Is Social Media engagement a false and vain metric?
In those old Hong Kong classic kung fu movies, you always know the silent bloke at the back of the fight scene is going to ultimately have the biggest impact. Fast forward to the digital age of today and social media operates on a very similar premise.
We can become consumed by likes, shares and metrics like reach and engagement. We built enormous followings and slap each other on the back at our success. But these active users are just the tip of the iceberg. In fact, they make up less than two per cent of your total audience. That means these metrics can be a false flag, and just because you are not reaping in the likes you might have expected, that is not to say your marketing is not working. The reality is that most of your audience are not actively engaging, but are reading your content.
In the age of mobile phones this is especially true, as leaving comments is a cumbersome exercise and one most people won't bother with. It is important to focus your content on building your brand and personality, not just the pursuit of likes.
It can be a costly exercise trying to build engagement, especially if the content is not relevant to your brand's personality. You could just be turning away the silent majority who are the ones most likely to spend with your business.
