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Amol Ghemud Published: August 14, 2018
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Social media outreach has penetrated digital world, and its impact has facilitated astounding industry growth. Every social engagement platform needs utmost attention, strategy, efficient monitoring and a fine-tuned approach.
Social media has become a requisite for brands wanting to know how their efforts turn out and businesses are quickly adopting a data driven approach to something as personal as social media.
Let’s have a look at some of the interesting facts related to Facebook (by far one of the biggest social media channel for marketing)
~1.32 billion daily active users(DAU) [Source: Facebook as of 07/17]
On an average the Like & Share buttons are viewed across ~10 million websites daily[Source: Facebook as of 10/2014] which has been projected to have been increased multi-fold since then…
Considering the above facts it’s no small feat getting your content seen & more importantly shared to create a viral marketing buzz around it, especially when you consider the fact that the attention span of the new age millennials has reduced drastically over the past decade.
Let’s face it, with access to so much content and reduced attention span, it’s getting more & more difficult to drive organic engagement.
And on top of it there’s a hoard of ‘marketeers’ (read competition) trying to vie for user’s attention.
Considering that you are just starting up (or even if you are an established firm) it’s very important to find ways to drive your strategy towards creating massive organic engagement with your target user base because “a penny saved is a penny earned”.
Want To Know More:
Read: Why We Love Organic Marketing
So without much further ado let’s dive down straight into just that!
CONTENT, CONTENT & CONTENT!!!
By far the single most important ingredient in your strategy, the importance of having great content can never be overemphasized.
I admit, it’s far easier said than done, but you need to keep on experimenting & thinking out of the box when it comes to content.
Always focus on quality rather than quantity- it’s no use publishing 50 mediocre posts daily, hoping that each post will help in acquiring at-least some users (sorry, but it won’t- the law of compounding doesn’t really work very well here) vs. Publishing only 5-7 high quality posts daily resulting in increased organic engagement.
Believe me it takes just a single great idea to skyrocket your engagement numbers.
Just to cement my argument- remember the legendary jingle “Hamara Bajaj” from back early 90s presenting aspirations of every middle-class Indian & invoking a sense of pride in owning ‘Chetak’; the same ad was presented as case study by one of our teachers in one of our marketing lectures (and is still being presented I am sure even to this day).
Google “Hamara Bajaj” & you will find numerous case studies & articles being published even today long after the ad was taken off air. My simple point here is that great content can go a long way in diving organic engagement. Just keep your content simple, witty, entertaining & out of the box.
Keep your eyes & ears open
It’s very important to remain updated on latest trends & developments in social media space as well as in your industry.
I had written a post a few months back during demonetisation on ways to earn free digital cash through different cashback offers being run by digital wallets which was pretty well received on Facebook.
Why did that happen- let’s break it down- first of all the timing was spot on, what’s a better time to promote digital cash than demonetisation & secondly the pitch was perfect, who doesn’t want to earn free cash.
It was a win-win situation for both customers(who earned free cash) & us(commission through affiliate marketing).Try to find out what’s trending in your industry & incorporate that in your posts. It will definitely help!
Educational Info
Incorporating educational tidbits in your post while keeping it entertaining will go a long way in helping you get your engagement metrics just right.
It can be a simple piece of some interesting fact from history to support your post to even complex piece of scientific process like “How it works….” depending on your target audience.
People always crave to gain knowledge & if it’s presented in an entertaining way they will definitely dig it!
“Edutainment” has never been so relevant & mainstream before!
Know what your target audience wants
Interact with your target audience as much as you can to know exactly what they want.
Use online surveys, send mailers, ask them to fill in feedback forms or maybe even talk to them directly if possible to know what they want.
Pay close attention to what they are saying and keep on incorporating changes in your posts as you go along.
Build reputation
A sub-part of above point, always try to reply to audience’s comments/queries & engage with them as much as you can.
Try building rapport with them over social media – give them a freebie etc. Or better ask someone to write a guest post. Publishing it on your site giving him/her credit as author and see him/her brag about it to the whole world.
Having a good reputation will help you in getting free word-of-mouth publicity at no extra cost.
