4 Tips on Growing a Social Media Following
You signed up for each and every social platform, filled out your profiles with who you are and what you do, designed a fancy website to easily display your services and you are ready to roll... except for one thing: No one is following you! How do you build an empire of engaged and interested consumers who already have their favorite brands and influencers established. Let’s look at 4 basic tips for growing a social media following that are tried and true, and that you can implement today.
Choosing the right platform
There is not a “one-size fits all” method for social media and not every platform needs your brand’s presence on them. In order to choose which platforms you need to be on, you need to understand what the platform does, how to use it, how consumers are using it, and whether or not your brand can gain a significant following from target consumers already on the platform.
Facebook is great for personal use and community connections, however, if your brand has a lot of amazing graphics and pictures, or if you want to keep tabs on who is purchasing your product, Instagram is more beneficial. It is also easier to develop a brand identity, as consistent, bright, and colorful feeds continue to attract followers. Now, I know you have heard about the new kid on the block, Tiktok which is the fastest-growing platform with endless viral potential, as long as you are willing to put yourself on camera. Here at Prescribed Social, we will teach you how to get comfortable on camera and choose which platform you should start off with.
Study the competition
Search those in your same niche on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Tiktok, etc. and see what they are active on and how they are using those platforms. How often are they sharing? What kind of content are they posting? What does their engagement look like? Being knowledgeable on others’ social media strategies will help guide how you should be marketing. You can also pick up on where your competition lags in terms of these strategies, and capitalize on offering that to consumers or potential clients.
Create a content strategy
This one might seem like common sense, but post awesome content! Don’t ever post just for the sake of posting. You’ve heard it a million times and it’s a million times true: quality > quantity! If what you’re posting isn’t engaging or consistent with your brand, people will not see the point of following. Planning out content, previewing how it looks, and how it creates an interaction point with followers. Don’t be afraid to get personal either! No one wants to be sold too 100% of the time, and it has actually been proven to hurt brands who only post about their business.
ENGAGE with your audience!
It isn’t enough to post amazing content and expect your audience to flock to your brand and spread the word! Reply to comments, like and follow others in your niche, answer any questions you get, and be social. Your followers are on these platforms because they want to connect and interact, and you shouldn’t just focus on the number of likes, profile clicks, or purchases. Maintaining the relationship you built with your followers makes them more likely to refer you to a friend or tag you in a post! So many brands just leave their consumers hanging. Social media is meant to be social!
