What’s the Optimal Instagram Posting Frequency? (in 2022)

How often should you post on Instagram? Just try Googling that question and you’ll find a wide variety of answers 🙃:

• One reputable source will recommend 2-to-3 times a week.

• Another will swear you’ve gotta post at least once-a-day.

• A third source will urge you to post like 2-to-3 times a day, if you wanna grow.

So who has the right answer?

Logically, the more frequently you post (especially with Instagram Reels, for instance), the greater the total reach of your posts. That is, the more users who—whether they follow you or not—will see one or some of your posts. And, the more folks who see your content, the greater the odds of gaining new followers.

In a way, it’s like having a surplus whereby—because you “fed your followers,” so to speak—there’s still “reach” leftover for non-followers.

On the downside, however—the more often you post—you should also expect a slight reduction in the engagement rate of your respective posts.

Later Media, in fact, just did a comprehensive study on this exact topic. The loss of engagement is likely because Instagram’s algorithm—in the main Feed, especially (where your “engaged followers” are the most likely to see your posts)—tends to favor showing your most recent post. So if you’re posting like crazy, each respective post is gonna see slightly less of that action.

But don’t let that scare you into posting less. In fact, Later Media recommended that accounts with between 1,000 and 250,000 followers post, on average, 14-times a week. I’d wager that sources pretty daunting 😫. If so, I challenge to you look at your current content mix and ask FOUR questions:

1. What additional content am I missing that I should start producing?

2. How can I batch content to produce more of it in less time?

3. What existing content could I expand into multiple posts?—i.e., “slice-&-dice.”

4. What old content can I repost or repurpose?

The Toughest Video to Make…

If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth a million! (And then a video playlist is worth a billion, I suppose!)

Fact is, there’s just no marketing medium quite like VIDEO. In a know-you, like-you, and trust-you business such as real estate, for instance—there’s simply nothing else like it.

So, candidly... If you’re not publishing video, then—I know this sounds sort of harsh—but why even bother with social media at all? Hear me out… Every social algorithm out there is disproportionately prioritizing video media formats. So, if you wanna get optimal results from your social media efforts, then video is non-negotiable.

Having said all that, producing video is—goodness knows—an undertaking. Remember, though: the more you commit, the better you get. 🔂

Instagram Reels Boosting: the Do’s and Don’ts

Instagram released functionality over the summer enabling its users you to boost Instagram Reels. So, if you haven’t tried it—maybe give it a go. (Obviously, boosting anything on IG is restricted to professional accounts (e.g. Business or Creator profiles), not personal accounts.) Here are the eligibility limitations:

• The Reel cannot be “shared on Facebook”

• The Reel cannot exceed 60-seconds (even though IG allows up to 90 seconds, organically)

• The Reel cannot contain third-party intellectual property (e.g. copyrighted music, GIFs, etc.)

With so many constraints, though… you may be wondering what you CAN actually boost. My advice… boost your “knowledge broker” styled vertical videos—i.e. the content that builds your agent-brand best and positions you as a trusted advisor.

To be successful on social, it requires a commitment to making content (lots of it) consistently. The downside, however, is that some of that content may or may not perform to your expectation. So… why not try boosting from time-to-time?

YouTube Shorts are now Ranking in YouTube Search Results

Youtube Shorts has a leg-up on vertical-video rivals like Instagram/Facebook Reels and TikTok videos. What is it? In a word: SEARCH.

Now, I’m not saying Reels and TikToks shouldn’t remain a focal-point 🎯of your video and content strategy. I’m just saying… YouTube Shorts has something worth looking at more closely.

In its truest sense, YouTube is more of a search engine than a social network. The primary mechanism for consuming content on a social network, for instance, occurs by way of scrolling through feeds.

However, on YouTube, content is mostly discovered through search – which explains why long-form videos have historically performed so well on YouTube. It’s because if a viewer goes searching for a specific video to watch versus it just magically shows up in a feed… then, presumably, there’s a greater willingness to watch that video for longer.

Another perk of search-based video discovery is that your videos can keep on ranking in the search results for a long, long time – versus with social networks, they distribute through the feeds and then after that, they’re no more than an afterthought 💭.

Well guess what… YouTube Shorts—on desktop and mobile—are now ranking in search results pages‼️

In fact, when I look at my own channel’s performance insights, YouTube Shorts have become my most-viewed videos (without diminishing the performance of my long-form videos). What’s more, the bulk of the viewership is discovering my videos via YouTube Search—not from the Shorts feed (as would’ve been expected).