That’s it folks from my end for now. I sincerely hope this article helps you to increase your organic reach. Happy marketing!
Cheers!!
For Curious Minds
A data-driven approach to organic engagement means moving beyond intuition and using analytics to systematically understand what content resonates with your audience. This is crucial because it allows you to create impactful content efficiently, which is vital for startups needing to maximize their marketing ROI without a large ad spend.
Adopting this mindset involves a strategic cycle of creation, monitoring, and refinement. Your goal is to turn audience interactions into actionable insights. To achieve this, focus on:
Content Performance Analysis: Regularly track metrics like reach, shares, and comments on your posts to identify patterns. Which formats (e.g., witty, educational, entertaining) perform best?
Audience Behavior Insights: Use platform analytics to understand when your audience is most active and what topics are trending within your industry. This informs both your content calendar and your creative direction.
Iterative Strategy: Treat your content strategy not as a fixed plan but as a series of experiments. Use the data to double down on what works and discard what does not, ensuring continuous improvement in your engagement rates.
By focusing on quality and data, you transform social media from a guessing game into a predictable growth engine. Understanding how to apply these principles is the first step toward building a truly effective strategy.
The shrinking attention span of millennials and younger demographics necessitates a strategic shift towards content that is immediately captivating and emotionally resonant. To build a lasting brand legacy, your content must deliver value or evoke feeling in seconds, moving beyond fleeting trends to create memorable brand associations.
This evolution requires a deep focus on content simplicity and emotional connection. Instead of complex narratives, successful future strategies will prioritize:
Simplicity and Wit: Craft messages that are easy to digest and share. Witty one-liners, clever visuals, and entertaining short-form videos are more likely to break through the noise.
Out-of-the-Box Creativity: The Hamara Bajaj campaign succeeded by connecting a product to a core cultural aspiration. Your content should aim for similar creative leaps, finding unique angles that tie your brand to broader human experiences or values.
Value-Driven Tidbits: Quickly offer educational or entertaining information that provides an immediate payoff for the viewer, encouraging them to follow for more.
Ultimately, your goal is to make every piece of content count, ensuring it is potent enough to be remembered. Explore the full article to learn more about crafting content that stands the test of time.
A high-quality content strategy consistently outperforms a high-volume approach for driving meaningful organic engagement. Publishing 5-7 exceptional posts allows you to invest resources in creativity and resonance, which is far more effective at capturing attention than flooding feeds with forgettable content that gets lost in the algorithm.
When evaluating these two paths, consider the following factors:
Audience Perception: A stream of low-effort posts can devalue your brand and lead to audience fatigue or unfollows. Conversely, consistently great content builds a reputation for quality and makes your brand a go-to source.
Algorithmic Favorability: Social media platforms like Facebook reward posts that generate high engagement. A few highly shared posts will receive far more organic reach than dozens of posts with minimal interaction.
Resource Allocation: A 'less is more' approach allows your team to focus its creative energy on developing ideas that can truly go viral, rather than burning out on a content treadmill. Remember, it only takes one great idea to skyrocket your numbers.
The evidence is clear that quality drives compounding returns in engagement, while quantity often yields diminishing returns. To see how to generate those high-impact ideas, continue reading the full analysis.
The common mistake of pursuing quantity over quality stems from the misconception that more activity automatically leads to more visibility. This strategy fails because it ignores audience fatigue and social media algorithms that prioritize engaging content, not just frequent content. Successful brands avoid this pitfall by treating content as a strategic asset, not a daily quota.
They achieve this by shifting their focus from production to impact. The solution involves a more deliberate and creative process:
Focus on a Single Great Idea: Instead of brainstorming 50 mediocre posts, they dedicate time to finding one “out of the box” concept that is simple, witty, and entertaining.
Prioritize Experimentation: They understand that not every idea will be a winner, but they keep experimenting with different formats and themes to find what truly connects with their target users.
Embrace the Power of Timelessness: Like the Hamara Bajaj campaign, they aim to create content with lasting appeal that continues to generate discussion and shares long after it is published, proving that one powerful message is worth more than a thousand weak ones.
This quality-centric approach is how you turn your social media presence from a source of noise into a source of value. Discover more proven methods for elevating your content in the complete guide.
