With organic reach in most social media platforms on the dip, it is possible for a business to think that the more numbers of fans they have, the better their business is doing. While this may look true if taken at face value, it is necessary to dig deeper to see the real state of a business with such followers.
You may have many fans, following or liking your posts, but do not take action, such as sharing, contributing to the discussion or so. They are just there, and may never buy from you as well. In this case, you may want to ask, am I really targeting the right group of audience?
What do experts think about the subject of quality versus quantity when it comes to social media following?
To quote Max Kleeman, the Social media manager at EuroVPS, “Quality trumps all.” He goes further to explain a scenario where a business with over 30,000 followers struggle to raise $500 for their GoFundMe campaign. Yet, a seemingly, small enterprise with only 2000 or 3000 followers can fundraise about $25,000.
There’s got to be more than just numbers.
The debate about quality vs. quantity can also be illustrated vividly by a study done by Rice University on a bakery in Houston. Dessert Gallery is a family-owned bakery with about 3,000 loyal Facebook followers.
These may not sound meaningful at first. However, during the study, Rice University gathered the following:
- 36% visitors to this bakery are from the Facebook followers
- These Facebook followers spent 45% of their meals budget at the bakery
- 33% of them spent more at Dessert gallery than in related bakeries or restaurants
- They found out that these Facebook followers had a deeper emotional connection to the brand
- As you can see, the Facebook followers of this company are not so many. However, judging by the statistics above, the business has relevant followers.
This is because the owner utilizes her Facebook page for the following activities:
- To attend to client issues
- Send word out about promotions
- Assess Facebook marketing efforts-measuring metrics
- Receive feedback from followers on any new product idea
So, do you think the business is desperate for a vast social media fan base? It is not hard to deduce that this business only needs to concentrate on earning its followers’ loyalty. Few and loyal clients are better than having a large audience with little inclination to your business.
What should you go for – quality or quantity of Social media audience?
It’s not about numbers anymore
Today, it’s not enough to assess your success with social media marketing using the numbers only. There are many businesses with numerous followers online. But their performance is still wanting. Why? This is because the number of followers on your chosen platform doesn’t really matter, as much as, the KIND. For your business to feel the full effect of social media, you need to have relevant audience.
In any case, businesses are competing to have their messages secure a slot, in the few posts social media platforms like Facebook, can afford to feed to users’ Newsfeeds, at any given time. This is because of the decline in social media organic reach. This means, only a few posts are reaching target audience a day. Even with the right content, you have to play smarter to get your desired outcome with social media marketing.
In such a situation, you cannot do with casual followers only. You need to have real fans. Your business is at their heart. Such an audience will not just read your content, but will take action as well. Do you want more likes, shares, and purchases? Concentrate on gaining quality followers, not quantity.
How to Improve Quality of Your Social Media Audience
Stop focusing on the numbers
Keeping fixated on numbers is like relying on “vanity metrics.” These do not give the real picture. To get a clear picture of the performance of your marketing effort in social media, forget about advertising value equivalent and the extent of your social media fan base, for once.
Stop using metrics that measure such. Instead, seek to focus on measuring awareness and action. Use metrics that measure sales leads, links clicks, as well as, organic and paid reach.
In this case, you should consider the kind of content likely to drive traffic to your page. This should be a high quality, relevant, and engaging content. It should also draw attention of viewers and stir them into action. Compare if your brand is more visible since you began using social media. Such metrics will also measure your business engagement level with the community.
Engagement is the key
Perhaps, its time you reviewed your business social media pages. You want to find out whether your audience is truly engaged with you. Are they actively liking, commenting, re-tweeting or sharing your posts? Of importance is to have active followers. You can improve by choosing your target audience wisely. Actually, having your fans engaged can rank you better in some platforms like Facebook.
It might help to conduct a survey to get a clear idea of the kind of audience you are reaching with your posts. There are different tools you can use for this. Once you know the kind of audience you command, you can easily come up with content that suits them perfectly. Use Social media targeting tools, if need be, to gain the right audience for each content you publish.
If you have active followers, keep in mind that you need to keep them engaged. Do not post on social media and forget about it. You should make a point to check the comments and respond to them.
Comment often to keep the discussion going. Your followers took time to comment, return the favor as well. They are your number one promoters, recognize their action as well. You may also consider having paid ads on social media platforms. This will pave the way for your business to reach more clients or followers.
