More People Will See Your Social Media Posts Than You Think

Keep on posting, even when it hurts.

Q: People tell me to post regularly on LinkedIn, but nobody's reading. Should I just quit? — Derek, Austin

This article could flop. You might not even get past the first paragraph. That's just a fact of life for anyone who writes anything. But it's not a reason to stop.

Let's start with some assumptions. You're probably not a professional creator. Maybe you're posting to grow your brand and revenue. At this point, you're a little embarrassed by how poorly you're doing, looking at the opportunity cost of it, and thinking that your time is better spent elsewhere.

But let me offer a few thoughts on why you may want to stick it out. I know many people who do not go viral on social, but still use these platforms successfully to attract and convert business-building opportunities.

Here are three reasons you should keep going:

1. Posting content builds your credibility.

Even if your post flops, the views never go down — they only go up.

But who, you may ask, is viewing your posts from three months ago? Potential business partners and other business prospects can and will check your social media history to learn more about you. And during their search, they'll learn about your expertise, personality, and worldview. Having a consistent and high-quality digital footprint builds your credibility, generates inbound leads, and helps you close deals faster.

You'll be surprised when people start sharing why they liked one of your old posts — which you may not even remember — and how that accelerates their trust and faith in you as a subject matter expert.

So make it easy for people to discover your high-value content. You can put it in the "Featured" section of your LinkedIn profile or link to it in your Instagram profile (which now allows up to five links).

2. Creating content makes you sound smarter.

To create content, you must also consume content. Otherwise, you'll eventually bore everyone — including yourself.

This is a hidden reason to keep creating: Consuming and processing is a learned skill, which means that it requires building a habit. You're giving yourself the opportunity to learn something new, apply it to your work, and then share it with others — and, in doing so, you're training yourself to break complex ideas down in easily communicable ways. You're also building a reservoir of thoughts, ideas, and advice to recall in real-time conversations and through your content. This is particularly helpful if you'd like to appear on podcasts, stages, or other media opportunities.

3. Creating content helps you create even better content.

Maybe your posts are great, and nobody's paying attention (yet). Or maybe your posts are bad — because you just haven't learned what your audience is interested in yet.

Creating quality content requires consistency and a willingness to experiment. By constantly putting out content, you'll learn what resonates with your audience and what doesn't.

The only way to become a better writer is to write — so keep at it. Need a prompt? Here are a few to consider for your next post: You could debunk a popular myth, answer a question people often ask you, provide a step-by-step process for something you've mastered, or share an inspiring personal story.

You have valuable knowledge to share; the algorithm just may not know it yet. So don't get caught up in the numbers. Focus on creating relevant, engaging content for your audience. The value will follow.

This article was written by Terry Rice, and originally appeared on Entrepreneur.com.