And, here’s the cherry on top 🍒:  my top-performing Shorts were posted over a year ago‼️ Search is like a fine wine 🍷 that gets better with age!

So… here’s my advice:  start making search-optimized YouTube Shorts and customers are gonna find your business.

Free PDF Download:

15 “search-ready” video titles for Youtube Shorts ⤵️

Don’t Put All Your “Lead Generation” Eggs in One Basket (for REALTORS)

Don’t put all your “lead generation” eggs in one basket. What’s more, don’t go chasing the next and newest shiny penny.

We know that 87% of RE agents fail (as in, they go out of business🫤) in their first TWO years! That’s downright alarming.

I’d argue one of the top reasons for it centers around the tendency of many agents to, quote-unquote, dabble. Try this, try that, and then try this next thing—never sticking with any one thing long enough to realize its results. 

The truth is, EVERY lead source works – when it’s worked consistently 🔂. Maybe it’s open houses, online leads, email marketing, geographic farming, social media, or database nurturing—you name it, it works!

So… my advice is is twofold:  

1. Don’t be so fair-weather with your lead sources that you’re jumping from one to the next prematurely.

2. Mix up your approach—i.e. diversify what you’re doing. Top producers ALWAYS generate business from multiple sources.

Simple Lead-Scoring Formula for Your Real Estate Leads

Lead conversion is like basketball 🏀…

For sales teams—when it comes to lead conversion—it’s essential for you and your team members to grasp where the leads “are at” in the process of buying or selling real estate.

Otherwise, you won’t know how to recognize a ready-now opportunity from a “long-shot,” so to speak. And, if enough of your leads start to look like long-shots, then your sales team may begin treating all your leads accordingly.

Think of it like this…

• Some leads are like half-court shots. You can try to close ‘em, but you’ll almost always miss. It’s better to push the ball down-court, metaphorically speaking.

• Some leads are like three-pointers. If you get an open look, go for it—but you’ve gotta have sharp skills. What’s more, you’ve gotta “follow your shot.” In other words, don’t wait to miss; instead, go after your own rebound.

• Finally, some leads are like layups:  referrals, “come-list-me” calls, and so forth. When you get yourself into a scoring position—bottom line—the ball’s 🏀 gonna find its way to you.

The question is… how can you tell where a is at in terms of their readiness to transact?

Most sales people are familiar with sales funnels—i.e., funnel-shaped visuals divided into stages that represent where a lead is at in the process of buying or selling a product or service.

The traditional sales funnel, for instance, categorizes leads into three progressive stages of intent:  awareness, consideration, and decision.

I like to call those stages:  walking, jogging, and running because I think it better conveys the intensity with which a lead is moving toward taking action.

If a lead is “running,” for instance, it demands a proportionate measure of follow-up. On the other hand, if they’re “walking,” you wouldn’t treat ‘em as if they’re “running” — and if you were to, they’d block your calls.

The point is, knowing where the lead is so you can meet them where they are… Because if you can accurately pinpoint where they are from the start (and “meet them there,” so to speak), your lead conversion is gonna skyrocket 🚀.

The question is, how do you know?

LEAD-SCORING FRAMEWORK

Welp… the answer depends on how a lead is generated. There are two fundamental factors to determine a lead’s “stage of readiness” — that is, are they walking, jogging, or running.

The first factor is…

• THE PROPOSAL - When a lead is procured—e.g. via an open house sign-in, through a website form-fill, from a personal referral, or an “out of nowhere” inbound call, for instance—it’s never random; it’s a response.
  
  Somewhere along the way the lead was presented with an offer (a “proposal”) that, depending on whether it was a high-intent or low-intent type of offer, elicited a response relative to its invitation.
  
  For example, “click here to schedule a showing” is a higher-intent offer than “click here to learn more.”
  
  Ultimately, it has to do with whether or not the lead, in response to the offer, is opting to act Independently (without you) or Dependently (with you).
  
  Requesting an automatic home valuation or setting-up a custom home search on your website, for instance, are “independent” actions whereas scheduling a consultation or calling your office directly are “dependent” actions.
  
  So… does the proposal elicit a Dependent or Independent response? That’s the first factor to scoring your lead.

The second factor is…

• THE PLACEMENT - Regardless of whether the offer was high- or low-intent, the next factor for consideration is whether or not the lead, quote-unquote, “asked” for the proposal. In other words, was it shown to them voluntarily or involuntarily?
  
