Social Media Makes No Sense

Everyone is trying to sell the secret to social media success. Influencers are giving followers the tips and tricks that worked for them, entire Instagram and TikTok profiles are dedicated to sharing trending sounds and strategies that will work for you (as long as you follow the creator first), and blogs and websites compile social media trends and hacks to help the TikTok-challenged get their moment of virality.  

But if you’ve actually tried any of these trends, strategies, or tips and tricks, you know it isn’t as easy as it looks. For brands and individuals alike, social media doesn’t always make sense.  

The Olden Days  

In the days of algorithms and AI-monitored feeds, it’s easy to look back on the good ol’ days of social media with fondness. When platforms like Facebook and Instagram were gaining traction (which really wasn’t that long ago), users’ feeds were in reverse chronological order, showing the most recent posts from family and friends at the top, and going further back in time the longer you scrolled. Now, things are based on more complicated algorithms.  

For those of you who are sick and tired of hearing people talk about the almighty algorithm without ever saying what it means, here’s a quick explanation. Today, the algorithms on social media are based on engagement, meaning that the platform’s system decides to boost or deprioritize a piece of content based on how many likes, comments, and shares it gets.  

The algorithm is super helpful for tech companies by determining the kinds of posts that will keep people on the app longer, but it can be a challenge for the “Average Joe” trying to crack the social media code. It isn’t infallible, either. You can have the perfect recipe for a viral post and flop, while someone with thousands of followers can post the same thing and go viral because their sample audience is larger. 

All in a Day’s Work  

A big part of my job is to help run the social media accounts for BSM Partners and the Barking Mad podcast (follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube!). Working with social media every day, I’ve seen some of the highs, lows, and in-betweens of content creation firsthand, and I’d like to share some anecdotes that I’ve picked up along the way that go to show how unpredictable social media can be.   

A lot of our efforts in BSM Media are focused on consumer-facing platforms like TikTok and Instagram (and occasionally on YouTube Shorts) since our podcast is largely for pet parents and consumers in the pet industry. One day, I grabbed a quick video of one of my cats, found a trending audio to match, and posted it. When I checked the post’s performance the next day, TikTok and Instagram Reels were business as usual. But much to my surprise, the video had gotten over 200,000 views on YouTube Shorts. A post that took two minutes to throw together became our most popular post literally overnight.  

As thrilling as it is to see something you didn’t think too hard about gain more traction than you expected, it’s much more common for content that you’ve planned out and thought through to fail miserably. In the early days of the Barking Mad’s TikTok, our Media team started posting audiograms of podcast clips as a way to showcase snippets of our content. These sometimes took a while as we combed through transcripts, designed backgrounds, and put everything into a separate program to sync the clip’s audio with the on-screen soundwaves. Unfortunately, most of these performed worse than we hoped. We eventually decided to pivot and aim for something more engaging, but there was a period where our efforts weren’t getting the results we wanted.  

These are just a few examples of how unpredictable social media can be. Sometimes the post you spent hours on completely fails, and other times the post you came up with in a few minutes takes off more than you ever imagined. There’s nothing wrong with having a plan (in fact, it’s a good idea to have a strategy for your social media platforms!) but that doesn’t mean that everything will always happen by the book.  

These Viral TikTok Hacks Will Shock You 

I speak from experience when I say that social media can be discouraging sometimes, especially when everyone else acts like they have the answer. I don’t have any miracle life hacks that will help you or your brand become the next big influencer, but I do have bite-sized, actionable steps that will help you see small growth over time. I know it sounds unglamorous, but it’s often your best shot at growing your following. 

Be Consistent  

This sounds obvious, but the more you post, the more people will see your videos. Don’t post so much that you’re spamming TikTok 20 times a day, but posting once three to five days a week will show these social media algorithms that you’re spending real time on their platforms, not just posting once a month and disappearing.  

Consistency also comes into play when you’re liking and commenting on other people’s posts. Show the platform that you engage on other people’s posts, and it’ll be more likely to boost yours.  

Film Your Content in Batches  

Even though making a TikTok a day sounds easy enough, it can quickly be forgotten when you have a million other things to do during the day. Taking some time during the week to plan your content for the next week or so and filming it in one sitting will give you more flexibility on days you don’t have time to get all dolled up to record yourself, and it takes away the stress of trying to come up with a post idea in the last 10 minutes of your day.  

Don’t Give Up 

Even though it seems a little cliché, this is a big part of your social media strategy. Unless you get really, really, really lucky, your page isn’t going to blow up overnight. This means you have to do things the hard way and get comfortable with being at the bottom of the social barrel for weeks, months, and maybe even years before seeing the results you want. It can take a long time to grow a platform, but seeing how wide social media’s reach is, I’d say it’s worth the wait.  

Happy Posting! 

If social media still doesn’t make any sense to you, you aren’t alone, or even in the minority. Every platform is vastly different, and it feels like they all change every couple of months. Despite the chaos and confusion, I want to challenge you to re-commit (or commit for the first time) to your social media strategy. Set up your TikTok profile, even if you don’t really feel like you have the hang of it yet, and start posting. And if you don’t become the next big thing overnight, I wish for you the patience to do it the hard way.  

Need more social media advice? Let’s chat! BSM Media keeps a close eye on the ever-changing world of algorithms, influencers, and trends so you don’t have to. We’ll help your brand find its rhythm online and connect with the people who matter most to your business.  

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About the Author

Cady Wolf is an Analyst at BSM Partners. She graduated magna cum laude with a degree in English from Brigham Young University-Idaho, and she currently lives in Rexburg, Idaho with her husband, their two cats, and pet tortoise. She loves animals and learning about how to help pet brands and pet parents alike.