The rules of social media platforms like Instagram have changed, and the days of bots and programs, (and we suspect very soon purchased followers) is coming to an end.
But the truth is, this is a really really good thing for small to medium sized business owners looking to get a leg up on their online presence.
Everyone is talking about posting and content, but our research and experience has showed us that is is actually organic engagement that gives the biggest upside and return for businesses marketing themselves online.
Organic engagement means a live person, with industry knowledge and valuable input sits down and looks up other individuals and companies online in the space that they are wanting to participate in. and then, as aptly-named, engages with them with info-sharing, thoughtful discourse, likes and so on.
There is a hidden beauty in the new set up that Instagram and other platforms like Face book are beginning to implement. They are essentially making it impossible to be fake, and for those of us who are offering genuine services, that have a proven ROI. This is a blessing.
If you don’t believe us, watch our friends over at @eventplannermedia grow over the following weeks and months. They are using a system that has been beta tested with many companies across many different industries. It gains anywhere from 10 to 30 real, organic followers per day. These followers are the people and companies they WANT viewing their material. Because those are the people and companies that can eventually turn into loyal and satisfied customers.
We have been implementing the same strategies into our own pages:
Over the past few months we have seen extraordinary results! In fact, October was our highest booked month of the year and it came about 2 weeks after rolling out our new social media strategy.
So let’s raise a glass to harder social media guidelines, because they allow those who work hard, to flourish.