Do You Have Social Media Fatigue? Switching Your Focus Might Help.

From politics to pandemics, social media has morphed into a channel that people love to hate.

For reasons related to global events and their corresponding opinionated posts, to local drama in your neighborhood Facebook groups to tensions in the American political system, many social media users are becoming more disillusioned with the whole scene. Moreover, as the stronghold seems to wane for the most popular social media platforms due to these negative influences, the situation becomes even more exacerbated by the drop-off of the younger demographic. 

Check out some stats that support these assertions:

• Bloomberg reports that the number of young adults on Facebook in the U.S. has declined 2% since 2019 and is expected to continue falling by an additional 4% over the next two years. This younger audience is more enamored with Snapchat and TikTok, it appears.
• Another report from research firm eMarketer showed that Facebook’s user base is predicted to shrink by 3.4 percent – or nearly 14.5 million users.
• On the other hand, LinkedIn has seen ongoing growth in total members and engagement, as reported by Microsoft.

As both Instagram and Facebook begin to lose market share and the growing fatigue around the oppressive algorithms and negative environment moves deeper into the forefront of marketer and consumer minds, LinkedIn has arisen as a stand-out option.

LinkedIn offers a place where politics and neighborhood angst are frowned upon, a place for professionals to keep it professional, a social media platform with no drama and possibly no downside.

Review your profile.

If you haven’t been focused on LinkedIn for a while (or if you are new to the platform), start at the beginning. Get your profile looking sharp. Header images, keywords, complete descriptions, and contact information is foundational to your success. Do that first.

>> Pro Tip: Test different calls to action. What do you want your prospects to do? What is their response to different CTA’s (call-to-action)?

Connect + Engage

Like any other social media initiative, you’ll need to post, connect and engage to gain traction on LinkedIn. Find a good mix of sharing evergreen content and content from popular, relevant LinkedIn sources. Mix up the media from text with images, text-only, and videos or gifs to see how things resonate with your audience. While you are sharing on your page, be sure to interact and engage with others. You may join groups or comment on content pushed out by industry leaders to start to solidify your presence on LinkedIn.

>> Pro Tip: Enlist the help of others by starting a LinkedIn pod. This small group can be alerted when you post so they can comment, share and engage with your content to help you gain traction with the LinkedIn algorithm.

Get to know your SSI

SSI stands for Social Selling Index, which is a configuration of how well you meet four criteria, including the establishment of your professional brand, connection with the right people, amount of engaged insights you’ve shared, and how you’ve built relationships. Knowing and working to increase your score directly leads to more substantial results on LinkedIn.

>> Pro Tip: Check your SSI score now.

It’s far too early to pronounce Facebook or Instagram dead. The stock is still rising, and ad spending is still substantial. However, the research and trend lines do tell an impactful story.

The negativity, the impossible algorithms, and the mass exodus of younger users flocking to Snapchat and TikTok are certainly concerning enough to be observed. While we watch how things will unfold for Facebook and Insta, LinkedIn is an excellent option, especially for those in the business-to-business lane.

Do you have marketing challenges that you need help with?

Jackie Awve Marketing offers a group coaching session on Fridays from 1 PM to 2 PM for a JAM Session! Please RSVP: jackie@awvemarketing.com