originally posted to www.carnsight.com
It’s safe to say, creative agencies will always have a little piece of my heart. As I said in my how marketing helped me in PR blog, when I was younger I used to fast forward the programmes (on my VCR) just to get to the adverts. I loved those 30- or even 60-second sumptuous, visual treats. We were blessed with some iconic commercials in the 1990s – from Levis to Guinness to Tango. So, being able to begin my career in a London advertising agency was a dream come true for me.
The reality of working in an advertising agency was somewhat different to the expectation, however. But we worked hard, played harder and made some cracking campaigns along the way. I also made some lifelong friends and met my brother-in-law, sister-in-law and husband, so it was a fruitful period!
Pitching over presentation
While a lot of time was spent preparing and delivering pitches to clients in advertising, and winning new work, there didn’t seem to be a lot of time spent on the way agencies presented themselves to the outside world beyond that. When it came to reputations, and how strong their client work was, word of mouth ruled supreme.
However, this was also the era of poor website design and dumb phones and that bastion of careers chat, LinkedIn, was just a twinkle in a developer’s eye. So, to some extent, agencies weren’t under pressure to manage their reputations in the same way.
One click away from a review
Today, digital dominates, and you’re only a click away from a comment, staff review or glowing agency write up. That means current staff and future team can easily find out about their agency, but also clients, prospective and lapsed clients and the industry as a whole can. They can see what it’s like to work there, work with the agency and what kinds of campaigns are being produced.
Agency reputations are now created and evolve whether the company chooses to play an active role in them or not. People understand that agencies are brands, and they understand the power of those brands. Alongside that, there’s also more science to support marketing efforts than ever before. There’s very little that isn’t measurable in some form.
In short, the landscape is completely different from the one in which I started, and it needs to be managed differently.
Start with your point of difference
The good news is that you can play an active role in the way your agency’s perceived, be it through a PR strategy, social media or other agency content.
In thinking about how an agency is currently viewed, and how you’d like it to be perceived, there are various things to consider. A good place to start is interrogating the agency’s point of difference – your unique selling point (or USP). Often, agencies start off with a clear USP – it’s often the reason they’re founded in the first place – but sometimes that changes over time. That could be down to the market place changing, personnel changing or new tech advances.
When we run our Three Lens Messaging Sessions with clients, their point of difference is one of the first things we discuss. And you might be surprised at how many different versions of that USP we get from a group of senior people around the table. Sometimes we find out that they’ve been talking about the agency in a number of different ways, but not communicated those ways to each other.
All content – be it social media; white papers; PR activity; even internal communications – should spring from what the agency stands for, so it’s important to agree on this.
The key communications challenge to overcome
However, even when an agency is clear about what sets it apart from the market, and has a strategy to communicate it, there often remains a hurdle to overcome. Communicating consistently.
We see a lot of peaks and troughs in agency communication, and it’s not hard to see why. Profiling an agency is rarely one person’s job – it often sits between marketing teams, new business and the senior team. And actually, it’s actually something everyone in that agency can play a part in, to a greater or lesser extent.
Agencies often plan events or launch prominent campaigns and put a lot of effort into communicating them, and that can lead to spikes in activity at certain times. Then, another activity becomes more pressing, and social media accounts, content and PR activities are left to languish for a period of time.
While a burst of activity can certainly provoke short term interest and attention, it’s communicating consistently that helps build a strong, lasting reputation. It can also help to ensure the right messages about your agency are appearing, and the narrative isn’t being led by others.
How to harness consistency
To create consistency in agency communications, you need to create a culture of PR. Building the agency’s profile needs to part of a consistent strategy, and it should have an overall owner – even when there are different stakeholders involved.
Agencies can be excellent at telling their clients how and why they need to communicate regularly, but find it hard to turn that advice on themselves. The cobbler’s shoes are always the worst heeled.
That’s where an external eye can come in. Be it agency PR, social media, blogs, newsletters or website content – having someone else who’s dedicated to keeping on point, responding to current events and hitting targets each month can be invaluable.
