Algorithm changes are a scary thing. Like seriously. I’ve been the victim of one myself (going from 3 million hits a month to 700K in mere weeks!) But here’s the thing: There’s a simple way to never worry about them again.
No seriously, stop wringing your hands and crying every time you hear there’s new algorithm changes.
Regardless of any algorithm changes, if you engage with your people, algorithms don’t matter – the point of social media is to be social! When you are socializing and talking to your people, they are going to love you. This is a reciprocal relationship, so love on your people like crazy, and they will love you back.
Let’s take a quick look at why algorithm changes happen: Social media outlets are kind of tricky to figure out, but with a little work almost anyone can do it. And that includes shady spammers who have zero care about the audience and just want to make the money. So they end up figuring out how to manipulate the system. But social media is supposed to be SOCIAL – not just spammed to make a quick buck. So platforms are constantly working on algorithm changes so that spammers don’t stay in business forever. Businesses like Facebook and Instagram have their users in mind first – so as long as you follow these tips, you’ll create social media profiles that last.
Everyone wants human connection – your job is to engage and interact with them
Dropping a link and running isn’t going to cut it! You need to like and reply to their comments, make them feel like they have a connection to you. Your #1 job as an influencer is to stay in touch with your people. If they want to talk to you, you need to respond. If you have no intentions of talking to your people and being social, what is the point?
You should spend 10 times the amount of time engaging as you do to create content
For every minute you spend creating content for Facebook, you should spend 10 minutes interacting with your audience. The same thing applies for Instagram. I leave roughly 100 comments on Instagram per day replying to comments and commenting on other people’s feeds. This is time-consuming, I’m not going to lie. But here’s what you have to know: time, money, and energy are going to go into your brand if you want to make it successful.
Are you ready to invest those things? You gotta be, or you’re not going to get anywhere.
Your Social Media should be about YOU
If you know me at all, you know that I am a crazy fangirl of Pete Wentz. He is a genius at music, but he is also a genius at business. I follow him because I absolutely love him. When I head to Pete’s pages, I’m there to see what he is up to, not what his friends are doing. People who are following you to see what YOU are doing. Use your page to grow YOUR influence, not somebody else’s. That means this: STOP sharing everyone else’s stuff. Don’t use that space to distract people from your brand – Oh, you DEFINITELY are a brand. If nobody told you, now you know.
Look at it this way:
I don’t go to Whole Foods to buy Oreos. I go to Whole Foods to buy high-quality organic vegetables and meat. I go for good quality nutrition. When I get to that store, I’m expecting them to give me what they’re known for. You need to give your audience the same.
Don’t be afraid to lose followers who didn’t come for you
If you start only sharing your stuff and you lose followers, they weren’t beneficial to you anyway. If you want crazy raving fangirls and boys, you’re going to have to give them more. You’re going to have to give them emotions. If you want to create a connection you’re going to have to build some authentic emotions. You can’t connect with emotions if you just drop a link and leave. When you take your time and get vulnerable and real with your audience, you will build a bond and they will know that they can trust you. If you want to create a connection you’re going to have to build some emotion.
Do not overuse emotion.
You’re going to wear people out and push them away eventually. What does that mean? Well, while you want to be open and vulnerable, you don’t need to have a heart to heart confessional every time something doesn’t go well in your life. Some things need to be kept to just you. Make sure that in your vulnerability, you’re still using your experiences to give your audience some takeaway that is going to help them get through their own experiences. Remember, you’re blog is about helping them and what they need, not your personal space to vent ( you have friends for that).
You don’t have to be afraid of an algorithm changes, your audience is going to love you. Take the time to get to know your people, show them the love they deserve and get down to the business of providing them with the content they need. Whenever you stop dropping the link and running, start interacting, and open up to your audience, you are creating a bond with them. They will trust you, and they will come back to you no matter what the algorithm has to say about it.
Your people will look for you wherever you go.
