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Help! My Brand Has Low Social Media Engagement — What Do I Do?

By Amanda Nielsen
October 30, 2024





So your direct-to-consumer or e-commerce brand has created and cultivated active social media accounts, let’s say on popular platforms Instagram and TikTok. And you’ve built up an impressive number of followers, too — so you’re feeling like you’re really on a roll. 

There’s just one problem, though … and it’s a concerning one. You’re not getting much consumer engagement with your posts. Are your followers really following anymore? (And how many of them are even seeing your posts at all?)

If your brand’s Instagram and TikTok accounts are suffering from low social media engagement — whether your engagement has always been lacking or it seemed to gradually fall off somewhere along the way — all is not lost. By implementing the right tactics, your brand can recover from low social media engagement, wooing your followers into action and breathing new life into your feed or timeline.

Read on for our tips on how to put the party back in your posts!

5 Ways to Invigorate Your Brand’s Instagram Account

If you’ve been asking yourself “How do I recover from low engagement on Instagram?” — we’ve got answers. Consider these five tips for increasing followers’ engagement with your Instagram posts:

1.    Understand your audience members … and better serve their interests — By developing a deep understanding of your Instagram audience, you can create and share content on the platform that better resonates with their interests, preferences and behaviors — which should naturally lead to increased engagement and interaction such as likes, comments, and shares.

To develop such an understanding, start by analyzing your Instagram insights to gather data on your followers’ demographics, behaviors and preferences. Then build on your audience understanding by engaging with followers through interactive features like polls, Q&A sessions and direct messages to gain firsthand feedback. Additional ways to learn more about your followers include monitoring comments and messages to identify common themes and interests, and conducting regular surveys to delve deeper into their needs and desires.

2.    Kick up your content quality — High-quality content that’s relevant to your Instagram audience’s interests will capture attention, communicate your brand’s values and encourage added interaction. Compelling visuals and well-crafted captions will make your posts more appealing, leading to higher engagement rates including likes, comments and shares. Quality content also helps establish your brand’s credibility and professionalism, making followers more likely to trust and connect with you.

3.    Find the right frequency and timing — The ideal frequency and timing for your brand’s Instagram posts will vary based on your specific audience’s habits and expectations, so you’ll likely need to do some experimenting in this area to see what works best. That said, if you want to build and maintain audience engagement, you don’t want to fall into a lengthy lull. Posting at least three times per week is recommended — and frequent posting is one of the best ways to develop a better feel for what resonates with your audience. (It also increases your chances of landing in Instagram’s Explore feed, being featured on other accounts and showing up in search results.) Also of note, if your brand posts more than three times per week, it becomes increasingly important to mix up the media types you employ (between static posts, carousels, reels, etc.) to ensure that your feed features variety. When it comes to post timing, as a general rule, posts on weekdays during business hours tend to get the highest levels of audience engagement.

4.    Harness the hashtag, and employ the correct keywords — By employing effective hashtags, you can make your Instagram posts discoverable to users interested in similar topics — and extend their reach beyond your immediate followers. Try to utilize a mix of popular, niche and branded hashtags to maximize visibility and attract a diverse audience, which will naturally increase user engagement with your account. To find the best hashtags, start by researching industry leaders and competitors to see which hashtags they use successfully. Tools like Instagram’s search function, hashtag analytics platforms like RiteTag and Talkwalker, and insights from your Instagram account’s own analytics can provide data on hashtag performance and popularity.

In addition, incorporating relevant keywords in your captions and bio will enhance your content’s searchability, helping ensure it appears in relevant searches and suggested feeds. This strategic use of hashtags and keywords drives organic engagement, attracts new followers and fosters a more active and engaged community around your brand. For keyword planning and research, use SEO tools such as Google Keyword Planner or Ubersuggest to identify high-traffic terms relevant to your niche. Monitoring trends and using social listening tools can also help you discover emerging keywords and hashtags that resonate with your target audience.

5.    Increase your own interaction — Interacting with your Instagram followers and other Instagram accounts is another way to increase users’ engagement with your own account. By responding to comments and direct messages and engaging with user-generated content, you can show that you value your audience, helping foster a sense of community and loyalty around your brand. Liking, commenting on and sharing posts from followers and relevant accounts in your industry can also help you increase your visibility and attract new followers. This two-way interaction not only boosts your profile in Instagram’s algorithm, but it also helps you build authentic relationships, encouraging more frequent and meaningful engagement with your content.

