🤓 Bite-Sized Knurd: Social media is a struggle these days. What used to work, no longer does. Sometimes we just need to ask for a little help from our friends! This month, our free toolkit will help you amplify and be heard on social media.
Good morning!
Have you been frustrated by social media even more than usual recently? I sure have! It all seems more complex and less fun than it once was. My messages get seen less because of an unknown tweak in the algorithm.
And it’s so time-consuming! 😩 Staying on top of the algorithm and which audio clip will help you go viral. I feel like I spend more time planning my social media strategy than actually writing this newsletter. That’s not how it’s supposed to go! Social media was meant to be a place for advocacy groups to talk to new people and find more supporters.
Pains of the Algorithms
Everyone talks about the infamous algorithm but has no idea how to define it.
A simple definition is the rules & data that automate decisions about what users see on a platform/website.
Each social media site’s algorithm is different and most companies won’t share the details publicly so it makes it all kinds of confusing. The simplest definition of an algorithm is a set of rules that governs what kind of content appears on a user’s social media feed. These rules and signals rank a piece of content by how likely the user will want to engage with the content and then show the best content for that user.
A social media company’s most important goal is to keep users on their sites for a longer amount of time so that they can sell advertising and increase profits. For example, Meta (Facebook and Instagram’s parent company) has updated its algorithm to prioritize two things:
- Advertising
- The Hot New Trends
What does that mean for activists like us?
Declining Reach
What used to work on social media, no longer works. We have to think differently to be seen and heard on social media.
In fact, the algorithms have changed so much that your posts actually aren’t being seen by as many people as before. On Instagram, only 12.8% of your followers see your posts, while on Facebook it’s only 5.2%.
This means it’s harder to get our message out there without a little help from our friends! While you can waste a lot of time trying to “hack” the algorithm, there are two classic tips that still work for today’s social landscape.
- Create posts that people want to see
- Ask your friends for help
The Ripple Effects of Amplification
Rather than pull out your hair from frustration, there’s a solution that you can start using this week! Social amplification.
The idea is simple, it’s the process of sharing content so as many people as possible can see it.
One way to amplify your message is to ask for help. Our real-world social networks are powerful tools. Each of us has a unique network, which means we can reach different and new people each time someone shares our posts.
The more people that see your posts, the more likely they are to share or engage, which in turn helps more people to see your posts. It’s the snowball effect!
When a post gets likes, comments, shares, or saves, the social algorithm is more likely to show the post to more people.
It’s about using the power of collective action!
Organizations can leverage their relationships to develop an amplification campaign to help boost their social posts.
- Partnerships
- Your organization’s staff
- Donors or volunteers
- Community members
Social Amplification Campaigns
People who are involved in advocacy work are usually passionate about the work. Their passions are important to them and they like to share their passions on social media. So, resharing a post might be one of the easiest asks an organization can make. Organizations can leverage the trusted relationships they’ve already built to help spread their message to more people.
Creating a social amplification campaign can help you do this more easily and effectively.
Social Amplification Campaign: An organized strategy to amplify a specific message or campaign on social media.
That’s where our social amplification toolkit comes in! I’ve created a guide and templates to help you easily ask your allies to boost your social posts.
What You’ll Get
✅ Checklist to activate your own amplification campaign
📲 An Amplification for Advocacy Template to easily use to ask your partners, employees, and supporters for help boosting your posts
📔 An interactive guide to plan your amplification campaign
🎨 Social Media Best Practices Tips to create compelling posts
