Whether you love it or hate it, there’s no getting around the fact that social media is now a part of business. It’s an incredibly powerful tool when used correctly – you can reach and interact with your target market directly, it’s (largely) free marketing, you can keep up with your competition really easily via the platforms, and more.
However, knowing where to begin with socials can be tricky. To help you get started, we’re sharing our top tips on the best ways to boost your social media following, right here.
1. BE CONSISTENT
It takes time to build a genuine, loyal following on social media, so you need to be consistent with putting out solid content on a regular basis. One way to ensure that you’re consistent with your output is to create a content schedule, which takes the pressure off you to actively remember to post. Simply create a bank of content and schedule individual posts to go live whenever you prefer – it’s as easy as that.
Consistency isn’t just about your post volume, it’s also about the actual content itself. It’s important to ensure that your company message is consistent across your posts, but also across the platforms that you post to. A consistent message results in a consistent brand, and one that your audience is more inclined to trust; if your audience trusts you, they’re more likely to stick around.
2. ENGAGE WITH YOUR AUDIENCE
People love to interact with brands online – it makes them feel involved, it humanises the brand, and it fosters loyalty from your audience. I don’t know about you, but I’m more likely to remember those brands and individuals that took the time to reply to me via socials, compared with those who didn’t.
In short, the more you engage with your audience, the more likely they are to stick around. Engage with your followers by liking comments or posts that you’re tagged in, replying to questions that are left for you, keeping up with your direct messages, and more.
Engaging with those who follow you – people who are, ultimately, your target market – is also a really great way to get an insight into how you can improve as a brand. People may leave constructive criticism or suggestions for you in the comments section of your posts, which is invaluable feedback from those who arguably matter the most to your company.
3. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HASHTAGS
You might be surprised by how many people you can reach by making the most of hashtags. Just as keywords on websites can help your ranking with search engines, hashtags on social media can help your posts perform better in searches on the platforms. So, by utilising hashtags you can effectively direct your content towards certain audiences via these searches – handy, right?! Use relevant and popular hashtags for your desired audience, and you’re all set.
To reach even more audiences, do some research into relevant hashtags and mix up your regular selection. Introducing variety like this will extend your reach, and you might be surprised at how many new followers you gain in the process.
For maximum accessibility, make sure you use CamelCase and capitalise the first letter of every word in each hashtag.
4.CREATE ORIGINAL CONTENT
Admittedly, it’s incredibly difficult to come up with an entirely unique or original idea anymore, but that doesn’t mean that your content can just be recycled from what’s already been done. Recycled content feels lazy and it garners very little engagement, whereas content that is at least somewhat original has a much greater impact. It takes more time and energy, but creating original content is well worth it.
By doing this, you’ll be putting out posts that stand out from the crowd, that are memorable, and that feel authentic. You also have a chance to really showcase your brand’s values and personality through this type of content, rather than simply slapping your logo onto something that’s been done a thousand times before.
5. UNDERSTAND YOUR AUDIENCE
Last but not least, it’s vital that you understand your audience. People use social media to consume content that entertains them, that aligns with their interests, and that matches up with their values. If what they see doesn’t tick those boxes, they’ll simply unfollow and move on.
Ensuring you’ve got a good grasp on exactly who it is that’s seeing your posts will allow you to tailor your content to them and their values. This will help to ensure that your posts are actually useful to your audience, which in turn fosters brand loyalty.
Spend some time reviewing who your target market is, and what’s important to them. From here, you can begin creating content that will keep working for you long after it’s been posted.
It can sometimes feel like an uphill battle building your brand on social media, but it’s worth the effort. Think of growing your audience like building a snowball – it’s slow to start, but once you get going there’s no stopping you!
If you need help with boosting your social media presence, we’d love to hear from you! Follow this link to start a conversation today.