5 Ways to Take Your Brand’s TikTok Engagement to New Heights

If engagement with your TikTok timeline is on the tame side, we’ve got guidance to help you liven that up, too. Consider these five tips for increasing your followers’ engagement with your TikTok posts:

1.    Inspire more UGCInspiring the creation and sharing of user-generated content (UGC) is one of the best ways to increase your followers’ engagement with your brand’s TikTok account — in fact, UGC is arguably the most desirable form of user engagement. Encouraging your audience to participate in challenges, trends and interactive campaigns not only helps you foster deeper consumer connections with your brand, but it also amplifies your reach through organic sharing. UGC also humanizes your brand, making it more relatable and authentic to viewers, thus driving higher levels of engagement. And by empowering your followers to become content creators and brand advocates, you not only boost engagement but also tap into the creative potential of your online community, resulting in a more dynamic and interactive brand presence on TikTok.

A key to inspiring the creation and sharing of UGC among your followers is creating engaging and participatory content that encourages interaction. Launching branded challenges with clear instructions and catchy hashtags can motivate users to join in and contribute their own unique spin on your brand’s theme or message. Engaging with your audience through comments, duets and stitches not only acknowledges their efforts but also encourages further participation and fosters a sense of community. Offering incentives such as featuring top submissions, shoutouts or giveaways can further incentivize users to create and share content related to your brand. And actively showcasing user-generated content on your brand’s profile or in dedicated highlight reels acknowledges and celebrates your community’s creativity, further encouraging others to participate and engage with your brand. Collaborating with influencers can also inspire your followers to create and share UGC, as influencers’ endorsements lend credibility and excitement to your brand’s social campaigns. By having influencers participate in your branded challenges or trends, you can leverage their creativity and large follower base to amplify your reach and motivate their audience to join in and engage with your brand.

2.    Tap into trends and hashtags — By aligning your TikTok content with popular trends and relevant hashtags, you can tap into the platform’s viral nature, increasing the likelihood of your content being discovered and shared by a broader audience. Participating in trending challenges and using trending sounds helps your brand stay current and resonate with the in-the-moment interests of TikTok users, leading to higher levels of engagement such as likes, comments and shares. Additionally, incorporating trending hashtags into your content strategy enhances your visibility on TikTok’s personalized For You page, which is designed to help users discover new content.

To effectively leverage trends and hashtags on TikTok, it’s essential to stay informed about what’s currently popular on the platform. To do this, make a habit of regularly browsing TikTok’s Discover page and exploring trending hashtags to identify emerging trends and popular challenges relevant to your brand or industry. Keep an eye on the content being created by influencers and competitors within your niche to understand what resonates with TikTok’s audience. Utilize TikTok’s built-in analytics tools to monitor the performance of your own content and identify which trends and hashtags are driving the most engagement for your brand. And consider using third-party analytics tools and trend prediction platforms to stay ahead of emerging trends and anticipate which hashtags are likely to gain traction in the near future.

3.    Invest in ads — By aligning your TikTok content with popular trends and relevant hashtags, you can tap into the platform’s viral nature, increasing the likelihood of your content being discovered and shared by a broader audience. Participating in trending challenges and using trending sounds helps your brand stay current and resonate with the in-the-moment interests of TikTok users, leading to higher levels of engagement such as likes, comments and shares. Additionally, incorporating trending hashtags into your content strategy enhances your visibility on TikTok’s personalized For You page, which is designed to help users discover new content.

4.    Spice things up with storytelling — TikTok’s short-form video format thrives on captivating narratives that resonate with viewers emotionally or intellectually. By crafting compelling stories that authentically showcase your brand’s values, products and/or services, you can create deeper connections with your audience and inspire them to more frequently engage with your content. Effective storytelling on TikTok also humanizes your brand, making it more relatable and memorable to viewers, which in turn drives higher levels of engagement. Through storytelling, you can differentiate your brand, foster loyalty and ultimately build a thriving community of followers who are genuinely invested in your brand’s journey.

5.    Go deeper with your descriptions — Clear and concise captions or descriptions  help TikTok viewers understand the context and message of your videos, increasing the likelihood of their engagement with them. A well-written description can also entice viewers to watch the video by providing a teaser or hook that sparks curiosity. And including relevant hashtags and keywords in your descriptions can improve the discoverability of your content, attracting more views and engagement from users interested in similar topics.

Looking for more social media marketing insights? We’ve got you covered! Keep an eye on the Joybyte blog for regular tips and guidance designed to help your brand grow, thrive — and boost its social media engagement. For example, our recent blog “Tips and Best Practices for Writing Better Social Media Captions” offers tips on increasing the effectiveness of your social media caption writing.

Could your brand use the assistance of a team of dedicated social marketing pros to step up its social content marketing and influencer marketing efforts? Joybyte is here to help your brand sizzle on social — then optimize your results with fresh strategy ideas and monthly reporting based on historical data. Reach out to us today to learn more about our social content marketing services.


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