The #1 Mistake Small Businesses Make On Social Media (It’s not what you think!)
You make a post, get a few likes, maybe a comment, then you log off and disappear for a week…or 2 weeks. You’re googling, “why social media isn’t working for my business”, because let’s be honest, you have a brilliant vision for your small business and you want to grow. What if I told you, you’ve been told the wrong things about why your social media isn’t working. It’s not that you need to make better content, use TikTok, spend on ads, use more hashtags, or tag Rockford, IL (or wherever you are in the world). None of these are the real problem. The real problem is inconsistency. It’s the one mistake that kills all the other effort you’re making.
What everyone says the problem is (And why they’re wrong)
Myth #1: Your content isn’t good enough
Truth is, most small business owners don’t have a content problem. The content is not the problem, showing up inconsistently is. The algorithm will ding you every single time for that, not to mention it causes your audience to lose interest. One of the small business Facebook tips I share often is to focus on posting consistently, not necessarily every day. If everyday doesn’t work for you then focus on what does!
Myth #2: You need better graphics, a professional camera, or to do reels
The truth is, text posts outperform graphics all the time! As someone who has a Canon EOS M50 and all the things, it’s not about the fancy production equipment. It's about just showing up and being your authentic self.
Myth #3: You need an ad budget
This one is honestly a pet peeve of mine. I don’t like when gurus tell small business owners to spend money on ads before they are seeing results from using effective social media strategies. Paid ads amplify what’s already working. Doing ads without a solid foundation is throwing money out the window. Organic consistency first, always!
The Actual #1 Mistake: Inconsistency. Here’s Why It’s Killing Everything Else!
How Facebook’s Algorithm Responds To Gaps:
Let’s talk about how the Facebook Algorithm works. The algorithm is what pushes your content out and gets your small business in front of more people online. This process starts by pushing your content to a small percentage of your followers first, then based on how they interact with your content it will decide how to push your content out further. If you’ve been gone for 2 weeks, not only has your audience (your followers) mentally moved on, so has the algorithm. They’re not going to respond to your content and the algorithm is not going to push you out. Instead you will have to warm up your audience and the Facebook algorithm again. This is the same for TikTok, Instagram, and even YouTube. This is why when you start posting consistently again those initial posts or videos don't get a lot of views or engagement. You can test this out yourself!
You don’t have a content problem. You have a consistency problem
The Trust Problem
Here’s the thing, there are so many frauds posing as business owners that when you are inconsistent it’s not just you not showing up, it’s you looking untrustworthy. A business that sporadically posts doesn’t just look busy, they look unreliable. A potential customer who finds your business page and sees your last post was 3 months ago is not saying, “Oh they’re really busy”. They’re asking themselves, “Is this business still open?”.
Consistency allows you to warm up your audience and make a sell. Inconsistency resets that momentum and makes you start all over again.
How To Break The Inconsistency Loop ( And How To Break Out Of It For Good)
The Inconsistency Loop looks like this:
Post a few times in a row when you’re feeling good, maybe even for a week.
You get busy, skip a week.
You feel guilty then you post in bursts, 3 things in a day.
You burnout and you disappear again.
You repeat the inconsistency loop wondering why nothing is working.
Sound familiar? This is not because you’re lazy, it’s because you don’t have a system in place. Here’s a system you can use to finally break the Inconsistency Loop!
Decide on a realistic posting schedule
You do not have to post everyday! Do not believe the lie! Stick to 3 days that work for your schedule (and don’t have huge gaps in between)
Set aside time to plan and write next week’s content, THEN choose a content creation day
Don’t plan and create at once. These 2 tasks need to be separate so you actually stick to it!
Remember that done is better than perfect. We are not aiming for perfection, we are aiming for consistency and showing up authentically!
Why Small Business Owners Are Stuck Here (And It’s Not Their Fault)
One real reason small business owners get stuck in this Inconsistency Loop is because they’re business owners. Social Media is competing with the invoices, clients, staff, and everything else! Social media tends to be the thing that always gets pushed off. The two options you have are to build the system and stick to it or hand it off to someone who has it as their only job . That’s exactly what Ally B Social does, we take consistency off your plate so you can focus on running your business.
If You’ve Been Showing Up Inconsistently, Start Here!
The #1 mistake isn’t your content, your graphics, or your ad budget, it’s showing up and disappearing. It’s the inconsistency. To break the Inconsistency Loop you need to stick to a posting schedule that works for you OR if that’s not realistic with everything else on your plate, that’s what we are here for.
Within 20 minutes we can let you know how your page is doing and the 1 thing you need to start implementing today to see a difference! Sign up for a FREE Social Media Audit: Click Here
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