  For example, did they run a Google search that triggered your ad (voluntary) or was it a Facebook ad that simply showed up in their feed (involuntary)?
  
  The point is, where (and by what means) was the “placement” of the offer? It makes a difference.

Having said all the above… here’s how you use these factors to determine where a lead “is at” in the sales process -- as in, are they walking, jogging, or running?

• Independent + Involuntary = Walking

• Independent + Voluntary = Jogging

• Dependent + Involuntary = Jogging

• Dependent + Voluntary = Running

Knowing where a lead is at is mission-critical to effective conversion — otherwise, you won’t know how to recognize a ready-now opportunity from a “long-shot.”

Why REALTORS Should Diversify Their Marketing Strategy

Marketing (all of it!) is governed by the principles of human psychology 💭. For example, there’s a psychological phenomenon known as the Frequency Illusion.

In a marketing context, if someone sees your marketing there, over there, AND there as well — across multiple channels versus only one, for instance—it forms an illusion 🤹‍♂️ that they’re seeing and experiencing your marketing more frequently than is actually the case.

Thus—from a budgeting standpoint—to put all your eggs 🥚 in one basket 🗑 is bordering on wasteful. On the flip side… by diversifying your marketing efforts you’ll foster a kind-of “economies of scale”—i.e., more bang for your buck. 🤑

When asked about this… I think, usually, people expect me to say:  “spend it here, there, or on that,” so to speak. However—by doing only ONE THING—I’d argue, it’s gonna raise your cost-per-result.

Now, I’m not saying to overspend or spread yourself too thin—that’s not my point. My point is to embrace the power⚡of multichannel marketing magic! I want you to hear, all-day, every day:  “Oh, you’re that agent—I see you everywhere!”

Do YouTube Shorts Hurt Long-Form YouTube Videos?

Can YouTube Shorts hurt the performance of your long-form YouTube videos?

From the get-go, lots of established YouTubers suggested having separate, “Shorts-only” channels as a safety measure to insulate against any possible algorithmic side-effects of Shorts. That advice was, in my opinion, highly prudent — after all, Shorts were brand new.

Notwithstanding, Search Engine Journal recently published a Q&A with a YouTube representative that offered some new guidance. Here are a few highlights I noted:

1. YouTube maintains entirely separate viewer watch histories of Shorts versus traditional, long-form videos. So, in other words, the Shorts you watch don’t have any algorithmic influence on what long-form videos YouTube may or may not recommend to you — and vice versa.

2. The rate of growth for channels producing both long-form and short-form videos outpaces channels only producing long-form videos. So, mix it up, basically.

3. The primary reason to start a separate YouTube channel isn’t to sequester Shorts from long-form videos; it’s simply to ensure that a channel’s videos align around a specific interest shared by its intended audience.

If you wanna give the full article a read, just type the LINK into your web browser:  https://bit.ly/Shorts-Algorithm.

Top 3 Job Functions and Skills of a Listing Agent (Real Estate)

When you’re on a listing presentation vying for a seller’s business, how are you communicating the full scope of your services? Loads of agents presume the seller only cares about how you’ll MARKET the property, and so that’s all they discuss. Big mistake—for a couple of reasons:

1. Marketing on its own doesn’t fully reflect the value of your fee.

2. You’re setting yourself up to blame if all doesn’t go to plan.

Not to sound like Spock🖖—but selling homes is "only logical;” it follows a predictable sequence of events.

(A) Market a property strategically to get it in front of as many (interested) eyeballs as possible. (B) After that, you should expect buyers to schedule showings. If they don’t, then there’s a leak. It’s either that the marketing was lousy (e.g. bad photos, etc.) OR that the property didn’t match-up with buyer expectations (e.g. condition, price, etc.). No matter what, though, it’s a datapoint. (C) If there are showings, then, after a certain point, it’s reasonable to expect at least one of those buyers oughta submit an offer. If they don’t, then—once again—it’s a data point (e.g. the house smells funny, etc.).

What I’m getting at is that the role of a listing agent is way more than just marketing a property.

Every Lead Source Works – When It’s Worked Consistently

There’s no such thing as a “jackpot” lead source 🎰. The truth is, every lead source works – when it’s worked consistently.

It could be open houses, or online leads, or email marketing, or geographic farming, or social media, or database nurturing—you name it, it works!

In fact, when you look at the respective business of most top producers, there are numerous lead sources (as in, 8, 10, 12, or more) factoring into their success. Some sources will outproduce others, of course—but it’s the sum of them all that adds up.

