From 0 to 1,000,000: How to Grow Your Following

You have a social media page or pages. Now what? In the last blog post, we talked about how social media is here to stay. Now that we have established that, it is time to delve into Social Media 201. If you are still wondering what social media platforms are what and how they all work, you may need to do a catch-up course. For those that are familiar with all the workings, but still have questions about what social media tools are best for them when growing their user base, this post is for you.

Social media can be a pain, but it is a remarkable marketing and branding tool that crucial to your business. Growing your following can seem like a daunting task. Organically growing to a large number, that means not paying for followers, can seem impossible especially for a smaller business.

The good news is that it is not impossible at all. In fact, it is pretty simple, as long as you follow a few golden rules.

Tell a Story

The purpose of your social media should be more than selling your product or service. Inform the user through pictures or videos what your business is about. What does it represent? What are your values? Give your followers a glimpse into the inner workings and day to day interactions within your organization. It will create a personal connection and may answer questions potential customers had about your company.

Don’t Waste Money

You don’t need to spend money on fancy photoshoots and lengthy blogs. While these vehicles definitely catch the attention of your target audience and are helpful for other things like SEO, you don’t need this type of post all of the time. Use behind-the-scene photos that were taken on your smartphone. Or, link to helpful articles, write short tips of the day, or search for infographics you can use right off of the internet.

Give it Attention

Never, ever, ever, ever set up a social media page and ignore it. It will hurt you more than help. It may sound like a lot of time, and it is. That is why sometimes hiring a professional to take care of it for you may be a smart move, but in the beginning you should be posting multiple times a day. Mornings and evening seem to be the most popular times on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. If you can post at the same time every day, that is even better. Slowly your audience will start to look for your posts. Better yet, include hashtags on every post. Hashtags help people find you and open you up to a broader audience.

Limit Your Platforms

With so many options, it can be hard to manage all of the social media platforms available. The good news is, you don’t have to. Pick only a few and handle those really well. You can even set up your social media so that when you post on one it automatically posts on the others simultaneously. Think about where your audience is. Are baby boomer professionals using Snapchat? Probably not. Are college freshman on LinkedIn? Doubtful. Chances are your target market prefers one social media site over another. Just like in TV, print, and all other forms of media, you go where your audience is.

When it comes to social media, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. It just needs to be organized, scheduled, interesting, and relevant.