By Brian Hernandez 
Marketing student at the University of Illinois Marketing student interested in digital strategy, branding, and content engagement 

Why Your Social Media Isn’t Growing (And What You Can Do About It) 

Social media is one of the most powerful tools businesses and individuals have today. It is something that can be used by companies who are looking to promote their products, someone looking to build their personal brand as a content creator, or ommunity or space to communicate or share ideas. For many, however, it is not an issue of posting content, as many people post regularly on social media, but their accounts don’t grow. The views don’t go up; they are not getting the same amount of likes that they expected, and they begin to wonder what went wrong.  

For many content creators, they all have experience. I think when it happens to them, they begin to feel that social media exposure and virality is random or even unfair and not something one can control. 

But after watching the video for this assignment, it became clear to me that success on social media isn’t just luck. There are several key strategies that successful creators and brands use consistently to have the ability to be successful on social media.  The main strategies used revolve around being able to produce better content, having the ability to understand your audience, and having the ability to engage with people and viewers in meaningful ways. 

In this blog, I will break down some of my takeaways and lessons that I got from this video and expand them throughout.  These ideas will be helpful directly for college students and young professionals who want to understand how social media marketing works and how to use it to their advantage.  

Content Is King 

One of the first and most important lessons from the video is something that not only do I hear in all my classes, but is a motto marketers and professionals all follow: 

Content is king. 

At first, this might sound like a cliché phrase, but the more you think about it, the more it makes sense. If the content you create does not have a purpose, why would someone engage with it. If it is not interesting, useful, or entertaining, people would choose to just not engage with your content. We all consume so much content every day. We all watch countless videos on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, broadcasts, blogs, and streaming shows. With limited time, people have to consume media through their busy days, people have to constantly decide what is worth their time to watch.  

There are many things that deter viewers from watching videos. If a video has bad audio, the video quality is blurry, or doesn’t provide value, users will quickly move on. It doesn’t matter how much effort you put into the video if there is not value being added or brought from the video. If the audience doesn’t find it interesting, they won’t stay. This made me realize something important and overall changed my mindset. Instead of asking, “Why aren’t people watching my content?” it might be better to ask, if even I would watch the content that I am making.  If the honest answer is no, then there are areas to improve or bring attention to my content. Good content usually includes a few important elements: 

• Clear visuals and sound 
• The ability to learn something or teach something useful 

 • Entertainment or storytelling 
• A topic people care about or intrigued by 
• Professional presentation and clear representation 

This doesn’t mean everything needs to be perfect. You do not need to have state-of-the-art equipment to provide good content. Many popular creators film with simple equipment. But the content itself still needs to provide value. Over time, when people know they can rely on your content to be interesting or helpful, they are more likely to subscribe, follow, or share your work, and this is how you will build a fan base and gain loyalty. 

Understanding Social Signals 

Another idea that stood out to me in the video was the concept of social signals. Social signals basically refer to what people in society are currently talking about or paying attention to. In essence it is “what is trending now” or what would people be interested in watching. Along with trends, news events, and cultural moments all have great influence on the kind of content people want to see or would be good forms of content to build a fanbase.  A great example mentioned in the video was the COVID-19 pandemic. When the pandemic first started, many travel creators stopped posting travel content. It would not be something people would be looking for and simply didn’t make sense to promote travel when everyone was staying home and did not have the ability to travel. Instead, many creators adjusted their content. Some started posting videos about what to do during quarantine. Others shared advice about canceled flights or travel refunds. As time went on and people became tired of hearing constant negative news, audiences began looking for lighter or more entertaining content during difficult times. At that point, travel creators started sharing videos about interesting destinations as well as their own travel experiences. This example shows how important it is for creators to adapt to the moment and curate their content to what is trending or what people are looking for at that moment. If you ignore social signals, your content might feel disconnected from what people care about and your viewership and following will directly show this. On the other hand, when you pay attention to trends and conversations, your content feels more relevant and timelier and it what people are looking for at that time. For marketers and businesses, this means constantly listening to audiences and adjusting content strategies when needed to fit what the audience wants and would engage with. 

Read About: Why Influencers Are Fading from Importance

Developing Brand Champions 

Another interesting concept discussed in the video was the idea of brand champions. 

Brand champions are people who genuinely love a brand and promote it without being asked. These are the loyal fans who leave positive reviews, recommend products to friends, or share posts online to their networks to grow and build awareness for that brand. From a marketing perspective, these supporters are extremely valuable. Word-of-mouth marketing has always been powerful, but social media has made it even stronger. When someone posts about a brand they like, their friends and followers see it. That recommendation can influence many people and bring eyes to a brand or product quicker then word-of-mouth would be able to do. Brands can encourage these champions in several ways. For example, companies can. 

Restaurants do this all the time on Instagram. When a customer posts a photo of their meal and tags the restaurant, the restaurant might repost that image on their own account. The customer feels appreciated, and the restaurant gains more exposure. It is a win for both sides and if the customer reposts the photo, there will be more awareness of the brand. This strategy works because people enjoy feeling recognized. When followers feel valued, they are more likely to continue supporting the brand. 