That being said, you may see/hear a rockstar-agent on a conference stage or a podcast, perhaps, share about a singular lead source or strategy that’s been effective for them. And, while what they’re sharing is no-doubt incredible and useful, it can be easy to think that’s all the agent does to generate business. However, their success is almost always the product of multiple sources of business.

You’ve probably heard the stat that 87% of real estate agents fail in their first couple of years. I’d argue one of the dominant reasons behind the failure of those unfortunate folks is the result of “dabbling.”

For example, an agent might give a specific lead source or tactic a try, and then, unless the results are clear and immediate, the agent abandons the effort prematurely and moves on to the next idea -- when in reality, the results are (always) in the repetition. 

So here’s my advice:

A. Diversify your sources of business.

B. Don’t dabble; stay the course!

I’ve seen agents who crush it with postcards, or door-knocking, or social media, or geographic farming, or email marketing, or online leads, or whatever else. Every lead source works when it’s worked consistently.

The Top 22 Vertical ↕️ Videos of 2022

During last week’s Tom Ferry Success Summit in Dallas, TX, we published (in my opinion) a super-useful video resource: The Top 22 Vertical Videos of 2022.

No doubt, vertical video is THE trend to follow: Reels on Instagram and Facebook, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and so on. So… if you’re looking for some ideas and inspiration to level-up your video marketing, be sure to check out this resource. Just click HERE.

My Tom Ferry Success Summit 2022 Conference Top Highlights and Recaps

#TFSummit22 was absolutely EPIC this year — I dare say the best-ever! More than 7,000 rockstar agents, teams, and coaches in-person—plus thousands more on livestream—all working collectively and collaboratively to level-up their businesses. I flat-out love what I get to do! 

Tom Ferry laid out the perfect framework to organize 3-day’s worth of stellar content:

• Day 1:  DEMAND (i.e., how to establish multiple lead-generation pillars to drive new business)

• Day 2:  BRAND (i.e., positioning to create massive consideration and credibility in your marketplace)

• Day 3:  REFERRALS (i.e., working your database and personal network to to build a business empire)

What were your top takeaways?—I’d love your thoughts. 💬

P.S. Photo cred 📸 goes to the ultra-talented AJ Canaria, courtesy of Moxiworks. 🙏

Tactics to Attract More Instagram Followers (Who are LIKE Your Current Followers)

Wanna attract more Instagram followers who are like your current followers?

For starters, double-down on making valuable content that’s intended FOR your followers. It’s sometimes easy to get caught up in the desire to grow your following, all the while failing to look after the followers you’ve already got. Thing is, if you 100% focus on adding value to your existing audience by continually publishing content “worth following,” then you’ll naturally draw a bigger crowd (i.e., more followers).

That said, there are some accounts that for one reason or another stall out growth-wise. And I know you’re thinking—that it’s gotta be the content. But not necessarily.

Sometimes it’s the product of a low engagement ratio—i.e., an account’s average number of hearts/likes relative to its follower count. Engagement ratios are a major factor Instagram evaluates in deciding whether it should suggest your account to non-followers or distribute your content in its explore feed.

Over time, accounts gain and lose followers. Some of those followers engage with your content, some don’t, and some are bots—regardless of whether you’ve ever “purchased followers.” The point is, it’s possible to fall victim to stagnation at no real fault of your own.

So… Another tactic you may consider is to try boosting your posts. Not all of them — just every so often. When you boost, by default, Instagram targets people LIKE your followers. So… if you’re making content that’s FOR your current followers, perhaps consider boosting your posts to Instagramers LIKE them. Logically, since they’re LIKE your followers, the odds are pretty solid they too will elect to follow you.

Instagram’s job, in terms of helping its users discover new accounts to follow, is to size up your page and recommend it to other Instagramers who are “like” your current followers.

So… If you’re dissatisfied with the degree to which that’s happening for you, boosting may go a long way.

YouTube Shorts are Ranking (and Getting “Evergreen” Views) in YouTube’s Search Results

Vertical Video📱is most definitely on trend:  TikTok videos, Reels on Instagram and Facebook, YouTube Shorts, etc.

One of their perks is a relatively high coefficient for going viral—sometimes tens-of-thousands, hundreds-of-thousands, or even millions of views!

However, that’s not necessarily enough by itself.

Instagram and TikTok, for instance, are working to improve their respective search 🔦tools to give users additional means to discover new videos and content. Otherwise, it’s all up to the feeds.

But YouTube’s already been there and done that 😏.

