The last few years have been interesting to say the least. First, our minds reeled as we processed the reality of experiencing a pandemic, certainly something most of us never dreamed we would live through. We sheltered in place, we did our best to not get sick, we panicked when we did, and we did our best to find basic necessities to survive. 

 

Then, we watched as our country went through several terrible waves of unrest- from racial to political tensions. 

 

Now, we sit here wondering just how serious the economic downturn will become. 

 

If you feel completely mentally exhausted, you are definitely not alone!

 

A wide array of feelings and reactions have resulted from living through these turbulent times. In fact, social media trends also show some interesting insights when it comes to how users overall feel as a result of all the recent chaos. 

 

Many users have felt the effects of “social media fatigue.” Social media fatigue is exactly what it sounds like: being exhausted, bored, overwhelmed, or tired of social media. Social media often leads to a reduction in social media use over time. In fact, Conversations of leaving social media altogether rose by 22% in 2020 alone. 

 

Meta (Facebook), which is the largest social media platform, has taken some huge hits with these waves of users breaking up with the platform and even recently has seen their stock take some deep dives this summer.

 

Why are some users leaving social media?

 

Many business owners depend heavily on social media to increase brand awareness, interact with their audience, and sell their products or services. Seeing users leave social media can certainly cause concern among business owners. 

 

Some reasons users report leaving social media are out of business owners’ control such as fake news, hoping to curb technology addiction, adding some calm to life, and privacy concerns. The number one reason users report pressing the delete button on their social media accounts according to a recent survey is not one to ignore however: content boredom. Ouch!

 

How do I know users are bored with my social media content?

 

A few clues your audience might be yawning and scrolling past your content are:

 

• You receive less interactions and comments.
• You notice an increase in negative comments. 
• Your videos receive less playthroughs.
• Your audience is not growing.
• You receive fewer link clicks.

 

When you look at your social media analytics and the sound of crickets chirping come to mind, it is time to make a change! Lack of interaction or even negative interactions, are very discouraging to anyone working hard on their business. 

 

Always keep in mind that negativity towards your business is often not even about your business as easy as it is to take it personally. Remember to respond professionally and promptly, no matter how hard it may be! 

 

Every business owner is naturally afraid of negative comments, but having no negative reviews can actually make users suspicious. As social media usage becomes more and more common among the population, users wonder if your reviews are all legitimate if they are all positive. Just respond promptly and do your best to mitigate the situation, and you may actually see an increase in conversions with negative comments and reviews. 

 

How can I engage my audience on social media?

 

• Don’t get stuck in a rut! Check out the latest trends often to see what makes sense for your brand.
• Engage with users and respond to comments. 

 

People enjoy interacting with brands that are responsive.

 

• Post less.

 

 If someone subscribes to you and sees 5 posts a day, they may become bored and unfollow. Think about the quality over quantity. 

 

• Promote other channels. 

 

Have thousands of followers on Instagram but only 10 on your new Tik Tok channel? Share across platforms and let people know how to find you from one platform to another. 

 

• Post unique content to each platform.

 

What works on Tik Tok certainly isn’t best for LinkedIn and vice versa! Check out your social analytics as well and see what times you receive the most engagement on each platform. 

 

• Plan ahead 

 

Coming up with creative work on the fly can lead to burn out. Work ahead, do a little research, and make a few planned posts sprinkled in with some spontaneous ones to increase engagement.

 

Remember, no one wins at social media 100% of the time! It is constantly evolving as trends come and go, but if you follow the best practices above, you’re sure to see an increase in happy fans! 

Need a team of experts who know social media in your corner? Learn more about our process and how we work to keep social media fresh and engaging at lightalive.marketing/social-media-management.