If you want to see a bit more about how consistently agency PR and communication can work – have a look at our work for Fiora, Aer Studios and Armadillo.
originally posted to www.carnsight.com
In the ever-evolving world of search engine optimization (SEO), a common misconception persists: the more keywords you cram into your content, the better your rankings will be.
While keywords are undoubtedly necessary for SEO, the strategy of keyword stuffing is not only outdated but also harmful to your website’s visibility and user experience.
What is Keyword Stuffing?
Keyword stuffing is the practice of excessively repeating keywords in a webpage’s content, meta tags, or alt texts with the intent of manipulating search engine rankings.
In the early days of SEO, this tactic may have resulted in short-term gains in visibility and higher rankings. However, search engines like Google have since evolved their algorithms to prioritise user experience and relevant content over simple keyword frequency.
Risks of Keyword Stuffing
Poor User Experience:
When content is overloaded with keywords, it often reads awkwardly or unnaturally. People coming across this content may quickly become frustrated and leave the page, leading to a high bounce rate. A poor user experience can signal to search engines that your site is not valuable, ultimately harming your rankings.
Penalties from Search Engines:
Modern search engines utilise complex algorithms designed to identify and penalise websites that engage in keyword stuffing. Google, for instance, emphasises quality content and user engagement. If your website is flagged for keyword stuffing, you could face penalties that result in a significant drop in rankings or even removal from search results altogether.
Weakening of Content Quality:
Focusing excessively on keywords can weaken the quality of your content. Instead of creating informative, engaging, and relevant articles, you may find yourself writing for algorithms rather than your audience.
This approach is counterproductive in the long run, as compelling content is what truly attracts and retains visitors.
Competition:
The digital landscape is highly competitive, and keyword stuffing alone won’t make you stand out. Competitors are equally knowledgeable about SEO and are likely to focus on creating valuable content that resonates with their audience.
By prioritising quality over quantity in your keyword strategy, you really can stand out in an overcrowded market.
Balance is the Key
Rather than giving in to the temptation of keyword stuffing, take a balanced approach to keyword usage. Here are a few strategies to keep in mind:
Keyword Research:
Do thorough research to find the keywords your audience is actively searching for.
Tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs can help you find high-value keywords without overstuffing your content.
Keep it natural:
Incorporate keywords naturally within your content. Aim for a conversational tone that flows well and provides real value to the reader. This not only enhances user experience but also signals to search engines that your content is relevant and engaging.
Use Synonyms and Related Terms:
To avoid redundancy and enhance readability, use synonyms and related terms. This approach broadens your content’s appeal and can help capture a wider range of search queries without resorting to keyword stuffing.
Focus on Content Quality:
Prioritise creating high-quality content that addresses your audience’s needs and questions. Engaging, informative, and well-structured content is more likely to attract organic traffic and encourage shares, enhancing your overall SEO strategy.
While keywords play an essential role in SEO, keyword stuffing is an out-of-date practice that can harm your rankings and user experience. By focusing on creating valuable content that naturally incorporates keywords, you can improve your SEO efforts and ensure long-term success. Remember, it’s not just about getting to the top of search results; it’s about providing a meaningful experience for your audience. In the world of SEO, quality will always win over quantity.
Would you like to learn more about SEO? Click here.
Digital PR and traditional PR have the same goals and objectives; they both are about increasing brand awareness and building a brand’s reputation.
The difference between digital PR and traditional PR is in the inputs and tactics.
A digital PR campaign will use all the opportunities and channels that digital offers, from simple social media strategies and tactics to more technical and complex strategies like SEO and technical SEO strategy.
Consistency is key
A key part of digital PR is to have consistent messaging across all platforms to have coherent communication and brand recognition. Digital PR allows brands to reach more people and build more authentic relationships with an audience.
As long as you approach with authenticity and develop strategies that engage and enable the consumer to access your brand online.
So brands can build credibility, brand awareness, relationships and trust. Digital PR is no longer a nice to have for brands. It’s a must-have to raise awareness and grow.
Digital PR Benefits
Digital PR is powerful.