The demonetisation post example perfectly illustrates how strategic agility can lead to exceptional organic engagement and tangible outcomes like affiliate commissions. Its success was not accidental but a direct result of combining two critical elements: perfect timing and a perfect pitch. This proves that relevance is a powerful catalyst for audience action.
Let’s break down why this strategy was so effective:
Timing and Relevance: The post was launched when the topic of digital cash was at its peak in public discourse due to demonetisation. By tapping into a trending, high-interest subject, the content was immediately relevant to a massive audience.
A Compelling Pitch: The offer of “free digital cash” was a direct and irresistible solution to a problem many people were facing. It addressed a clear user need, making the value proposition instantly understandable and desirable.
A Win-Win Scenario: The strategy created value for everyone. Customers received free cash, and the business earned affiliate commissions. This mutual benefit is a hallmark of sustainable and ethical viral marketing.
This case demonstrates that the most impactful content often sits at the intersection of what your audience is thinking about and what your business can offer. Learn how to identify these opportunities for your own brand by reading further.
For a startup, establishing a strong organic presence from day one is essential for cost-effective growth. The key is to implement a disciplined strategy focused on high-quality, targeted content rather than trying to do everything at once. This approach builds a loyal following and maximizes the impact of every post.
A practical plan to achieve this involves these core steps:
Identify and Monitor Trends: Keep your eyes and ears open. Dedicate time each week to research what is trending in your industry and on social media generally. Use these insights as inspiration for timely and relevant content.
Ideate 'Out of the Box' Content: Instead of generic posts, brainstorm content that is simple, witty, or educational. Focus on creating 5-7 high-quality post ideas per week, rather than planning for dozens of mediocre ones.
Execute with a Quality Focus: Develop and publish your best ideas. Pay close attention to crafting compelling copy and visuals. The goal is not just to post, but to start a conversation.
Analyze and Iterate: After publishing, use Facebook's analytics to see what resonated. Which posts got the most shares and comments? Use this data to refine your content themes and formats for the following week.
Following this disciplined cycle consistently is the foundation for building sustainable organic reach. Dive deeper into the specifics of each step by exploring the complete article.
The enduring legacy of the 'Hamara Bajaj' campaign offers timeless lessons in creating resonant content that transcends its medium. Marketers on modern platforms can adapt its core principles by focusing on emotional storytelling and cultural connection, which are just as powerful on a Facebook feed as they were on television.
The key is to translate its success into a digital context:
Tap into Shared Aspirations:Hamara Bajaj wasn’t just selling a scooter; it was selling the dream of middle-class progress and pride. Identify the core aspirations and values of your target audience and weave those emotional themes into your content.
Invoke a Sense of Belonging: The campaign created a feeling of community and shared identity ('Our Bajaj'). Use your content to build a community around your brand, making customers feel like part of a collective movement or identity.
Create a Lasting Narrative: The campaign became a case study because its message was simple, powerful, and memorable. Aim to create posts that are not just promotions but mini-stories that stick with your audience long after they scroll past.
By focusing on these deeper human elements, you can create content with the same kind of lasting impact. Explore our full analysis to see more examples of how to apply classic marketing wisdom to the digital age.
Prioritizing great content is the single most important part of any social media strategy because it is the ultimate driver of organic engagement and brand loyalty. In a world of infinite choice and short attention spans, exceptional content is the only reliable way to earn, rather than buy, a user's attention. It is the foundation upon which all other tactics are built.
Content becomes truly exceptional when it embodies a specific set of qualities. Your goal is to create posts that are:
Simple: The message should be instantly clear and easy to understand. Complexity creates friction, and users on platforms like Facebook will simply scroll past anything that requires too much effort to process.
Witty and Entertaining: Content that makes people smile, laugh, or think is far more likely to be shared. Injecting personality and humor into your brand voice can dramatically increase its appeal and memorability.
Out of the Box: Exceptional content avoids clichés and offers a fresh perspective. It surprises the audience, breaks patterns, and gives them something they have not seen before.
Focusing on these three pillars is the key to elevating your posts from mediocre to memorable. To master the art of creating this type of content, read the full article for more in-depth techniques.
