{"id":453,"date":"2019-09-25T10:40:00","date_gmt":"2019-09-25T10:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/info.maccabee.com\/blog\/blog\/how-to-build-a-successful-social-media-strategy-why-great-content-alone-isnt-enough\/"},"modified":"2024-12-18T16:08:14","modified_gmt":"2024-12-18T16:08:14","slug":"how-to-build-a-successful-social-media-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/info.maccabee.com\/blog\/how-to-build-a-successful-social-media-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Build A Successful Social Media Strategy: Why Great Content Alone Isn\u2019t Enough"},"content":{"rendered":"

As marketers, we\u2019ve all heard that \u201ccontent is king.\u201d Perhaps you\u2019ve even made content creation and distribution a core part of your marketing strategy. So, when it comes to using social media to boost your company\u2019s visibility, all you need to do is post great content, right? Unfortunately, that\u2019s not the case. To utilize social media as a powerful communications and marketing tool, you need to have a balanced strategy that includes both compelling content and<\/em> a robust paid campaign across channels.<\/p>\n

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Why isn\u2019t great organic content enough, you ask? Social media has seen significant changes over the past few years, resulting in brands seeing a steady decline in organic reach (the number of people who see your content without paid distribution). In the past, brands could post on their social pages and a significant number of their followers would see the post. But that\u2019s no longer true. Most major social networks (including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and LinkedIn) have moved or are moving to a pay-for-play model for business accounts, making it harder and harder for companies to reach their followers through organic posts.<\/p>\n

For example, in 2012, a brand could easily reach 15% of its Facebook fans with a single post. By 2014, that reach fell to about 6%. Today, the average organic reach of a brand on Facebook is less than 2%.<\/a><\/p>\n

Why is organic social media reach declining for brands?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Social networks use algorithms<\/a> to prioritize content in news feeds, meaning that instead of chronologically showing users every piece of content from every person and brand they follow, posts are shown to the user based on preferences and past behaviors.<\/p>\n

From a consumer\u2019s standpoint, algorithms are great because they put friends, family and relevant content first. Brands, on the other hand, have seen a steep decline in organic reach due to algorithms hiding their content. It\u2019s no longer possible to reach large numbers of people through organic content alone. The solution is to create a balanced social media strategy that leverages both paid and organic social media tactics.<\/p>\n

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Why both paid and organic?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A question we frequently hear from many of our Maccabee agency clients is, \u201cIf organic posts don\u2019t reach our audience, why should we put effort into creating good content for our pages? Shouldn\u2019t we only do paid social media instead?\u201d<\/p>\n

While organic reach on social media channels continues to trend downward, it\u2019s still important for brands to sustain a strong presence on social media. After all, your social pages are among the first places customers go for updates and information, so it\u2019s important that your pages are active and up-to-date.<\/p>\n

In other words, while your organic content is becoming less impactful without a paid strategy to support it, your paid efforts will fall flat without strong organic content and channels behind it.<\/p>\n

Tips for achieving a balanced social media strategy<\/strong><\/h2>\n

There\u2019s no magic social media strategy that\u2019s right for every company, which is why it\u2019s important to create a plan that drives you toward your business objectives. With that in mind, below are general tips for using both organic and paid social media to your advantage.<\/p>\n

Organic Social Media<\/u><\/strong><\/h2>\n