Lately, in fact, my most viewed videos on YouTube have been Shorts. What’s more, the way in which viewers discovered them was predominantly via YouTube Search. Videos that only get views in a feed, for instance, run their course in about a day-or-two and then essentially vanish without trace. Videos that rank in search results, on the other hand, well—they could last indefinitely. Case in point… my top-viewed Shorts were published over a year ago! 

All that to say: over-index on YouTube Shorts!

Real Estate Postcard Marketing Idea: “Thumb-Mailers”

Postcard 📪 marketing most definitely has its benefits. In fact, when compared to digital campaigns, postcard campaigns reportedly require less brain-power to mentally process, they’re quantifiably more memorable, and, what’s more, they hold attention spans for longer. That said, print campaigns tend to cost more than digital alternatives. Bottom line—the point I’m trying to make—is that postcards have a place in your marketing mix.

According to UK ad-agency, JICMAIL—when primed by physical mail—people spend 30% longer viewing the sender-business’s content online. In practical application, that means folks scanned the QR-code on the postage and then spent longer on whatever web-page or video the QR-code opened.

So let’s assume you’re sending out mailers regularly to a defined geographic farm, to your database of personal contacts, or to the neighbors around your listings? Perhaps, from time-to-time, you oughta slip in what we’ve dubbed a “Thumb-Mailer.”

Basically, you’d take the thumbnail image that corresponds with a video you’ve presumably posted on YouTube, Facebook or wherever, and you’d make that image the front side of your postcard 🤯 Slap a QR-code on it that links🔗 to your video and enjoy the perks of folks watching said video for an average of 30% longer 📈. That’ll make the algorithms happy with you 😎

And one more point to mention… By using the postcard AND the video together, it’ll trigger a bit of multichannel magic✨— meaning, it’ll make a more memorable and meaningful impression with your audience.

Instagram Video is Vertical: IG Videos Now Shared as Reels

I expect you’ve noticed how Instagram Videos (IG Video) has transfigured into Instagram Reels, right? Lemme explain:

• Instagram recently terminated/obliterated/decimated IG Video (formerly dubbed, IGTV). Now ALL videos on Insta are vertical ↕️—i.e., either Stories, Reels, or Livestreams.

• Any IG Videos less than 15-minutes were relabeled as Reels—so now your Reels Grid probably looks gross with disproportioned cover images and freeze frames 😡. I feel ya!

• So how long can Reels be then? Welp, in order for your Reels to be distributed in the official “Reels Feed,” they cannot exceed 90 seconds. What’s more, that’s STILL the limit if you’re recording the Reel in Instagram’s built-in editor. That said, if you publish a prerecorded video that’s longer (the same way you used to publish an IG Video), it’ll still end up as a Reel—it just won’t distribute in the Reels Feed. Makes total sense 🙄.

Before this change, IG Lives (after a broadcast concluded) could be posted as IG Videos. Now they’re posting as Reels—and I’ve seen more than 20 minute runtimes. So… same as before, I expect video runtime is dependent on the follower-size of the account (e.g. fewer than 10,000 followers and so on)..
So, in a nutshell, what’s actually different? To put it simply: all VIDEO is VERTICAL 𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐎 on Instagram.

Sales Tips for Realtors: Objections Reveal Objectives

Reality check:  buyers won’t always buy; sellers won’t always sell. Sometimes it’s because of…

• Inadequate resources

• Misgivings or jitters

• Deficient information

For one reason or another—whether valid or invalid—some folks are gonna call it quits. You cannot make someone buy or sell because it simply isn’t your decision to make.

Notwithstanding, many sales professionals get rattled by objections—scared of not knowing how to handle them properly. But the fact is, there are most certainly objections one cannot, quote-unquote, “handle.” Understanding them, on the other hand, is something altogether different.

Objections, whether based on fact or fiction, are data-points. They help to convey what matters to the client. There are no Jedi mind-tricks to be performed – which means, consequently, that the pressure is off. The very best sales technique is (and always has been) service.

It’s easy to become intimidated by objections or react defensively. Resist that urge. Instead, train yourself to hear the objective, not the objection, and resolve to help your clients overcome their obstacles.

Should Real Estate Teams Involve Team-Members in/on Social Media?

Attn. real estate team leaders:  should you involve your team-members in/on your team’s social media pages? It’s a fair question—I mean, what if a team member up and leaves?

I’ve gotta say, in my opinion, that’s just a risk of doing business. For example, check out how @FarrGroupNW goes about it.

