How to Grow Your Following
The most common mistake made when trying to grow one’s social media following is overlooking the importance of authenticity. Having 1,000 followers who are genuinely interested in your content is quantifiably more valuable than having 10,000 who don’t really give a hoot. This is why the “follow-for-follow” method is nothing more than a waste of time. The goal is to gain real followers, who really care. This can be easier said than done, which is why we’ve compiled a list of tips to help guide the process. Following these general rules of thumb will help you increase your growth rate and maximize your ability to convert followers into loyal customers.
1. Know Your Audience
Growing your following begins with recognizing the simple reality that you cannot please everyone. There are specific demographics that will resonate with your product or service more than others. The key to growing your audience is identifying those people, understanding their problems, and speaking to them. And when you do so, be sure to speak their language. They’re not interested in your cat’s latest mischief, unless you’re selling cat-related products. People follow you because they want updates and insights on your brand, whether that be new products/services, flash sales, or underlying values. They want you to help solve their problem, so try to pinpoint what they’re lacking. If you create valuable and authentic content, the hardest part is already done. Stay focused, be true to your brand, and the right audience will come naturally.
2. Utilize Hashtags
When used effectively, hashtags can be the easiest and fastest way to expand your reach. Hashtag strategy varies across platforms, so be sure to do some light research before picking your hashtags. It's always a good idea to use a mix of long-tail and short-tail hashtags so that your post appears in the most popular searches, as well as the more niche searches. Make sure that your hashtags are not only relevant to the post, but to your overall brand. Otherwise, you might not be reaching your target audience. For more on hashtags, head to our blog, “5 Common Digital Marketing Misconceptions.”
3. Advertise Your Social Media Page on Other Platforms
When it comes to digital marketing, it’s best to market across multiple platforms. Your website should have links to your social media pages, so that people who are interested in your content can easily follow your page. This is a two way street, and your social media page should also have a clear link to your website, which is usually where leads get converted to sales. If you do email marketing (which you should!), be sure to include social and website links there as well. This way, the different platforms can play off of each other for maximum benefit.
4. Engage With Your Audience
Not only do posts with more engagement get prioritized by the algorithms, but reacting to your followers' comments also strengthens their relationship to your brand. It shows that you are listening attentively to their opinions and that you value what they have to say. It also shows that there’s a person behind the brand, which boosts perceived authenticity and trust in your organization. Plus, social media is by far the most preferred method of customer care among consumers, so it’s a great way to resolve issues that could otherwise result in a lost customer. A lot of brands don’t realize just how important reactive engagement is, in fact just 1 in 10 messages get a response. This means it shouldn’t be too hard for your brand to raise the bar, landing a spot in the “brands I love” category of your followers’ hearts.
5. Don’t Underestimate the Power of Video
Videos are the most engaging type of content across all platforms. Since high engagement means high visibility, and high visibility means increased opportunity for new followers, videos are a great way to boost your following. Video content can vary greatly depending on your product/service. Maybe it’s just some cool graphic design with info on your latest sale, or maybe it’s a shot of you explaining your brand’s mission, vision, and values. Whatever it is, just keep in mind that many people tend to watch videos with the sound off, so try to include captions when you can.
6. Consider Paid Ads
Paid ads are a wonderful addition to any marketing strategy, for those who have the budget. With an effective ad strategy focused on managing ROI, you can drive traffic to your page and greatly increase your bottom line. However, there’s an important distinction that should be made here: buying ads is very different from buying followers. It’s never good practice to buy followers, because they are inauthentic and therefore have no real benefit to your business. A better approach is to invest in an ongoing ad strategy that can help you naturally gain authentic followers, who are actually interested in what you’re selling.
7. Hire a Digital Marketing Expert
Ultimately, the best way to increase your brand awareness and grow your following is by hiring an expert. Usually, organizations simply don’t have the bandwidth to effectively leverage social media, unless they have a full-time in-house marketing specialist. Time is money, and if you find yourself pouring too much time into your digital marketing efforts when you’re supposed to be running your business, it can be more cost-effective to hire out. If this sounds like you, we’d love to chat. Schedule a free consultation to see how we can help grow your following and convert those leads into sales.
