Instead of seeking to get more 'likes' and 'followers' on social media seek to build trust and Lasting relationships." -Bernard Kelvin Clive
There’s been a lot of chatter and concern about the number of ‘likes’ going down on Instagram.
I’m watching people spin out and create drama that doesn’t exist. Which, by the way, our brain looooves to do. So, no shame. Welcome to being human...but, let’s squash the drama before it squashes us and our businesses.
This isn’t a post to tell you numbers don’t matter. I get that the more people you have in your audience, the bigger pool you’re able to be visible in, and the more you’re able to potentially sell. I also get that ‘likes’ feel like engagement and some indication that things are working.
But, overall, we’re focusing on the wrong things.
Let’s break this down.
There are two parts to this conversation:
1.) Assessing if we’re ‘borrowing trouble’, aka, creating problems that just don’t exist.
2.) What do we do if there IS something to address?
Part One: Is there a real problem?
So, you’re getting fewer 'likes' on your posts. The question becomes, does this matter?
Most of us are focused on the wrong thing when it comes to our marketing. We’re measuring 'likes' that feed our ego instead of the results that feed our business.
Did you know you can go out and buy a bunch of 'likes' on Instagram? I’m NOT suggesting you do this (I highly recommend you don't). But, if ‘likes’ were what was important to business growth, there’s your easy fix.
If you’re not running out and buying a bunch of 'likes' to pump up your account like a padded bra, we know that’s not the real issue.
The real issue? If I had to guess, comes down to mindset or a general lack of clarity and trust in your marketing and sales process. An algorithm change isn’t going to throw you for a loop if all of that's feeling solid.
Here’s what else you should know: My ‘likes’ have gone down like everyone else’s on the ‘gram. I have a modest email list size.
Want to know what else? My clients are getting great results. They’re being served incredibly well. I’ve had six consecutive record-breaking income months.
I’ve had emails and private messages speaking to the impact my words have had on people (seriously, thank you for those, they make my entire day).
While my likes may have gone down, the metrics that matter have gone up. Way up.
Here’s some more interesting facts: The majority of my clients never ‘liked’ a single post of mine before hiring me. Some of them aren’t in my Facebook Group. Many of them aren’t even on my email list. Most of them aren’t commenting on my posts.
Y’all, the income and impact isn’t in our Instagram ‘likes’.
That’s the first part of this conversation. Is there even a problem here? You’re getting fewer likes, but so what? Are clients satisfied? Is your income sustainable or growing?
If it's all good, please don’t borrow trouble.
Unless your business is social media, remember social media isn't you business, it's a tool.
Part Two: There's Something to Address. Now What?
On the flip side, sometimes these changes do affect our income and impact. I get that.
Instead of throwing gasoline on the algorithm fire, why not funnel that energy into addressing what’s really going on?
Maybe, this means it's time for all of us to step it up a notch online.
Many of us have gotten complacent. We’re mindlessly posting. We’re hoping people will find us. We’re asking social media to build our businesses for us. We’re approaching our marketing passively.
The internet has changed. It’s gotten busier. It’s louder than ever.
We’re no longer in the days of being able to slap together an email funnel, passively sit back, and watch the money roll in.
{The people who ARE doing this and turning a profit, have a captive audience, have done their work on the front end to nurture and build a relationship with that audience by sharing massive value. You better believe they’re working and tweaking those funnels. They’re also often investing in the front end of their funnel with ads.}
This is a conversation I’ve been having with my clients a lot recently. It’s all about taking a more ACTIVE approach with our marketing. That means putting the social back in social media and giving what you want to get. It means showing up online the way you would offline.
Want more likes? Want more engagement? Try giving more likes and real engagement to your people FIRST. Try this for ninety days and tell me what happens.
The algorithm tends to mimic what people want online - connection. It’s SOCIAL media, not marketing media, remember.
Sometimes these changes are a wake up call for all of us as marketers to step up our game and return to being a little more human.
We’d never go to a coffee shop, sit in the corner with a piece of paper that told people what we do for a living and expect the entire coffee shop to come over to us, read it, get it, high five us, and hand us a bag of money.
Why do we expect this online?
People are busy. People are lurkers. People are being bombarded. People can’t see your tiny piece of paper in the corner of the coffee shop. People don’t want to give you their bag of money, and they’re wary you want to take it from them.
Back to our coffee shop. If we wanted to connect with someone, we’d say hi. We’d engage first. We strike up a conversation. We’d ask them some questions and try to get to know the person in front of us.
It’s no different online. We just want it to be different because that’s easier. It’s more comfortable.
This is a great opportunity for the cream to rise to the top and for all of us to step up our game.
If our organic reach is going down and likes are at a premium, maybe its time to bring more of the personal touch back, make an effort to connect, increase the value we offer, and show up and serve a little more before asking for the sale.
Overall, this is a chance for all of us to stop phoning it in. It’s an invitation to turn off the cruise control and put our foot back on the gas.
This is about working smarter (not harder), addressing what’s actually going on, and what’s ours to control.
You can’t control the likes you get, but you can control how you actively show up, connect, and market your business.
Let’s all remember that it’s what’s on the inside, the inside of our business, that really matters at the end of the day. All the likes, all the engagement, all the traffic in the world, don’t mean anything if they lead to work we don't believe in.
So, my friends, the algorithm might be changing. If that’s the case, it won’t be the last time. Let’s all do ourselves a favor and ride the wave instead of borrowing trouble. And, let's use this as an opportunity to lean into building those relationships online.
Wishing you your version of success!
P.S. Want an edge in business so you can make more money doing what you love? I'd love to help you flip your mindset so you can stop hiding in plain sight, rock your marketing and sales strategy, and build a business you're wildly in love with that also gets you paid.
Click here to learn more about working together and book a free consultation.
