The up rise of social media culture and influencers has revolutionized marketing. For many, social media has opened a whole new world – where hashtags rule, filters mystify and large followings are revered; a world in which new businesses can easily get discouraged. But here’s a little secret for you startups…a large following doesn’t necessarily equate success.
The common misconception is that cashing likes and followers is a bona fide indicator of brand performance…wrong! Why? Because of all businesses the following is true…
One, success is built from the ground up. Every single social media account in existence had zero followers at some point. Even Instagram itself, the account with by far the largest following on the platform started slow. And two, people follow social media accounts for a plethora of reasons. A “like” or “follow” is by no means a guaranteed purchase. Instead, look at engagement and what people are saying. If consumers like what they are see or are using, someone will surely say so. Now that is a guarantee!
Another tidbit to keep in mind is that not every platform is valuable for every business. Fact: 61% of Facebook users is made up of Americans between the ages of 25 and 54. So if you’re trying to reach a demographic of 24 and under, maybe Facebook isn’t the way to go. “Channelizing” or focusing your efforts across select channels is the best way to get on the up and up efficiently.
