The Top Reasons You are Unfollowed on Social Media /
When you started using social media as part of your business’ marketing strategy, you likely had numerous goals in mind for how it would assist your business, but also for how you would cultivate a strong following. Whether your goal was to convert sales or increase brand awareness, the one thing you didn’t want was to loose your followers, right?!
Depending on the platform(s) you use there are different ways for your followers to ‘unfollow’ you. The one thing they have in common however is the reasons for why they chose to do this. So if you are consistently loosing more followers than you’re gaining, or perhaps you’re not seeing the engagement rate you were hoping for, read on.
A 2019 study by GoodFirms showed that 4 out of 5 people have recently unfollowed a brand or person on social media. The study concludes that the focus are to be kept on brand-relevant content, consistency and user engagement if you wish yo retain your followers. But what is it that makes them unfollow you in the first place?
You Don’t Have the ‘Right’ Followers /
Knowing your target audience is of outermost importance when you use social media to market you business. To prevent your followers from leaving you, you need to understand what content keeps them with you. One way in which brands often acquire followers who aren’t in amongst their ideal customers are by running giveaways or competition, so it’s worth keeping this in mind next time you’re planning a competition and see a number of followers leave you when it’s completed.
Your Content isn’t Converting /
Individuals follow brands on social media for specific reasons. However, over time many brands tend to present the same information time and time again, or loose the creative edge they once had. This can cause ‘following fatigue’, where your followers simply have had enough of what you have to say.
“79.37% of people unfollow brands due to lost interest.”
'This ‘fatigue’ can also occur if you are sharing content too often, but also if you aren’t sharing anything at all. Consistency is key on social media!
Tip: Be proactive and plan your content in accordance with what your followers already interact with. If you regularly put out content that little to no followers engage with, your engagement rates will remain low and you will most likely start loosing your fans! Make sure that your content is creative and does not come across as repetitive or boring. Sending outdated messages is one sure way for your followers to loose interest in what you have to say, so focus on providing value.
Be Different - Stay Relevant /
Your followers follow you because you take a stand, teach them something and leave them with a message that resonates with them. Social media is about being social, and the best way to start engaging conversations is by talking about what makes you different. But by different, we don’t mean off-brand: 66.99% of people will unfollow a page when they spot irrelevant posts from a brand.
Real-time marketing, where you share and leverage your followers interest in current affairs, is a great way to build your profile. However, as a brand, it’s also the quickest way loose control over the brand relevancy of your content. Rather than focusing on every newsworthy topic in your industry or the latest social trend, focus on what makes you different and remind your followers of this.
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Communication is Key /
Digitalisation has led to expectations of instant gratification. So much so that 38% of consumers expect a reply to a message within less than an hour, and 83% expects a response with 24. Even if you can’t respond to every comment, make sure that you reply to messages in a timely manner.
Tip: Reply to messages the following day after sharing your latest content (unless the matter is urgent). Your followers are more likely to visit your profile when reading or responding to your latest comment, making sure they will see your latest post rather than only relying on the various platform algorithms.
Do you have questions about social media and digital marketing for your equestrian business? Why don’t you book a Discovery Call!
