To some people, losing followers on social media isn’t all that bad. If it directly contributes to your livelihood, however, that’s a lot more serious. Social media is one of the easiest ways for small and home-based businesses to build a connection with customers. Bloggers and other personal branding types will be just as concerned to see those numbers dropping. What exactly is making it happen?
Misleading your followers
This is a big no-no. If you’re linking to your website or any other, they need to be crystal clear where you’re sending them and why you’re sending them there. If it’s content from a brand, you need to avoid any redirections so you don’t look like you’re being too commercial. If you’re using your own site, make sure you link to the exact right part of that site or use a landing page. If they follow a link to a site where they have to find their own way, they are almost guaranteed to lose patience with it right there and then.
Getting it wrong
On the internet, people do love making corrections. Whether you inadvertently offend someone or a troll is taking pot-shots, you don’t want to look ill-informed or stupid before your followers. That’s why it’s important to always do a little research before sharing something. Especially if that something has the potential to have some sort of political or ideological value to it. Even getting names and words wrong can make you look more than a touch amateur. For instance, if you’re writing about foreign places, names, and brands, then look here to make sure you’re using the right characters for it. A little shorthand is well accepted, especially on Twitter, but make sure you’re not making any glaring mistakes.
Throwing too much stuff at them
No matter how much a follower loves one of the people or brands they’re following, everyone has a breaking point. Overstaying your welcome means posting way too much on any one day. It’s a good idea to have your biggest pieces of content go out at peak times (like lunch and the early evening), but don’t keep a stream of endless content coming out every day. People will think you’re hogging their feeds and will quickly get rid of you.
Don’t make it a one-way stream
The only reason you should break that aforementioned rule is if you’re talking with someone. Again, you don’t want to overdo it, but reading and responding to the messages of your followers. A like is rarely enough, if it’s something worth reading, make sure to share or retweet it. It’s also a good way of showing the channel isn’t empty when you’re on a low content day. If people feel like they’re only on the receiving end, they have little reason to get engaged. They’ll soon move onto someone who’s more willing to interact and clear you out with the rest of the now irrelevant channels.
If your social media is important to your business or important to you personally, treat it that way. Take some time to get what you’re communicating right, don’t confuse readers, and make sure you treat them as participants in a conversation, not just passive observers.
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