It’s WAY Bigger Than You Think. Yes, We’re Talking About Your Social Audience
Discovering that your Facebook audience is four times bigger than you thought is a game changer.
Your goal on social media is to reach as many potential clients as possible. According to a new study conducted by Stanford University and Facebook Data Science, your social media posts already reach a larger audience than you think. The researchers found that Facebook users assume their audience is only 27% of its actual size. That’s right: Your social audience is nearly four times bigger than you think.
While this is good news, you shouldn’t rest on your newfound laurels. Here’s what this discovery means for you and your marketing efforts:
1. Clicks Are Your Secret Weapon
Stanford’s researchers found that Facebook users tend to guess the size of their audience or attempt to calculate it based on likes and comments. Likes and comments are important but pale in comparison to clicks on your posts. According to Voltier Digital, clicks from shared content are five times more likely to lead to purchases. Anyone who takes the time to click on your links is interested in what you are saying. Moreover, clicks are the most common form of engagement. The average CityBlast user receives 32 times more clicks than likes. Don’t be misled by more visible forms of engagement: clicks are your secret weapon.
2. Don’t Discount The Silent Majority
The majority of your audience may not comment on your posts but that doesn’t mean your posts aren’t having an impact. Eye-tracking studies have found that users remember 69% of posts that they see. You can’t afford to ignore the silent majority. Members of this silent majority may become more vocal in the future and it’s in your interest to make a good impression. Your posts need to be sufficiently striking and useful that those who see them remember that you are a source of valuable information. If you need help creating memorable posts, try talking to one of CityBlast’s Social Experts. It’s free and a great source of info.
3. Use Trustworthy Metrics
CityBlast members have access to an account dashboard that displays statistics on how their social media accounts are performing.
Underestimating the size of your social audience is a symptom of a larger problem: Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn don’t offer comprehensive metrics. Likes, shares, comments, and retweets are important but they don’t tell you if your posts are being seen or clicked. As UberVu’s Kate Dunham explains, more complete social media metrics, “provide important insights that can help you achieve real business results.” CityBlast measures every facet of your social media presence for you and displays your statistics in your dashboard.
4. Always Be Consistent
The perceived size of your social audience shapes how you use social media. The Stanford study’s authors noted:
“The mismatch between the size of perceived audience and the actual audience may be impacting users’ behaviour, ranging from the type of content they post, how often they post, and their motivations to share content.”
In other words, knowing that your audience is bigger than it looks can help you develop good social media habits such as posting on a regular basis. As Today Made’s Garett Moon explains, “Publishing consistently makes you reliable, and that makes you someone your readers will trust.” The process of accumulating trust is taking place even if you can’t see it happening. If you don’t have the time to consistently update your social networks, Facebook allows you to schedule posts in advance or you can have a CityBlast social expert manage your pages for you.
5. Encourage Engagement
If you want more of your audience to be vocal, encourage participation. Research from Kissmetrics shows that asking a question will double your post’s comments. Furthermore, as Hubspot’s Rebecca Corliss notes, posts with photos “received 53% more Likes than the average post…(and) 104% more comments than the average post.” You cannot make all of your audience comment on your posts but these proven strategies will increase your engagement rates.
Wrapping It All Up
Knowledge is power. Knowing that your social audience is larger than it appears empowers you to get the most out of your inbound marketing efforts. By recognizing the importance of clicks and views, using reliable metrics, maintaining a consistent posting schedule, and writing engagement posts, you have the biggest possible impact on your audience.
If you now recognize the size and importance of your social audience but want help reaching them, why don’t you get in touch with one of the real estate Social Media Experts at CityBlast? Our specialists will ensure that your Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts are regularly updated with engaging content. Click here to get started on your free 14-day trial NOW!
