APMA News - May/June 2022 - 24

Social Media Growth:
The (Three) Rules of
Engagement
Tiff any Kildale, APMA associate director of Young Physicians and Students
One of the top rules for social media success is to
consistently post content to one or two channels
instead of sporadically posting content to all channels.
It's the social media equivalent of doing one
or two things exceptionally well instead of failing
at multiple things at once. Once you've identifi ed
the social media platforms that will support your
social media goals (see previous articles outlining
social media audiences in the January/February
and March/April issues of APMA News), you need
to understand how the algorithm works on these
platforms to ensure your content is seen.
On all social media platforms, algorithms are
driven by engagement.
The concept is simple-the more people who
engage with your content, the more people will
see your content. There are certain nuances to
each channel, but the common thread among all
channels is high engagement, which is how social
media channels know you're a real person who
is posting real content. After all, social media is
supposed to be social.
So how do you get engagement?
1. Post regular, consistent content.
2. Engage with your followers.
3. Engage with other accounts.
Post regular, consistent content-I reference
this point a lot because it is the simplest and
arguably the most important thing you can do to
achieve your social media goals. Find a schedule
that works for you, even if it's only posting two or
three times a week. Stick to that schedule. If your
social media page is dormant for too long, and
you go weeks or months without posting, your
absence tells the platform's algorithm that you're
no longer active. So, the next time you post, the
algorithm will signifi cantly reduce the number of
people who are shown your content. The less
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MAY/JUNE 2022
frequently people see your content, the less they
will engage with it. Your engagement score will be
aff ected, which limits your post reach. You may
have the best content in the world, but if you aren't
posting regularly, nobody will see it.
Engage with your followers-Do not post
content and forget it. Monitor your posts. Are
people commenting? Like and respond to their
comments, even if it's just to say thank you. Be
timely about it. Responding is how you engage
with your followers (which your followers want as
well), which increases your overall engagement on
a platform. More people will see your post, which
in turn will grow your audience and increase your
followers.
Engage with other accounts-This strategy
requires a little extra work, but if you carve out
time for it in your daily schedule, it can take as little
as 10 minutes a day. Make time to comment and
engage with other social media accounts. Does
your practice have a Facebook page, and you're
looking to add more patients? Consider commenting
on other local small business pages within your
community. Make the comments relevant to their
content (don't spam them). Commenting from
your business page lets their followers (who are
likely other people in the community) know your
page exists, which also lets them know your practice
exists. Are you looking to build your following
on Instagram to help raise awareness of the profession?
Follow other DPMs. Comment on their posts.
Remember there are a lot of other users on social
media, and you're all competing for the same
space. Engagement on your end lets others know
you exist on social media. Set a goal for yourself:
Like and comment on content from 10 other
accounts a day. They'll eventually do the same for
you, and together you will increase engagement
for you both.
APMA News - May/June 2022

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