Slightly Unhinged Social Media Advice You Won’t Hear Anywhere Else

Delete low-performing content

All social media managers know how it goes – you spend hours crafting an amazing piece of content, take a deep breath, hit post... and it completely flops.

 

I promise you, it’s okay to delete and post it again later. This won't work with all content – you can’t try a “Happy Thanksgiving” post another day – but the issue just may be timing, not your content.

What should you do?

• Avoid snap judgements – give the content at least a few hours to circulate through the algorithm.
• Make sure your strategy aligns with optimal social media posting times.
• Consider the trends and headlines dominating social media right now. If everyone is posting about the same thing, your post may be getting lost in the noise.
• Trust your gut. You know your audience and what they like. Sometimes a post just isn’t as great as we thought it was – but sometimes it just needs another chance to shine.

Be your own biggest fan

It might feel a little cringe, but you can and should be liking and commenting on your own posts.  Comments carry up to 10x the weight of likes in social media platform algorithms, and chances are you have a personal account you can use to give your posts a boost.

Make sure your comments are relevant - it's not an exact science, but comments with multiple words (not just emojis!) are more likely to give your post an algorithm boost. You can then respond to these comments, boosting engagement further.

It doesn’t have to be fully personal, either. Encourage (or gently beg) friends, family members, and coworkers to engage as well. It might be awkward, but it pays off to get your content seen by more of your target audience.

Never buy followers... but renting can be okay

We all know by now that buying followers is a no-no. It’s a quick fix, but it’s not real engagement, your account could get shut down, and genuine followers are unlikely to trust you.

What I call “rented” followers are those you gain through short-term initiatives. The most common method of gaining “rented” followers is hosting giveaways, but they also may follow you at events or to gain discount codes or early access to a product.

These aren’t as high-quality as those who follow you without an incentive, but it’s like a funnel – many will follow, most will build engagement, and a few will remain followers.

You can turn “rented” followers into real, engaged followers by posting exceptional content during the giveaway and right after it ends. Make sure to engage with your new followers directly in comments and stories – if they know you care about their presence on your account, they’ll be less likely to unfollow.

Want more social media advice that’s off the beaten path? Follow Melissa on Marketing, follow me on X, and connect with me on LinkedIn.