What Every Business Needs to Know About the Latest Changes to Social Media Platforms

It’s no secret that Instagram and Facebook are changing, and the proof is in the numbers, and the numbers don’t lie. Will Instagram and Facebook always be essential platforms for your small business? Absolutely. But, there may be some shifts your small business will have to take to grow sales organically– without spending money on ads.

That answer is, TikTok.

What’s Happening Now

Reach and engagement have changed drastically. Users’ feeds are now filled with ads, and standard posts aren’t showing up on feeds like they used to. The numbers speak for themselves. Here are some statistics in the last year from a local boutique:[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”95485″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”95484″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]

Facebook (173k followers): 2 reactions on their last six posts.

Instagram (23k followers): 8 reactions on their last post.

TikTok (423 followers): 1047 views and 36 reactions on their last post!

4.5 times more engagement with 0.2% of the followers.

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]The truth of the matter is, Facebook and Instagram have changed considerably in 2022. Organic reach is down from 1.6-2% to less than 0.7% for most Business Pages.

Facebook groups are also seeing a steady decline in reach. We looked at some of the accounts we manage. Let’s look at a local restaurant account that has over 8,700 followers. This account is receiving fewer and fewer Likes and interactions each month then ever before. We did a Beta test to see how two images perform (then and now). The same two photos were posted a year apart but saw a drastic difference in Likes, Engagement and Impressions. A year ago (with even fewer followers) the photo received 326 likes. When posted in July of 2022, the same exact photo only received 86 likes. These images were posted the same day and time of day. The data speaks for it self.

Times are changing, and it is important to get ahead on social media. If you haven’t established an account on TikTok for your business, it’s time.

Different Algorithms On Social Media

Instagram and Facebook have a drastically different algorithms than TikTok. Facebook and Instagram are geared toward business owners, have more of a local reach with the ability to use geotags, and more emphasis on hashtags. Check the stats:[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”95483″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”95486″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]Reels are the greatest way to reach greater insights on Instagram now. On the other hand, TikTok’s algorithm is based strictly on interests, contains a wider range for reach being a global platform, and keeps you scrolling longer due to faster consumption of content.

Utilize Tiktok For Your Small Business

The way people create and consume content is endlessly changing and that’s why it’s beneficial to get ahead of the crowd regarding how you market your content or business. TikTok is your answer for today’s rapidly changing consumer environment giving future customers a chance to see what you have to offer outside of just your small town or city.

We will always love Facebook and Instagram and everything they have done to grow small businesses across the globe, but things are constantly changing. This is our way of providing you alternatives for you to revive your organic reach on social media. It is time to start seeing sales from your organic efforts again. Our job at South Made Marketing is to help you grow in the social world. Contact us today!