Your Post Went Viral, But Nobody Bought Anything
You posted something that got loads of attention. Perhaps it even went viral, but nobody bought anything. What the…?
It’s easy to look at a popular post and assume all those views, likes or comments should turn into sales. Sometimes they do. Often, they don’t.
That doesn’t necessarily mean the post failed or your offer is wrong. It means attention and trust are not the same thing.
People still need time to know you
We often hear that people buy from people they know, like and trust. That still applies when one of your posts suddenly reaches a much larger audience.
A viral post can introduce you to thousands of people, but most of them have only known you for a few seconds. They may enjoy the post without knowing anything about your work, your business or what you sell.
Some of them may not be your people at all.
A larger audience does not automatically mean a more relevant audience.
A recommendation brings some trust with it
A lot of my graphic design work has come through word of mouth.
When someone recommends me because they have worked with me or bought something from me, some trust already exists before the new person contacts me. The recommendation has shortened the journey.
Someone finding me through a popular social media post is starting from a different place. They may need to see more of my work and understand how I think before they feel ready to buy anything.
That process cannot always be squeezed into one post.
The followers you don’t see may be paying attention
I’ve had people tell me they followed me for years before buying something, even though I had never seen them like or comment on any of my posts. From my side, it looked as though they weren’t there. From their side, they had been watching, learning about me and deciding whether what I offered was right for them.
Social media engagement only shows us a small part of what people are doing. Someone who never comments may still remember your stories, visit your website or eventually recommend you to somebody else.
You can’t measure all of that by looking at the likes beneath one post.
A popular post can still be useful
A post doesn’t have to make immediate sales to have value.
It may introduce you to someone who follows you today and buys months from now. It could help the right person remember your name when they need what you offer. It may also give your existing audience another reason to understand or trust you.
The important part is what happens after people find you.
If they look at the rest of your content, will they learn who you are? Will they find stories that help them understand your work? Will they be able to see what you offer and how it could help them?
One post might get their attention, but the rest of your content helps them decide whether to stay.
Don’t disappear because one post didn’t sell
When a popular post doesn’t lead to immediate sales, the temptation can be to decide that content doesn’t work.
The answer isn’t necessarily another viral post. It may be continuing to share the stories and ideas that help the right people get to know you.
Your content is not only for the people who are ready to buy today. It is also for the quiet person who may be paying attention for far longer than you realise.
If you need somewhere to collect the stories you can keep sharing, The Dot Catcher notebook helps you catch the moment, pull the thread, find the lesson and decide where the story could lead.
Find The Dot Catcher notebook on Amazon
How long have you followed someone before eventually buying from them - and did you ever like or comment before you did?
