Why are People Unfollowing Your Small Business?

Brands are present on social media so they can interact with their fans and customers about various social issues, as well as their own products and services, and provide customer service in fun and exciting ways through various types of content.

Graphic image man at computer with social media icons under heading the unfollow algorithm

Now, it is easy for big, well-known brands to gain new social media followers, but for small businesses that aren’t well-known, gaining new fans and followers can be a much more difficult task. Please note I said difficult and not impossible. There is a difference. Creating, and planning which content to post, what to say, interacting with prospects or people looking to buy what you’re selling takes a lot of time and creativity in order to attract new followers and keep them. And one of the things that hurts the most is seeing people unfollow your page or profile without stating a reason why they did so.

I am sure you have wondered why people have unfollowed you (it happens to all of us). But now you can speculate with some degree of certainty; which will allow you to improve your messaging and keep your followers.

In a recent study, AdWeek and Smart Insights report that Fractl and Buzzstream surveyed 900 social media users to better understand why people unfollow brands on social networks.

A glaring observation from this study was that over 70% of people responded that they would unfollow a brand’s official social media account for the following four reasons (in order of importance):

1. The content is repetitive and boring

2. The page posts too frequently

3. My news feed is getting crowded and I want less clutter.

4. The brand’s activities offended me

When you examine these four reasons one thing is clear: People want content that is pertinent to them to which they connect. So it is your responsibility to make sure that the content you are promoting and publishing on your social media sites is adding value. Do not post just to post. Know your audience and have a purpose when you write and post your content.

Social media is not a checklist. It is just as the name suggests: Social. Just as most people don’t want to hang around people they have nothing in common with or don’t like, people won’t stay with a brand that isn’t relevant and connecting with them. If you provide content that meets their needs in an engaging way they won’t even see your content as clutter.

Why People Unfollow Brands on Social Media
Courtesy of: AdWeek

If you need help defining your target audience, where they spend time online, and what content adds value - contact us today. We want to help you be found online.

Eric Wagner

While Eric now focuses on internet marketing, he also has a background in web development. He loves being among the first to find out about new tech—and better yet, being a part of making that tech succeed. Eric is known to be a good listener, seeking to understand how each individual sees the world. He is a harmonizer in group settings, cultivating unity while constructing the overall goal and strategy. When he’s not busy helping i7 clients dominate the online marketplace, Eric enjoys drone videography (he’s got a UAV pilot’s license), woodworking, community service, and all things outdoors.

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