1. They prep/plan content throughout the month and then block a day during which they film VERTICAL VIDEOS together — as a team.

2. Next, they contract a local videographer who handles all the technical aspects of the production—like setup, filming, gear, editing, an so on.—so all they have do is basically show-up and talk to the camera.

3. Finally, once the videos are edited the team utilizes the Instagram Collab feature to effectively “co-author” the videos.

With FarrGroup NW, it isn’t a so-called team page that only features its leader(s); it’s actually a team effort—and they all win together! It’s like your favorite TV show 📺 with a whole ensemble of characters.

For a long time I’ve been sharing just how important video is in terms of building your agent brand. After all, real estate is most-definitely a know-you, like-you, trust-you form of business.

Your agent-brand is, to put it simply:  YOU. Nobody does you better than you — and, in all the land of marketing, there’s nothing that puts YOU on display quite like video.

But not just you—your entire team. No team’s value or culture is defined by a single individual. Unfortunately, though, when it comes to content and social media, that’s traditionally the extent of it. Together, in my opinion, is ALWAYS better.

3 Categories of SEO-Strong Keywords for REALTORS

From an SEO standpoint, there are effectively THREE types of keywords in #realestate.

1. Name:  If you’re an agent the name of your business, for instance, is most likely just your first and last name. If you’re running a team or if you operate an office, obviously, it’d be that. The point is, if someone Googles your business name—assuming your SEO is strong—then your content and web pages oughta rank.

2. Occupation:  The second type of keyword has to do with the sort of business you conduct. So, for example:  “Realtor,” “real estate agent,” “listing agent,” etc. It describes “what” you do—your role and the function of your job.

3. Location:  Finally, there are location-based keywords that specify “where” you do business:  counties, cities, neighborhoods, and so forth.

It’s mission-critical to make good use of these keywords when representing your business online:  on your website, Google Business Profile, and social media pages, for instance. 

If you wanna get discovered by customers more frequently on Google, you’ve gotta CRUSH your keywords!

3 Universal Principles of Social Media in 2022 (for REALTORS®)

It doesn’t matter the platform… Every social algorithm is wired such that INTERACTION = VISIBILITY.

Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn… I could keep going.

In other words, content that generates hearts, likes, comments, views, swipes, shares, and/or the like is gonna be distributed and recommended more widely than content that doesn’t. It’s a signal to the algorithm(s) of good, quality content BECAUSE users are interacting with it.

WHY GOOD CONTENT DOESN’T ALWAYS PERFORM:

Notwithstanding, it isn’t as simple as saying good, quality content ALWAYS gets a fair shake 🤝 – there are other variables to consider.

For instance, if you’re producing content you know is darn-good, but alas 😩, it isn’t garnering much of any engagement—I’d wager it’s because you’re not actively “working” the platform(s) where it’s posted.

The algorithms, remember, are all trying to spot patterns of interaction. This is, after all, social “networking” we’re talking about. So for example. if so-and-so routinely comments on my posts, then, algorithmically speaking, there’s a high probability they’ll do the same on my next post. Thus, the platform is likely to prioritize my posts in that user’s feed(s).

Likewise, if I go and comment on my followers’ posts and, let’s say, they reply to my comments—welp, that’s an interaction. If it happens over-and-again, it becomes a pattern. My point is, if you wanna generate more engagement and interaction on your posts, go engage and interact with others’ posts:  comment, message, story-share, mention, etc. etc. You’ve gotta work your networks!

HEDGE YOUR BET BY PAYING TO PROMOTE YOUR CONTENT:

But wait, there’s more! No doubt, social media takes a lot of effort:  producing/publishing content and, quote-unquote, “working” the platforms. It’s kind of a hamster wheel 🐹.

What’s more, as a content creator, the algorithms effectively decide the fate of your posts. For instance, you might’ve published a video that should’ve crushed, but, for one reason or another, it floundered.

And that, in my opinion, is precisely why you should put some money behind your organic content regularly:  a boost, a full-blown ad, or whatever is within your means.

CHOOSING TARGET AUDIENCES FOR YOUR SPONSORED CONTENT:

For starters, consider retargeting your followers. Research has shown that only a small percentage of your followers are likely to see a given post organically—meaning, most of your followers don’t see most of what you post. So pay for it!

You may also opt to target users who are “like your followers.” In essence, that’s basically paying the algorithm to do what you wanted/expected it to do organically.
All this to say, it’s not just posting content or just networking on social or just running ads — it’s all of that together:  participate, publish, and promote!