It can help you reach your audience, increase brand awareness and boost your reputation and visibility in the digital age. Digital PR is built to improve your brand’s presence in the digital age and this is how:
More website traffic
By increasing your website traffic you’re widening your scope, growing your audience and generally increasing your brand awareness. More traffic means more digital footfall which can bring in new customers and brand awareness.
More traffic means more digital footfall and more footfall and web traffic means more chance of conversion.
More engagement on social media
Real-time messaging, direct interaction with audiences and plenty of opportunities to build credibility and monitor social media channels and brand mentions helps to make your PR stronger. An engaged social media presence and positive following is a great trust signal to new prospects.
More leads more sales
Digital PR isn’t about selling your products but it can create the environment to nudge customers to buy. PR can increase brand awareness and build brand trust which is key to increased customer loyalty and sales. Trust is the key to sales.
Better brand image
A good reputation and online presence is good for you. People like to engage with businesses and brands. They don’t like faceless organisations that don’t care about their audience or user groups.
Digital PR Strategy & Tactics in Action
So we’ve looked at the outcomes of digital PR strategies. But what does it look like, in terms of tactics and deployment
Social Media
You need an active social media presence to maintain and grow your brand reputation. It’s part of building your online identity and part of your digital PR strategy.
While also being a major part of your digital PR strategy, social media is a major part of your overall customer service arm.
It’s your shop window. But it’s also more than that.
This is a place where potential customers can be influenced by your existing audiences. So positive, honest and authentic engagement is a must.
Content Creation
What does content creation mean to you? White papers? Blogs? News stories? writing press releases? Producing video content? Tweets (or should we say X’s) Instagram posts, even TikTok content?
To us, it means all of the above.
Content helps to build emotional connections with your audience. Great content engages, entertains and ultimately converts prospects into loyal customers. Building campaigns around great content, leveraged across multiple channels and formats is the most effective way to engage with your tribe
Link building strategies
Digital PR and link building go hand in hand. But this is a long-term game.
These strategies also help to differentiate your brand from other businesses in the industry.
These strategies increase overall visibility of your website through the placement of backlinked content on third-party sites with relevant links. This could be a simple press release, a news story on relevant websites and online media, or thought leadership in key sector titles.
It’s a traditional PR approach, engaging with media through press releases and putting a digital PR spin on it.
But the content and placement have to be relevant. Credible, high-quality backlinks – meaning backlinks to relevant and trustworthy – quality links will build brand credibility and authority.
Content and Channel Optimisation
Effective brand communications means all channels and assets are optimised for maximum visibility.
Everything needs to be connected for maximum online visibility. Whether it’s your Google My Business Profile, or making sure your social tags and handles are on your site, your social media presence is also optimised to boost organic rankings and increase your presence in the SERP.
You can’t build on your search ranking score if your owned channels aren’t optimised. To get more awareness and reach online PR requires a holistic approach, everything needs to be in sync.
Showing up to Google
This could get lengthy so we’ll try to keep it brief.
Google monitors and ranks online publications, websites, pages and content against its own set of rules. These are the E-E-A-T guidelines, they are a set of indicators that determine whether any given piece of on-page content is experienced, expert, authoritative and trustworthy – hence E-E-A-T. Consistent messaging across all content is key to meeting Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines.
E-E-A-T — or Double-E-A-T became part of Google’s search rater guidelines in 2022.
The main challenge with Google is it likes to move the Goalposts.
Core updates and other changes to the practice and protocol can make it hard to keep up with the latest best practices and requirements around search engines and content.
You can spend all the time in the world developing a digital PR strategy and digital marketing strategy. But if you’re creating content that Google won’t or doesn’t like, all that work will be for nothing. The further down the SERP you go, the more your website, organic traffic and brand visibility suffer.
This is where it pays to have an expert in your corner.
Conclusion
Ultimately, digital PR is a key part of any PR strategy.
Digital PR can lead to customer loyalty by building trust and credibility.
It may seem like a big ask to keep up with the ever-changing search engine algorithms and best practices. But the rewards of well-executed digital PR campaigns and strategies are worth it.
Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines say to create content that is Experienced, Expert, Authoritative and Trustworthy.
Build brand credibility, build relationships and build trust with your audience. By producing high-quality, relevant content and earning links from other reputable sources you’ll increase your website visibility, authority and overall search engine rankings.