Established firms often stagnate because they become complacent, relying on a content formula that once worked but is now outdated and irrelevant. This pitfall is the failure to adapt to evolving trends and conversations happening in their industry and on social media. The solution is to adopt a mindset of continuous listening and rapid response.
To pivot and reignite engagement, these firms must actively integrate real-time relevance into their content calendar. This involves a two-pronged approach:
Systematic Trend Monitoring: Actively track what is trending not just on platforms like Facebook but also within your specific industry. What are the hot topics, new developments, or cultural moments that your audience is talking about right now?
Agile Content Creation: Develop a process to quickly incorporate these trends into your posts. As shown with the demonetisation post, capitalizing on a current event with a relevant offer or perspective can generate massive, timely engagement that planned content often cannot match.
By keeping your eyes and ears open, you can transform your feed from a static brand monologue into a dynamic conversation. Discover more ways to stay ahead of the curve in our complete guide.
The decision between entertaining and educational content is not an either/or choice but a question of strategic balance. Both are powerful tools for building a loyal user base, but they serve different purposes. The optimal mix depends on your brand's voice and your audience's needs, with the most successful strategies often blending both elements.
To make an informed decision, evaluate the distinct benefits of each:
Entertaining Content: Witty and humorous posts are excellent for capturing initial attention and driving shares. They build top-of-funnel awareness and create positive brand associations, making your brand more likable and memorable. This is crucial for standing out among the ~1.32 billion daily users on Facebook.
Educational Content: Informative posts position your brand as a trusted authority and a valuable resource. This approach builds deeper, long-term loyalty by providing tangible value and solving your audience's problems, encouraging them to return for your expertise.
An effective strategy often incorporates 'edutainment', where educational tidbits are delivered in an entertaining format. Understanding your audience's primary motivation for following you will help you find the right balance.
Incorporating trends and educational value into your content workflow does not have to be a complex overhaul. A simple, repeatable process can ensure your content remains relevant and authoritative without stifling creativity. This approach turns trend-spotting into a systematic part of your content creation engine.
Here is a three-step process to implement:
Schedule Weekly Trend Briefings: Dedicate a recurring 30-minute meeting or a shared document for the team to post and discuss the latest industry news, trending topics on platforms like Facebook, and common customer questions. This creates a centralized hub of timely ideas.
Map Trends to Content Pillars: During your content planning, actively map the identified trends and educational points to your core brand messaging. Ask, 'How can we provide our unique perspective on this trending topic?' or 'What educational tidbit can we share that reinforces our expertise?'.
Create 'Edutainment' Templates: Develop a few flexible content templates designed to present educational information in an entertaining and digestible format. This could be a 'Myth vs. Fact' graphic, a 'Quick Tip' video, or a witty 'Did You Know?' post, making it easy to execute quickly.
This structured process ensures relevance becomes a natural part of your creative output. To see examples of these templates in action, explore the full article.
Consistently generating 'out of the box' ideas requires a structured approach to creativity, not just waiting for inspiration to strike. It involves actively looking for intersections between what your brand represents, what your audience cares about, and what is happening in the world. The demonetisation post succeeded because it found a unique angle at such an intersection.
To build a system for this, focus on these practices:
Connect Disparate Ideas: Creativity often comes from connecting unrelated concepts. Regularly ask your team questions like, 'How does this current event relate to our industry?' or 'What is an unexpected way to frame this product benefit?'.
Embrace a 'What If' Mindset: Encourage brainstorming sessions where no idea is too strange. This fosters a culture of experimentation where creative risks are rewarded, leading to more original concepts.
Listen to Your Audience: Your customers are a fantastic source of unconventional ideas. Monitor comments, questions, and discussions on platforms like Facebook to find unique pain points or surprising ways they use your product, which can spark a truly original content idea.
By making creative exploration a deliberate part of your strategy, you can move beyond generic content. Learn more techniques for unlocking your team's creative potential in the full guide.
Amol has helped catalyse business growth with his strategic & data-driven methodologies. With a decade of experience in the field of marketing, he has donned multiple hats, from channel optimization, data analytics and creative brand positioning to growth engineering and sales.
Growth Strategy and Planning
