Introduction:
You could be thinking, “Well, if everyone else is on it, then I should be too!” given how pervasive social media use now is. That’s an excellent point. But seriously, you need to ask yourself, “Why am I even here?” To what end am I doing this?
A good place to begin is by giving some thought to the kind of information you want to publish and setting some goals and expectations for yourself. Determine the path you want your platforms to take, establish SMART goals, and start collecting content. This will give you direction and prevent you from randomly spreading information.
Use the Right Platforms:
Selecting an appropriate medium is as important as establishing goals. It’s not a good idea to spread oneself too thin by trying to become popular on every available medium. Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn may be the greatest options if you’re in the corporate world, while Instagram and Pinterest may be better if you’re an artist or photographer.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the options, prioritize. The two most widely used social media platforms are Facebook and Instagram (Facebook has over one billion monthly members).
Inform your audience that you use social media:
Building an audience from the beginning is one of the first steps to establishing a successful platform. You should let your customers know where to find you, even though some platforms invite your friends to like your page.
You can let people know you’re active on social media by including your handles in email and print marketing materials. It takes little effort to link your social media profiles to your website, and if you have a physical presence (like a store or a festival), a “Follow us!” sign can also be displayed there.
Optimize your Profile:
While “optimization” sounds like a lot of work, it’s rather simple and essential if you want your business to get noticed on social media.
In order to gain momentum on Facebook, it is essential that your pages have all the necessary information filled out and that your branding is consistent throughout all of your pages. To ensure that anyone who happens upon your page knows who you are and believes “these guys look professional and know what they’re doing,” make sure your branding is consistent throughout. If you’re stuck, the internet is rife with tutorials that will walk you through optimizing your site for various platforms.
Keep an Eye on Algorithms and Updates:
As we all know, Facebook pioneered using a wizard-like algorithm to determine what material to offer you by apparently reading your thoughts. Since most modern platforms use algorithms, how to use them to your advantage can greatly improve your visibility.
Photos and videos that are easy on the eyes receive more attention on Facebook than text-only posts. Including an image with your status update can dramatically increase its exposure. That’s why Facebook prioritizes sharing movies above sharing your aunt’s bizarre status updates.
The same holds for chronological platforms like Twitter. The difference between ten retweets and one hundred is knowing when your target audience will most likely read your tweet.
Create Editorial Schedule:
Please don’t dismiss this as unimportant until you’ve heard us out. Planning is essential to maintain a good social media presence, which requires publishing frequently and on time. In preparing content in advance, you can avoid duplicating efforts or missing a posting opportunity.
If you make a timetable, you’ll know when and what to post, and you won’t have to worry about coming up with content in the middle of the night. Instead, you can focus on operating your business. Important dates can be plotted, and you can evaluate the relative merits of various distribution channels.
Keep it Fresh:
Don’t be that person who constantly shares the same link. We don’t want to rewatch it since we’ve already seen it. Audiences appreciate new, exciting content that stands out from the crowd (and believe us, there is a lot of competition). Create material unique to you and your company to attract attention and encourage interaction. A movie or carefully curated photo collage is a safe bet when in doubt. Try new things out and see what works!
It’s also crucial that you not reveal too much information at once. Consider the various options available to you to reach the widest possible audience with an essential message. Maybe you conduct an interview and post it online or have a blog. Social media networks recognize the diversity of communication strategies available.
Don’t Push Hard to Sell:
Remember this one thing before making social media posts: people hate being sold to. Consider how you’d react if a salesperson at Lush or a cold caller offering window insurance tried to pressure you into making a purchase. It may make you uncomfortable and discourage further business with that firm.
The same holds for online platforms. There is more than one way to say anything; the same is true in sales. Using imagination and subtlety in your sales pitch is a terrific opportunity. Don’t use your phone for that; use email instead.
Jump on the Bandwagons:
We’ve all seen how businesses use popular hashtags on Twitter to promote their goods. Although embarrassing at times, it’s a great way to connect with people worldwide and give your company some personality.
It’s also a fantastic approach to gaining new fans who could be interested in your business. To reach a more targeted audience, you may want to use trending, niche hashtags like #WorldMentalHealthDay or #CharityTuesday.
Take care not to use the wrong hashtags or make up your own. You risk coming across as unhip and irrelevant if you don’t target the right demographic..
Interact with Your Audience:
‘Social’ media gives away its purpose right in its name. Don’t just stand there like a blank slate while someone else talks to a sea of people who can’t identify you. Communicating directly with your audience is acceptable to increase dialogue and engagement within your content.
Getting to know your audience and making them feel like they matter to you can be accomplished through positive comment responses, message replies, and the promotion of dialogue. If they know you’re considering them, they’re more inclined to keep engaging with your brand and might even tell their friends to do the same.
Conclusion:
To increase social media followers, it’s crucial to engage authentically with your audience, post relevant and captivating content consistently, and utilize analytics to understand what resonates best. Leveraging partnerships, contests, and user-generated content can also amplify reach. Moreover, fostering genuine connections by responding to comments and messages promptly helps build a loyal community. By employing these strategies thoughtfully and adapting to evolving trends, you can organically grow your social media following, fostering meaningful connections and enhancing brand visibility.