But digital PR needs a long-term approach. It is not a quick win.
It requires a strategic and sustained effort. Which in turn requires patience and an ongoing commitment to the overall process on online brand building.
originally posted to www.carnsight.com
There are many aspects to PR, and its fast pace can make it all the more difficult to understand. But there are certain aspects within PR, and getting to grips with the definitions can help you better communicate with your PR agency. When you know what exactly you’re trying to achieve, and what aspects of PR can help you achieve this, it becomes much easier to set long-term goals and objectives.
PR is all about managing communication. This means as times have changed and technology has developed, we’ve often found the landscape of PR changing to adapt to these different communication styles, leading to Traditional, Content and Digital. That doesn’t mean we have to dismiss the traditional methods, but it can be handy to know the PR updates and how you can implement this in your brand’s messaging.
Traditional PR
Traditional PR has always been around, and it’s become a long-established way to amplify a brand’s message. This uses print – such as newspapers, magazines and books – combined with press – such as TV and radio, to raise awareness for a company. This differs from the online networking that Digital PR focuses on, however that doesn’t mean it’s ineffective. In fact, combining Traditional and Digital PR can show great results in expanding your coverage.
Content PR
Content PR is a spin-off from content marketing, which uses social media to attract and retain a relationship with a brand’s audience. In the context of PR, this can include blogs and infographics to help build brand credibility and increase brand awareness. Whilst traditional press coverage is still very much important, the use of social media is increasingly gaining brand visibility, particularly for younger audiences. Content PR is therefore great for sending purposeful messages to your audience, but you need to consider your goals before deciding if social media is the best way to align with your objectives. And for more information on mastering success behind social media, you can check out Leigh-Ann’s blog on the importance of quality over quantity.
Digital PR
Digital PR also involves social media engagement, but the focus is mainly on boosting search engine rankings. This prioritises generating coverage and backlinks from websites with high domain authority, as well as maintaining that relationship with the brand’s audience. This all helps to improve a brand’s search engine optimisation (SEO), which increases organic traffic to the brand’s website, increasing its online visibility.
This may also include an influencer partnership, where a brand uses the influencer’s audience to amplify their message, creating wider reach and higher engagement.
Choosing the best PR strategy for your brand isn’t easy, but having more of an idea about the differences between traditional, content and digital PR can help inform you on what would work best for your audience. And if you’re stuck – that’s what we’re here for! Have a look at what we do to see how we can help you get noticed by the right audience, at the right time.
originally posted to www.carnsight.com
As Digital PR continues to be a success, more and more brands are looking to influencers to help amplify their message. This can be a highly effective way of building credibility, but you have to be careful. It’s always best to take your time when planning a collaboration, as a rushed partnership could associate your brand with someone who doesn’t actually align with your brand’s core values and messaging.
Here are our top tips for fostering creative collaborations:
Make sure the influencer collaboration aligns with your goals and audience.
Not every partnership would be beneficial for your brand’s message. If you want to promote a beauty product targeted at middle-aged women, then a young male influencer is going to create a disconnect. Make it clear what it is you actually want to achieve through a collaboration with an influencer. If you want a specific influencer, who has never done a product review on their socials, then the chances are they won’t promote your product either. However, that same influencer may be helpful in boosting your overall engagement, or increasing your brand awareness. But remember, define your goal before you pick your influencer; don’t pick an influencer and try to define a goal around them.
Research, research, research.
Your influencer won’t be a quick Google search away, so be prepared to dedicate time and resources to finding the perfect creative collaboration. Your research should be thorough: Is the influencer linked to any controversy that could negatively impact on your brand? What platform is the influencer most active on? Does this influencer align with your brand? Does this influencer’s audience align with your brand?
It’s also important to look back through their previous collaborations – do they seem like a genuine, trustworthy person? What was their engagement rate like on collaborations for previous companies? This is where follower count is not overly important, but more so how active their audience is. A smaller following with higher engagement will deliver better results than influencers with large but passive followings.
Show the influencer you’ve done your research.
