Episode 192 of Digital Marketing Radio features 'Social Media & PR', chapter 11 from 'Digital Marketing in 2017'. Get your copy of the book over at DigitalMarketingin2017.com.

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The web used to be a place where you published, and others consumed. There wasn’t any direct interaction between publishers and consumers.

Now that’s turned 180 degrees. Customers expect interaction now. And if they don’t get it, it’s likely that they’ll go somewhere else.

Chapter 11 looks at how you and your business can take full advantage of social media and PR in 2017.

69) Focus on your core audience – David Shaw

For David Shaw from DavidMarkShaw.com, it’s not about the numbers, it’s about focusing on your core audience.

David says: “I want (particularly) small businesses to understand they should stop spending a lot of time on social media building what I call a manufactured audience – where they’ve been getting all of these follows and likes just for the sake of it.

“Lots of social media gurus have told them that you’ve got to build this big audience; and they’re not actually focused on people who are interested in their business and their content.

“When they look at their metrics it shows that their social media sucks, as the majority of it is just not being seen.

“We’ve seen the algorithms coming together over the last year or two and what [social media networks] are really doing now is straining out a lot of the content. That content’s not getting consumed. It’s not getting the likes or shares that it requires.

“I want people to understand… they’ve got this manufactured audience. They really need to clear it out and start focusing on smaller audiences that are genuinely interested in your content.

“It might mean a cleansing of your social media – focus on quality followers who are actually interested in what your business is trying to provide in terms of value.”

Read more in the book - get your copy of 'Digital Marketing in 2017' over at DigitalMarketingin2017.com.