Big Social Media Numbers Aren’t Always Best

by Molly Jo Realy on @MollyJoRealy

It’s nice to be noticed, isn’t it? It’s fun when you get that little “ding” on your phone that tells you someone shared your post, or tagged you on Twitter. The best is when someone subscribes to your blog or email . . . Or is it? 

I was pretty thrilled some years ago when my blog subscription hit over one hundred, and kept growing. And then I learned more about analytics. 

Look, we’re writers, not mathematicians, am I right? But now and then we have to do the brainwork necessary to grow our creative endeavors. 

Let’s say you have a nice pot of crawfish about to boil. And you add some more to the water. And then some more. And more. Does the water ever boil? Or does it just slosh out of the overfilled pot? Do those crawfish ever get cooked? I’m thinking not. I’m thinking they’re waving their mini lobster-like claws and laughing at me for trying.

You know the old saying, “You can’t see the forest for the trees.” Too many subscribers for the sake of subscribers can actually hurt your metrics.

Put it this way: Would you rather have a lot of inactive followers, or a higher rate of active readers who will like, comment, and tell their friends about you?

Recently I spent some time deleting inactive subscribers from my blog list. It really hurt to see the list pare down so, well, low. But then something great started to happen. My rates went up. 

Instead of a 10% daily readership, now I have well over 65%. And that’s on a day when I’ve not posted fresh material! While my clickthrough rate has always been above the industry standard, now it’s even more so. 

Take a look at how your subscribers are responding. The analytics of social media will tell you which topics are your best, and what days and times your readers like to find you. 

Don’t be afraid to remove your inactives. A good rule of thumb is if they haven’t opened any of the last twenty emails or posts, chances are they’re not going to. If you’re still not sure, send out an email blast asking them to confirm their interest. If they still don’t respond, you’ll have your answer. 

You really can grow your social media presence by pruning your audience. 

With garden gloves and a floppy hat,
Happy pruning.
~Molly Jo

TWEETABLES

Big #blogging numbers aren't always the best - @MollyJoRealy on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Grow your #socialmedia presence by pruning your audience - @MollyJoRealy on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

A Southern Belle in Southern California, and known to her friends as the Bohemian Hurricane, Molly Jo is a writer, editor, social media ninja, and producer of Aaron Gansky’s Firsts in Fiction podcast. Her writings have been featured in children’s magazines, on national blogs and devotional websites, and have earned her awards and scholarships from nationally-acclaimed writing programs. She is the founder of New Inklings Press, author of The Unemployment Cookbook: Ideas for Feeding Families One Meal at a Time, and other books available through her website and on Amazon.

Her current work in progress, NOLA, is a location mystery set in New Orleans and is scheduled for publication in 2018.

You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and her blog, Frankly, My Dear . . .

For more information on her social media, marketing services and books, contact her through her website MollyJoRealy.com.