With the way that social media algorithms work these days, it can be extremely tough to reach your target audience without using paid advertising. That being said, there are still several techniques you can use to organically increase the reach of your content.

Join Industry Relevant Discussion Groups

Discussion groups have long been a great way to reach and connect with potential clients. Thankfully, group posts are being given a higher priority on both Facebook and LinkedIn newsfeeds. Starting discussions with educational content and engaging with other people’s group posts will give greater reach to your pieces and help to increase your website visits and blog views. Discussion groups represent a highly targeted audience that has already shown an interest in the subject matter being posted. When posting to groups you want to primarily share your own company’s content. You also want to make sure each piece fits the parameters and aim of the group. This will ensure admins and group members do not view your posts as spam.

Share From Personal Profiles

With an increased focus on friend interactions, developing personal profiles to increase the reach of your content has become essential. Customers trust individuals that they like far more than most companies and social media algorithms will be prioritizing friend posts above company updates. This puts the onus on individuals within marketing departments to optimize their profiles and develop their personal following.

Get Your Entire Company Involved

Having the backing of your own employees can make or break your social media campaigns. When you look at companies that are successful with organic social media marketing, they all have one thing in common; all of their employees like and share their content. Each time a coworker engages with your content it increases its reach exponentially, especially if all of your employees have bought in and developed their own profiles.

Use Popular And Unique Hashtags

While there is still a negative stigma surrounding hashtags on certain platforms, there is no denying they are a great way to increase your reach and target specific searches. Piggybacking on popular hashtags can put your content in front of a large audience whether or not they’re part of your current network. This process also helps to increase your following as people searching for content on particular subjects can find you more easily.  Creating your own company hashtag and popularizing it through your posts can increase reach and engagement as well.

Leverage Social Media Influencers

Influencers come in many forms and their engagement on your social posts can bring major exposure to your content and brand. Developing mutually beneficial relationships with influencers within your target market is some of the most beneficial networking you can do. A simple share from a popular influencer can put your brand in front of tens of thousands of potential customers.

Increase Your Visual Content

Visual content including videos, infographics, images and memes are all great ways to increase social media engagement. Statistics show that infographics are the most shared type of content across social media, while video is gaining ground quickly. Many people prefer to watch a video rather than read, and it’s important to remember that everyone absorbs information differently. You may have the right information, in the right place, but without the correct format, your messaging may fall flat.

Tell A Story

This is the big one these days. By now everyone has seen the carefully written, double-spaced human interest pieces that are dominating LinkedIn. These types of posts provide value to prospects and help to develop the personality of your brand. As the saying goes, people like to buy from people they like. Sharing a bit about yourself can go a long way towards humanizing your brand, which will lend itself to customer loyalty.