With the increasing number of social media users and brands trying to make their presence felt, and the constantly changing algorithms, competing for organic reach has become more intense. While organic reach has been a crucial metric for brands to gauge their social media performance in the past, people wonder if it’s still a viable metric. We take you through the concept of organic reach and try to understand if it’s declining.
What is organic reach?
Organic reach refers to the number of people who see a post on social media without any paid promotion. In other words, it’s the number of people who visit your content in their feed without any advertising spend. Organic reach can be influenced by a variety of factors, including the quality of the content, the timing of the post and the algorithms used by social media platforms.
Factors affecting organic reach
Quality of content
One of the most critical factors that influence organic reach even outside social media is the quality of the content. Social media platforms always try to provide users with the best experience possible. Hence, they prioritise content that is relevant, engaging and informative. Give people a reason to like and share your posts or follow your account. Give people entertainment, knowledge or the opportunity for community.
Timing of your post
Timing is another crucial factor that can significantly impact organic reach. It can be tricky when you have an international reach, but making a point of posting when your audience is most active can help you get more visibility and engagement. However, it’s about more than just posting at the right time. Brands also need to consider the frequency of their posts and the consistency of their posting schedule.
Algorithm changes
This is the big one. Social media algorithms have proprietary algorithms that continually evolve to provide users with a better experience. Changes to algorithms can have a significant impact on organic reach. For instance, if a social media platform moves to prioritise video content, brands that create more videos are likely to see a boost in their organic reach. It can be hard to guess what a social media platform will do next. However, staying up-to-date with algorithm changes and adjusting your social media strategy accordingly is essential for achieving organic reach success.
Engagement
Engagement is another critical factor that can impact organic reach. Social media platforms reward brands that generate more engagement on their content. Likes, comments and shares can all help increase your organic reach.
Audience
Understanding your audience is crucial for organic reach success. Brands need to create content that resonates with their target audience. By analysing your audience’s behaviour and preferences, you can tailor your content to their interests and boost your organic reach.
Competition
As more and more brands enter the social media space, the competition for organic reach has become more intense. Brands must stay on top of their game and constantly innovate to stay ahead of the competition.
Boosting organic reach can be a challenge, but there are several strategies that you can implement to improve your chances of success. Here are a few tips:
1. Create high-quality content
As mentioned earlier, the quality of your content plays a crucial role in determining your organic reach. Ensure your posts are engaging, informative and relevant to your target audience. Use high-quality images and videos that are visually appealing and shareable. For example, if your video is blurry, it will not be recommended to users.
2. Break into video
We said above how many platforms genuinely prioritise video in their algorithms, perhaps emulating the success of video-based TikTok. So, why not use the video yourself? In particular, Reels are popular these days. These videos are under 90 seconds long and are shown across Instagram and Facebook.
3. Create content for your audience
Engage with your audience by responding to their comments, asking for feedback and running polls or contests. This will help build a sense of community and encourage more engagement on your posts.
You can also grow your audience by looking into the Accounts Reached area of your social media analytics and spot patterns and trends to see what will work in your next post.
Remember, organic reach takes time and effort to build. You can improve your chances of achieving organic reach success by consistently creating high-quality content, engaging with your audience and keeping up with algorithm changes.
While organic reach may have declined recently, it’s still an essential metric for brands to track. Organic reach can help brands understand how well their content resonates with their audience and identify areas for improvement. You can continue achieving organic reach success by creating high-quality content, posting at the right time and keeping up with algorithm changes. Contact us today to boost your organic reach!
