content Creation Services
• Social Media Management Services
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Overall, social media has made it easier for businesses of all sizes to compete in the marketplace by leveling the playing field and providing new opportunities for growth and innovation. By harnessing the power of social media, businesses can enhance their visibility, reputation, and bottom line, making it a crucial part of any modern marketing strategy.

While businesses can benefit greatly from using social media, best practices for businesses can and should differ significantly from personal social media usage. In this blog post, we will discuss some of the most important social media best practices that businesses should follow.

1. Establish a clear social media strategy

Before you begin using social media for your business, it’s essential to establish a clear social media strategy. A well-defined social media strategy can help you create relevant and engaging content, build your brand, and drive more traffic to your website.

What is a social media strategy?

A social media strategy is a plan that outlines how a company intends to use social media to achieve its marketing goals. It involves the following: 

• Identifying the target audience
• Determining the most appropriate social media platforms
• Setting goals and objectives
• Creating and sharing content
• Measuring performance 

A social media strategy provides a roadmap for effectively engaging with followers, building brand awareness, driving website traffic, and ultimately increasing sales. By developing a social media strategy, businesses and individuals can ensure that their social media efforts align with their overall marketing objectives and that their investment of time and resources in social media is well spent. 

2. Be consistent

Consistency is key when it comes to social media. Consistency not only helps build brand recognition, but it ensures that your followers know when to expect new content from you. You should aim to post on a cadence that is outlined in your social media strategy. 

Keep in mind that while you want to be consistent, you have to find that balance between not  over-saturating your audience’s feed but still posting enough to form a connection with them. If you’re unsure about a post, a good rule of thumb is to ask yourself, “What value am I providing to my audience?”

How often you post will depend on what platform(s) you use. There are many suggestions out there for how often to post on each platform, but make sure to do what works for your business. If you are just starting out, 3–5 posts per week is a good starting point, and you can increase or decrease from there.   

Insider Advice:  Check in on your analytics every few months to see what content is performing best on what days and times, then adjust your posting strategy accordingly. This isn’t a one size fits all approach, and it will vary depending on many factors such as your target audience demographics, location, etc. 

3. Engage with your followers

Social media is all about engagement, and you should aim to interact with your followers as much as possible. Responding to comments and messages is a great way to show that you value your followers and their opinions. You can also use tools that social media platforms already have, such as LinkedIn polls, Instagram story quizzes, and other types of interactive content to encourage engagement. LinkedIn Lives and other live-streaming tools are another great way to interact with your audience. According to a LinkedIn Report, LinkedIn Live streams garner 24x  more comments and 7x more reactions than native video broadcasts.

4. Use visual content

It should be no surprise that visual content such as images, videos, and infographics are more engaging than plain text. Use high-quality visuals that align with your brand to grab the attention of your followers and showcase your products or services in action.

Although Instagram and TikTok are naturally more visual social media platforms, it’s important to not overlook other platforms such as Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.  According to a LinkedIn report, posts containing images or media receive a comment rate that is 98% higher, while Twitter claims that people are three times more likely to engage with posts that incorporate visual content.

Insider Advice:  Blogging can be an effective tool to engage your audience and increase traffic to your website. However, it’s important to include an image with each blog post to ensure it appears on your social media feed. It’s equally important to avoid using the same image repeatedly for each blog, as this can result in a lack of variety and make your feed appear stagnant. When you’re going to post about a blog, don’t use the cover image that pulls up with the link. Instead, you have the opportunity to find a really eye-catching image that gets people to stop and read your post. Diversifying your images can help keep your feed fresh and engaging for your audience.

5. Monitor your social media accounts

Monitoring your social media accounts is essential to ensure that you respond to comments and messages promptly. By regularly monitoring social media accounts, businesses can quickly respond to customer inquiries and complaints, prevent negative sentiment from spreading, and maintain a positive brand reputation. You can use social media management tools such as Sprout Social or Hootsuite to monitor your accounts and track engagement. 

Stay Ahead of the Game with Social Listening

Social listening refers to monitoring social media channels for mentions of a brand, product, or industry-related keywords. Businesses can track customer feedback, identify emerging trends, look at themes, and gain insights into their audience’s needs and preferences. By leveraging social listening, businesses can make informed decisions and adapt their strategies to better meet the needs of their customers.

6. Avoid controversial topics

Social media is a public platform; therefore, what you post can be seen by anyone. Avoid controversial topics that could offend your followers or potential customers. Stick to those related to your business or industry, and keep your messaging positive and upbeat.

7. Stay up-to-date on social media trends

Social media is constantly evolving, and it’s important to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and best practices. This can help you create more engaging content and stay ahead of your competitors. 

8. Choose the right social media platform

There are numerous social media platforms available, but which one is right for you? Each platform has its unique strengths and weaknesses, but make sure to choose the platforms that align with your business goals and target audience. For example, if you are a B2B company, LinkedIn might be more effective for your business than Instagram and Facebook. 

Insider Advice: Don’t think you need to be on every social platform that’s out there in order to be successful. Otherwise, you’ll end up wasting time and resources. Instead, start by choosing 2-3 platforms that you feel would work best for your business based on your target audience and go from there. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, social media can be a powerful tool for businesses if used correctly. By following these best practices, you can create a strong social media presence that engages your followers, builds your brand, and drives more traffic to your website.

Unlocking the Power of Social Media: Essential Best Practices for Your Business is an original blog post first published on Go Fish Digital.