There’s no point doing a deep dive into an influencer’s background just to send them a generic message. Tailor your message to show you understand the influencer’s content, audience and style. Be complimentary, but not overly eager! Just highlight what exactly it is you admire about their content, and how that aligns with your brand’s values. After you propose the partnership, make sure you explain the mutual benefit for both you and the influencer – they have to know what’s in it for them.
Some influencers may be hard to reach, especially with the rise of closed DMs. In some cases, it may be easier to find their agent, as their agent is more likely to have a visible email address.
After the creative collaboration is over, make sure to keep in touch. Maintaining relationships is key, and will save you much more time if a second collaboration rolls around. And if you want to track the success of the collab, have a look at Leigh-Ann’s blog on social media statistics, and what goal they are useful towards.
For more ideas, have a look at Modash, which gives a complete guide for collaborating with influencers.
originally posted to www.carnsight.com
Ask Gen Z what their favourite platform is, and the majority will say TikTok. It has been a prime source for entertainment across a wide variety of topics, hitting audiences far and wide. But in recent years, the digital landscape has evolved TikTok even further. In fact, the younger generation not only uses it for fun, but as a reliable source of news.
According to Emarketer, nearly 10% of Gen Z users now prefer TikTok over established search engines like Google when looking for information. What’s more, a big reason behind this growing popularity comes from the short-form video format. Instead of having to read through multiple websites, viewers can now watch a video tutorial to answer their questions.
Of course, this is not the death of Google. But it is something to think about, and optimising both Google and TikTok SEO could combine to give you great results.
How are they the same? How are they different?
Similarities:
When searching for specific content, the Google and TikTok algorithm are incredibly similar. As you type in a key word, the search engines will show you content that matches your keyword. Both search engines are also prioritised for mobile optimization, meaning they work great on our phones for accessible and user-friendly content consumption.
As powerful search engines, both TikTok and Google have a significant influence on consumer behaviour, and both are essential tools for maximising your brand’s visibility.
Differences:
Despite both search engines covering a wide variety of topics, Google is relied upon for its more comprehensive and accurate information. It can provide in-depth research, academic resources, and multiple different source materials. For TikTok, the video format is prioritised, but it is yet to go beyond that.
However, TikTok has a highly personalised algorithm, thanks to the invention of the ‘For You Page’. This shows you content aligned with your particular interests, meaning TikTok can function not only as a search engine, but also as a discovery tool. As Wordstream puts it: “TikTok promotes passive discovery, prioritizing each user’s behaviour to guide it. Google focuses on active discovery since you have to tell it what you want before it shows you anything.” Keeping this in mind can be essential for your strategy: what do you want people to search for, and what do you want them to stumble across?
How to improve TikTok SEO
If you’re new to TikTok – don’t panic! It is a rapidly growing platform, but it seems it’s here to stay, so it’s definitely not too late to start implementing it into your social media strategy. A lot of tips to help your algorithm will be similar to other platforms like Instagram, such as careful use of hashtags, concise captions, and clear CTAs. However, with TikTok you have the opportunity to incorporate audio, and using trending sounds to compliment your content can boost engagement. A lot of people also choose to watch TikTok’s on mute, so make sure to include text and subtitles so people don’t just scroll past. Regularly monitoring analytics will tell you your best posting time, and you can check Leigh-Ann’s statistics blog to find out more.
So no, TikTok is not the new Google, and it is in no way a direct replacement for Google. However, it isn’t something to ignore. If you want to maximise your brand’s visibility, consider aligning your TikTok SEO strategy with your Google SEO strategy. Combining TikTok’s short-form video content with Google’s comprehensive and reliable information is a sure-fire way to reach more audiences.
And if you’re looking to maximise your content even further, have a look at our repurposing content tips.
In today’s social world, AI creeps up on everything. It’s great for maximizing efficiency, but when over-relied on it can make your content feel impersonal. And with so much technology being thrown at content, we often forget to reveal who is behind the brand and what they stand for.
So let this be your reminder: human-driven content is the best content you can make. The use of AI was a new, exciting thing a few years ago, and naturally people took it to level up the quality and professionalism behind their content. Things took on a sleeker, polished aesthetic. And whilst this was effective for a while, now that people are accustomed to technology it’s starting to fall flat.
