In the social media world, going viral seems like it would be THE gold standard.

Just imagine… millions of views? Millions of likes?

Can’t you imagine the impact it could have on your business?!

Well, I have some news: it’s not usually as easy as that. While millions of views and likes are fun (and validating), they don’t typically lead to much higher engagement. If you’ve experienced a post go viral on social media, you probably know what I’m talking about. Once the hype settles down, you’re most likely going to have the same community as you did before — or a slightly larger one that may even be less engaged.

It’s why I’m a HUGE proponent over here of organic growth. In fact, it’s why — as an ad agency owner — I almost insist that my clients run purely community-focused ads (engagement ads) online alongside their conversion-focused ads.

After all, your PEOPLE are what matters. And, at the end of the day, your buyers are a group of people cultivated over time. See, at least most of the time, a brand-new follower isn’t the one buying from you. Instead, your plugged-in, loyal-to-you audience members are.

Something to think about, huh?

How to future-proof your business with organic growth
As the news (hello, TikTok…) is constantly showing us all, putting proof in singular apps and viral videos just isn’t the way to ensure success. Instead, you can future-proof (and viral-proof!) your business by focusing on consistent lead generation, boosting your engagement rates, and creating content you’d love.

THAT is how organic growth happens. Let’s talk about it.

First up? Make sure leads are something you’re constantly generating — not just something you’re relying on random social media numbers for. If you’re wondering how you have a TON of options. Promise! You can run ads on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest (hellooo), you can pour time into your email list, and you can make consistency your middle name. These are all things we recommend to our clients over here because they WORK. So, here’s your homework: choose a lead generation strategy to focus on! Here are some ideas:

• Create a weekly newsletter
• Run ads on Meta
• Run ads on Pinterest
• Level up your website SEO with long-form content
• Show your face on Instagram stories
• Re-do your email marketing funnels

Then, start thinking about — and working to improve — your engagement rates. The thing is, followers don’t equal buyers… but engagement DOES. And, in the simplest terms, this either means you’re connecting with your audience or you’re not. When you do connect with your audience by creating impeccable content, you’re so much more likely to grow a loyal following who will engage…

…and buy.

An easy way to do this is by simply giving a litmus test to your content creation (and your ads) with these questions:

1. Does this align with the audience that I have?
2. Am I showing up consistently already, or does this seem random?
3. Would I like this content? Would I follow me?
4. Am I clearly answering the questions I would have about this?

Once you’ve answered “YES” to all of the above and started doing it consistently, you’ve unlocked a winning organic growth strategy.

Sound simple? It’s because, well, it IS.
See, we love to complicate social media. We love to give things like virality WAY more attention than they deserve. And, don’t get me wrong here — the algorithm can be tricky. Engagement isn’t always easy to create. But when you focus on future-proofing your business by focusing on PEOPLE, you’re in a way better spot.

And I, for one, can’t wait to watch it.