Social Media Fatigue
(Yes, it’s a thing – No, it’s not life threatening)
There is no denying that social media can be unpredictable if you’re not sure what you’re doing. It’s a battlefield out there, and by “out there” I mean the world of internet marketing. One day you can be on top of the (internet) world, people loving the meme you posted of a dog doing taxes, and the next day your ground-breaking Pulitzer Prize-worthy article about tax fraud is so dead that you can practically see virtual tumbleweeds. Well guess what Susan, it’s 10:00am on a Monday and people are already sad enough as it is.
This could be due to a little thing some people call social media fatigue. Want to know how to avoid an engagement drought? Listen closely.
What is Social Media Fatigue?
Social Media Fatigue is when pages (in this case businesses) post too frequently, causing an overwhelming amount of information that turns their followers (customers) away.
When too much content is published, (mainly pertaining to Facebook as you can mostly get away with posting multiple images on Instagram) followers can start to ignore content, unfollow the page, and feel “drained” from advertisements about products and services.
Why does it happen?
Social Fatigue happens when businesses are in a rush to get their information out to customers, thinking they need to post now or it will be too late to push sales. However, with Facebook algorithms, it makes it a lot easier to put out content and let it sit for a day or so, allowing the page to work the way it is intended.
Facebook’s algorithms work by exposing the content to people who haven’t been on Facebook in a day, showing them what they’ve missed in their news feed, especially if it is a page they follow.Facebook knows when and to who to show content, so businesses need not worry that their posts will be missed. Yes, there are low and high times on social media and days where reach is lower, but that is one thing that is out of our hands.
When businesses think they constantly need to push out content to keep their post reach up, it actually decreases the number of people that end up seeing each post. Because there is too much content being pushed out, previous posts get pushed down, and your audience will end up missing a lot of your content. When this happens, letting the page “cool down” by refraining from posting for a while is the best way to build the reach back up again.
How can it be avoided?
- Don’t panic! No one is going to suffer if you haven’t posted in a day or two. You won’t lose followers. If anything, you will gain some.
- Know your audience. Look at what they like and when they engage with your posts the most. Then, create a strategy for yourself to post on high-engagement days and times. It is crucial to know who you are speaking to to keep them engaged.
- Plan ahead! Optimising the schedule of your posts can be a lifesaver. There is a thin line between being informative and being downright annoying. For example, if you know you have a promotion coming up, focus on that and create engaging content. But don’t overdue it.
- Leave it to a professional to help avoid social fatigue ????
Introducing your business or brand to social media can be daunting. In this ever-progressing digital world, it can be hard to keep up with the latest trends and strategies. Don’t let online marketing make you pull out your hair; we’re here to help.
We offer social media training centred around the ins and outs of multiple platforms, taking your headache away and making sure you feel comfortable navigating your social pages.
On top of making social media fun and easy, we consult the exact channels you should be using to grow your business!