And why? Because it’s not human. Whilst technology is great for crafting that perfect look, you’re delivering it to an imperfect audience. The message is no longer resonating because it’s not a message your audience finds relatable. It’s easy to get carried away with AI in your content – we don’t blame you! But here are some tips for ensuring your content, particularly your social media presence, stays authentic and personal:
People connect with people – not robots.
When you use AI for writing all your copy, or crafting all your visuals, it becomes something people can’t naturally align with. Even if your paragraph seems personable and friendly, one word can throw the whole copy off. If it’s not a word people would use in a conversation in real life, it won’t be a word they’d use on social media. So, if you do need some help from AI software, make sure this is heavily looked over and refined.
Let people see who’s behind the content.
Again, human-driven content is all about connecting with people, so don’t be afraid to introduce yourself. Examples such as ‘Founder Spotlight’ and ‘Q&A videos’ can be great for this – it reminds people there is a person, just like them, behind the business.
Honesty is key.
Whilst scripts can be handy when making video content, a lot of times it can feel staged and over-rehearsed. It’s completely normal to prepare for a talking video, but no one speaks perfectly. There’s been a big increase in people sharing bloopers, or showing they get their words wrong. And that’s great! It doesn’t look unprofessional to make a mistake – it looks human.
Don’t spam your audience with content.
The beauty of human-driven content is that it is well-crafted and thought out, with its audience in mind. When we use AI, we can produce content much quicker, but this doesn’t mean you need to increase the number of posts you make. You don’t want to flood your audience with multiple different messages a week. It may not expand your reach, but actually deter people away. If it starts to feel like spam, people will unsubscribe.
It doesn’t end after you hit post.
A lot of times creators spend ages on human-driven content, only to barely interact with it when it’s out there. You have to keep engaging with your community, reminding them that you’re there. Make sure to interact with others’ content as well! This could be starting conversations in comments, liking or even sharing their work. Either way, people will start to notice.
Overall, it’s so important to stay committed to authenticity. When you relate to your audience, you can’t go much wrong.
Human-driven content is not limited to social media, but also interacts with PR. To learn more about honesty in PR, check out Leigh-Ann’s blog: Why you should spill the beans to your PR agency.
Building your online presence, particularly on social media, takes more than just knowing what platforms to use and when to post. In our article, we take a look at the core tips and tricks to crafting an effective social media marketing strategy for yourself – or in our case, for clients – and put together a comprehensive guide into all the things you should keep in mind when you’re starting to put your plan together.
- Start from the basics: what does a social media marketing strategy entail? In short, it is a core document that will outline how you target your key audiences using social media. It is an extension of your overall marketing strategy, expanding the detail of the social media element, and should cover all the tactics, tools, and audiences that you want to use and engage with.
- First, define your few core elements – these being the design style, the tone of voice, and your target audiences. Settle on specific fonts, colours, graphics and image overlays you want to use and stick to them for a cohesive look. Use the research you did when you were developing your initial marketing strategy, and decide your tone of voice. Explore your target audience, and see if it consists of different demographics that need different levels of interaction – then act accordingly.
- Learn how to set goals. These will vary depending on your brand and product; clothing, beauty, and sportswear tend to sell very well on social media as you can quickly see real life examples of what you want to buy, whereas B2B organisations that offer cyber security, office space, or recruitment tend to have a longer customer journey. Setting concrete goals realistic to your industry will mean that no one is disappointed with the results, and everyone on your team knows what the purpose of your social media communications is.
- Create engaging content that aligns with your goals and appeals to your target audience. How you create this content should represent you and your brand well and in line with your overall marketing strategy. Be it videos, images, games or polls, they should all serve to engage the audience, be valuable to them, and tell the story of your brand or product.
- Utilise social media marketing tools. There are many, many different options at your disposal, so do your research! From content schedulers, to image editors, to AI powered content creators, knowing what’s out there, how to use them and how they might benefit you is essential to anyone crafting a social media marketing strategy.