Knowing Your Audience on Each Platform 

One mistake many beginners make in social media marketing is assuming every platform works the same way. In reality, each platform has its own style and expectations, and you need to understand that you will probably have a different audience in each platform. For example, YouTube is a platform where people go specifically to watch videos. Because of this, longer and more detailed content works well there. Facebook, on the other hand, is different. Many users simply scroll through their feed quickly. They might watch a short video if it catches their attention, but they probably won’t sit through a long lecture, so it is important to do something that will grab the audience’s attention in a short span of time. Instagram focuses heavily on visuals compared to other platforms. Photos, reels, and stories dominate the platform, and aesthetics often play a big role in engagement. TikTok is even faster and is very trendy with younger audiences. Short videos, trending sounds, and creative editing are key to success there. Because of these differences, successful creators usually adjust their content for each platform. Posting the exact same thing everywhere might not work because the audiences behave differently and you will notice this in your viewership. Another factor is demographics. Some platforms have younger audiences, while others attract a slightly older group of users as we mentioned when comparing Facebook and Tik Tok. Understanding who your audience is and how they interact with content helps marketers create posts that are more likely to succeed. 

Influencers and Their Impact 

Influencer marketing is another topic that has become extremely important in digital marketing. Influencers are individuals who have built large followings online and can influence the opinions or purchasing decisions of their audience because of their large followings. You can find influencers in many industries, including fashion, fitness, gaming, travel, beauty, and technology, sports, etc. Companies often partner with influencers because their followers trust them. When an influencer recommends a product, it feels more authentic than a traditional advertisement and followers from the influencer tend to believe and trust the word of the influencer vs regular advertisements. For example, travel influencers often collaborate with tourism boards. A destination might invite several creators to visit and document their experiences. When followers watch those videos, they may become interested in traveling there themselves and have the trust that the influencer would not recommend somewhere not to go. Businesses benefit from influencer partnerships because they gain access to a new audience. Instead of starting from scratch, they can connect with thousands or even millions of potential customers through the influencer platform and have a headstart to build their audience and brand loyalty. 

However, authenticity is important in these partnerships. If the collaboration feels forced or dishonest, audiences will notice. Successful influencer marketing happens when the brand and the influencer genuinely align with each other. If done wrong and not authentic, the audience will notice. 

Engaging With Your Audience 

One thing the video emphasized several times was the importance of engaging with your audience. Social media isn’t just about posting content. It’s also about interacting with people. Responding to comments, liking posts, and answering questions can make a big difference in how audiences perceive a brand and show you truly care about the people interacting with your brand. I think many people underestimate how powerful a simple response can be. Imagine commenting on a video from a creator you admire and receiving a reply from them. Even a short message can make the interaction feel personal. In my experience I tagged MLB all-star Bryce Harper in one of my Instagram posts and went crazy when I saw he liked my post. Brands can create the same feeling for their followers. 

Engagement also helps build community. When people see that a brand is actively responding to comments and conversations, they feel more comfortable participating themselves. Over time, this interaction can create stronger loyalty and more meaningful relationships with audiences. 

Why Visual Content Matters 

Another point discussed in the video was the importance of visual content. 

People are able to process visual information much faster than text and interact with it more. Because of this, images and videos often capture attention more effectively than long paragraphs. That’s one reason social media platforms focus so heavily on visuals. Photos, videos, and graphics are easier for people to consume while scrolling. 

Examples of effective visual content include: 

• Infographics 
• Eye-catching thumbnails that bring attention from the start 
• High-quality photos 
• Short videos 
• Memes and graphics that are trending 

Even blog posts benefit from visuals. Infographics can summarize complex ideas in a way that is easy to understand and easier for the reader to understand and grasp. Personally, I’ve noticed that I often remember information better when it’s presented visually rather than in long blocks of text as my attention span is much quicker to react to visual posts. For marketers, this means thinking carefully about how information is presented. Adding strong visuals can dramatically increase engagement. 

The Importance of a Social Media Plan 

The final lesson from the video is something that many people overlook: having a plan. 

Some creators treat social media very casually. They post whenever they feel like it, without much consistency and often times viewers notice this While this might work occasionally, it usually doesn’t lead to long-term growth. For the brands and Youtubers that I watch, I understand the days they post and what specific content goes on certain days. Successful brands typically have a structured social media strategy. This includes deciding on: 

• What type of content they will post 
• Which platforms they will focus on 
• How often they will post 
• What audience they want to reach 
• What goals they want to achieve 

Consistency is especially important. When followers know what to expect, they are more likely to keep coming back. A clear plan also helps maintain a consistent brand identity. Without one, content can feel random or confusing. 

Final Thoughts 

Social media success rarely happens overnight. Instead, it develops through consistent effort, thoughtful strategy, a strong understanding of audiences, and understanding the different platforms. After watching the video and thinking more about these ideas, it’s clear that successful creators focus on key principles. They prioritize quality content, adapt to trends, build relationships with their audience, and maintain a clear plan. For marketing students and young professionals, these lessons are extremely valuable from all aspects, not just for your personal brand. Social media continues to play a huge role in how businesses communicate with customers, build brand loyalty, and will continue to grow as we continue to advance in society. Understanding how these platforms work can help anyone build stronger digital marketing skills and create more meaningful connections online. 

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