Social Media managers have this idea that posting in high volumes will get you the results you want. If you post enough times, the algorithm will eventually reward you. You’ll likely see a jump in views, but will views convert into a following? For a premium brand, views are a vanity metric. If you are building a legacy, would you rather earn temporary attention, or enduring authority? The choice is obvious, but yet so many brands continue to play the volume game.
The Architecture of Strategy
Successful narratives aren’t something that are stumbled upon. The more you plan your social media strategy, the more effective it will be. Before a single post is published, a brand must:
- Define Your Objective: Align your narrative with a hard business outcome.
- Identify the Room: You need to know exactly who your target is
- Audit your Competition: Analyze what they are doing and design a strategy that cuts through it
- Establish your norm: Figure out a good schedule for your content that protects your brand’s identity
- Data with Design: Ensure your strategy is working by tracking your efforts and adjusting your framework if necessary
While these are essential steps, we still see brands stumble. Let’s take a look why.
1. Chasing Attention Over Authority
Everyone wants to see their numbers go up, but there is no point having a crowd when no one is listening. 100,000 passive scrollers hold less value than 500 qualified buyers. When you optimize for reach, you are devalueing your message. Ensure you are always chasing authority.
2. Silence is not always Golden
A lot of brands post heavily for 2 weeks, then fade out quickly. Burnout happens and they never recover. It’s important to create a consistent schedule that you can actually follow. It might be that you find posting 2 times a week comfortable. Consistency is rewarded.
3. The “Cheap Hook” Trap
Engagement-bait hooks are great for a following, but if you want to maintain a luxury or high-tier presence, your hooks must rely on substance. Build instant trust by using data or credentials. Lead immediately with the result, respecting the reader’s time. Speak directly to the room you want to occupy.
4. Tracking the Wrong Data
Once you’ve defined your goals, started posting consistently, and worked on your hooks, it’s time to track the performance of your posts. Tracking the performance of your posts can mean various things. It can be your conversion rates, cost per acquisition, total leads generated, impressions, profile visits, etc.
5. The Generalist Echo Chamber
While you can learn a lot from others, if all you do is copy the same content as your competitors, you will never see success. Strategies fail when brands strip away their unique point of view to fit a trend. Your narrative needs to be specific to the philosophy you are selling.
Rarely ever is effort the reason for a failing social media strategy. It is almost always a problem of intention. When you stop treating platforms as vanity metrics, analyzing your impact with intent, you will finally see your strategy compound. Stop chasing the algorithm with volume. Start Orchestrating your narrative.