If you work in content and are faced with a dizzy sensation every time you open your social apps, you might just be tempted to try and “hack” the algorithm to improve your social performance.
Spoiler alert: you can’t.Truth is, it’s easy to scapegoat the algorithm (and it certainly does play a part). But often it’s because your content isn’t resonating with people. After all, what won’t change is that every content platform wants the same thing: for viewers to stay right where they are.
So here are three ways to improve your content's performance, with practical examples so you can start experimenting.
1. Treat social as a dialogue, not a monologue
How can your brand seamlessly slot into the conversation of the day? Reflecting what’s already trending gives your content broader appeal, giving you a stronger chance of cutting through. Not only that; it’s a great way to subtly reinforce that you’re innovative and more forward-thinking than your stale competitors. Social isn’t an exact science.
Before you post, always ask: would I want to engage with this if I saw it on my feed? After all, you’re trying to appeal to your audience’s waning attention span.
2. Grab attention, then reward it
Make sure the first line of your captions and first frame of your social posts are scroll-stopping enough to pique interest. You can tell the rest of the story later. For example, you could use a refreshingly human quote rather than a predictable testimonial, use strong imperatives, make a controversial statement and then challenge it or evoke the power of FOMO – think of it like a newspaper headline.
3. And, yes, you should be posting videos
Regardless of algorithm updates, videos already make sense on every social platform, meaning you’ll be able to grab more attention, for longer. Hello, improved engagement rate.
But we know the last thing social teams need is more work.
So what if creating seriously good videos took seriously less time than a graphic? Just pop great text in, and we’ll pop great videos out. See for yourself. You could start enjoying a longer coffee break as soon as tomorrow!
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