If you’re just looking to see how to expand on your current strategy, or are starting from scratch, then these tips will keep you focused on what matters most and help you view your social media activity as an expansion of your overall marketing strategy. This is just a summary – for a more in-depth guide to crafting your social media strategy, read the full article on our website.
originally posted to www.carnsight.com
Understanding the ups and downs of social media metrics
One of the most important lessons in social media management is understanding that not every metric will show continuous upward growth. There will always be ups and downs—fluctuations that reflect the natural ebb and flow of audience behaviour, content performance, and market trends. It’s essential not to expect green across the board every month, and if you do, it’s worth questioning whether your growth is truly organic and sustainable.
The pitfalls of artificial growth
Quick growth strategies like giveaways and competitions can indeed give your social media metrics a smile-inducing boost. It’s exciting to see a sudden spike in followers, likes, or shares, and these tactics can create a temporary buzz around your brand. However, it’s crucial to recognize that this kind of growth often presents a false impression of long-term success.
Giveaways and competitions attract participants who are more interested in winning a prize than in engaging with your brand. As a result, while these strategies can inflate your numbers in the short term, they don’t necessarily build a loyal, engaged audience. Once the excitement dies down, you may notice a drop-off in engagement, with many new followers becoming inactive or unfollowing altogether. This cycle can lead to peaks and troughs in your social media performance, making it harder to gauge the true effectiveness of your content strategy.
Focusing on sustainable growth
Sustainable growth is the foundation of a successful social media strategy. This means prioritising quality over quantity—focusing on attracting followers who are genuinely interested in your brand and likely to engage with your content over the long term. Instead of relying on quick fixes, invest in creating valuable, relevant content that resonates with your target audience.
Engage with your followers regularly, respond to their comments, and build relationships that encourage loyalty. Sustainable growth may not be as immediately gratifying as a quick spike in numbers, but it leads to a more engaged and active community, which is far more valuable in the long run.
Evaluating your social media success
When reviewing your social media metrics, it’s important to take a holistic view. A dip in one area doesn’t necessarily indicate failure; it might reflect a shift in strategy, audience behaviour, or even seasonal trends. The key is to focus on long-term trends rather than short-term fluctuations. Regularly check your analytics, but understand that sustainable, organic growth is a marathon, not a sprint.
If you do see continuous, unbroken growth, it’s worth scrutinising the factors driving it. Is your content genuinely resonating with your audience, or are you relying on tactics that might not be sustainable? The ultimate goal is to build a social media presence that not only looks good on paper but also drives meaningful engagement and supports your broader business objectives.
The long game in social media success
It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of quick wins and impressive metrics. However, true success comes from playing the long game—focusing on sustainable growth, understanding the natural ups and downs, and consistently delivering value to your audience. By recognising the limits of quick growth strategies and investing in a solid, data-driven approach, you can build a social media presence that’s not just momentarily successful, but enduringly impactful.
Learn more about our approach to social media management and the value of continuous optimisation.
Birch, Bristol’s newest podcast studio, has opened at Nine Tree Studios in Brislington.
Designed with both “audio and video first”, the space offers high quality audio recording in a comfortable suite that’s designed for film.
“When we opened Nine Tree Studios, supporting the local creative industries was at the heart of everything” said Russell, Co-Founder of Nine Tree Studios.
“We have a huge amount of versatile space, and we want it to be useful, accessible and affordable – not just sit there empty. Bristol doesn’t have a huge amount of podcast suites, with some professionals even travelling to London just to record.”
“With our space we hope to welcome and support a variety of creatives, content producers, influencers and hobbyists alike.”
With full-RGB lighting and space for branding, the studio is perfect for both guest and episodic podcast recording.
Birch also has access to Nine Tree Studios’ other facilities, including ample parking, green rooms for hair and makeup, and a large kitchen breakout space.
The studio can be hired from the hour for just audio recording or including video, with various options to suit beginners and professionals alike.
Nine Tree Studios is Bristol’s biggest independent studio. Located just outside the centre of Bristol there’s parking for over 30 vehicles with easy access to Bristol, Bath and the M4.
For more information visit www.ninetreestudios.co.uk, email [email protected], or call 01173706372.
