According to Hubspot, 14% of Instagram marketers reported a loss in followers from 2020 to 2021. The trend may continue more throughout 2022, but have no fear. This is not indicative of the work you and your business do. We’ve gone ahead and outlined some of the major red flags to look out for so you can get the best bang for your buck regarding your social media pages. 

You’re either Posting Too Much or Not Enough

When it comes to posting and planning your content on social media, there is an importance in proper balance. Your main goal is to reach your target audience and allow them to get comfortable with your business or brand. By properly balancing your schedule and timing, you ensure your audience isn’t getting flooded with posts. 

Social media can become a game of “stop the scroll”, where your audience may follow many accounts or the algorithm of your visibility competes with similar businesses during peak hours. We’ve compiled a few guidelines and suggestions for you on posting regularities and best practices below.

1. Post once a day on your social media feed at a minimum. Get comfortable with your platform, be it Instagram, Linkedin or Facebook. When you attach your accounts to a 3rd party app or use Facebook Suite, you can crosspost the same post (and schedule them at different times) for maximum visibility. 
2. Consider using Stories, Reels, or Lives instead of just simple text posts. These usually notify your audience that you’ve posted instead of waiting for them to see your content come across their feed.
3. Share posts, if possible, to diversify your content. Do you have affiliates or businesses you do work with? Show them some love to ensure your content isn’t too one-note.
4. Experiment with timing. Try early morning one day, mid-day the next, or late at night when people are usually getting home. This allows you to test where you get the most engagement.
5. Ensure you have a planner or schedule with content prepared ahead of time. If you’re not sure what to post, we can help! Our TLC social team is able to create content calendars scheduled just for you! Contact us if you’d like to schedule a consultation.

You’re Being Too Sales-Driven

Another popular reason that your business may be losing followers is… well, you may be coming off too much like a salesman. Yes, we know the best case scenario is converting those followers into paying clients, but you have to give them reason to take the connection from follower to customer. 

Coming off as if you are trying to make a sale can quickly make that difficult. If the only content you’re posting is products, pricing, and aggressively yelling at people to call you… you may be driving people away! 

Here are a few things to consider when crafting your content:

• Reflect your brand’s values. This is a good chance to show why your brand stands out. 
• Invite conversations by asking a question that they can relate to and provide commentary on. 
• When you’re planning your content for the week, sprinkle one or two sales-driven posts in, have it be a minor part of your strategy.

You Aren’t Appearing Professional

Your business page is a showcase and a chance for you to be personable. Consistent branding helps gain a professional polish as well as help make you stand out. You want your audience to be able to pinpoint you immediately. 

Social media isn’t just for connecting with your audience, but it is also a way to reinforce your brand. Does your bio link to your website? Are you using a high-res logo? Do you use your exact brand colors? 

There are plenty of low-cost tools like Canva that allow you to craft your posts consistently to support your brand identity. 

Think of it this way: can you imagine Coca-Cola using a purple or seeing Apple use Comic Sans as their font? No? It’s because they built a recognizable and distinct brand that people can connect with. 

So, How Do You Gain Followers Back?

It’s all about consistency. Losing followers can be a scary reality to face. However, once you identify the reason behind the decline, you can address it and regain them. The key is being consistent with your efforts. 

Proper planning is usually a way to eliminate most of these issues. You pre-plan your posts and you’re capable of seeing the grand vision unfold itself. By using the suggestions we listed above, your feed will grow to be more appealing and professional. 

If you’re interested in having your social media managed by one of our professionals, we are always excited to help come up with strategies! Contact us today to discuss your social media moves and how we can give your page a little TLC.