Social media platforms keep growing more and more every single day. Whether you run an online store, a blog or simply wish to have a stronger online presence, knowing how to handle your social media pages will greatly work in your advantage.
Attracting a bigger following online doesn’t have to be difficult. All it needs are certain strategies which will help put you in the right track and show you how to make this work. Here are some tips to help you achieve just that.
1. Pick the right social media platforms
The very first thing you should be looking into is picking the right platforms to use for your online activities. There are different options when it comes to running online social media pages and you can see which one fits your criteria the best.
The most commonly used social media platforms for businesses are Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Many companies also use LinkedIn but that mainly helps them connect with other businesses rather than with potential customers and followers.
Instagram, Facebook and Twitter allow their users to establish immediate communication with one another and this can truly work in your favor if you’re trying to grow your following. Depending on whether you would like to share posts and articles, join discussions with other users or simply share pictures and videos, each platform will have a different user experience to offer you.
If you come to find that more than one seems to be a good option for you and your business goals, you can always put enough time into running more than one and expand your reach to a bigger audience. Social media platforms like the ones mentioned previously are free to use and can really help you grow your following and your brand’s reputation.
2. Network with other influencers and companies
After you have successfully created your online social media accounts, you should start working on creating contacts and networking with other businesses and influencers. This will be a great opportunity for you to get to know new people and also learn many valuable tricks and tips from those who have been doing this for a while.
On top of making new friendships online, networking can have other benefits. Apart from working with and promoting your products through influencers, you can also promote other businesses and influencers in order to come in contact with their own existing followers.
Whether you are an aspiring influencer or own your brand, coming in contact with other similar people and businesses online will help you get closer to attracting more people who will actually be interested in anything you have to offer.
3. Connect with your target audience
This is a step which is truly connected to the previous one. Working with people who have similar interests and goals as you will inevitably help you make contact with your actual target audience. Whether you are selling products or you wish to collaborate with brands as an influencer and build a following, being in contact with other people in your field of work will make your more popular with their followers.
The good thing about online social media platforms is that people don’t have to only follow just one influencer. When two or more influencers are friends and post frequent posts together, their followers are bound to take a liking to them all since they all share the same interests.
Influencers are well aware of this fact and use it as a way to help each other grow and achieve their goals. This is a much more flexible way for them to gain followers who will definitely be interested in their content and continue following and supporting them for a long while.
4. Start your own blog
Companies and influencers who decide to run their brand online could greatly benefit from running their own blog. The relationship between a blog and their social media accounts is co-dependent; on the one hand, many followers will discover the blog through the person’s social media account. On the other hand, many people will find out about social media pages through the blog.
In either case, this is very helpful as it will help gather more followers who are interested in the content they see on the blog. Posting new content will keep the followers happy and show them that the people running a certain account really care about providing them with new and good quality content.
5. Post the right audiovisual content
Apart from creating blog posts, another thing that can target and attract more followers is the type of content you post. Depending on the audience you wish to attract, the social media platform you wish to post something on and the preferences of your current followers, you should make adjustments which will keep everyone happy.
For example, you can easily create a poll where you can ask your followers to let you know which types of content they prefer the most. This way you will be able to prepare certain materials and know that the content you create, and a post will actually be enjoyable by your audience.
Engaging with your followers and asking for their feedback on your content will make your brand look much friendlier and approachable and these can be qualities which can attract new followers to your social media accounts.
On top of this though, you need to make sure that your content is always looking professional and has been reviewed professionally before it is published. It isn’t wise to leave grammar and spelling mistakes in a blog post or the caption of a picture as this can really stand out badly in the eyes of new followers. In order to deal with this before it becomes an issue, you can easily find a professional tool or service to work with online such as Grammarly or TrustMyPaper, which will help you make sure your content is of the best quality.
6. Host giveaways frequently
One of the newest tactics used by many influencers and companies alike in the online communities are giveaways. By giving away a product, a discount code or a service, the person hosting the giveaway is essentially inviting their followers to invite their friends to the contest for a chance of winning the said gift.
This is a very effective technique for many reasons. First of all, it provides you with the opportunity to work with a reputable brand which will trust you to promote their product to your followers, something that apart from recognition will also grant you with a good paycheck.
On top on that, if you’re promoting your own products or services, you will be able to get the word out there about them and have many people interested and willing to give them a try after the contest is completed.
Giveaways are easy to host, they are not time-consuming and make up for a very smart way to gain new followers fast. Use them wisely and often enough and you will be able to help your page grow rapidly.
7. Post consistently
Last but not least, another thing you need to keep in mind when running a social media page and trying to help it grow is taking the time to post on it and update it frequently and consistently. The reason why your audience is following your account is that they are expecting you to be active and engage with people from the community.
An account that isn’t updated often doesn’t often the followers with enough reason to stay. If you wish to grow your audience you will have to make it your goal to post something new at least once every day. Even if you don’t want to post new pictures or blog posts on your feed, you can always use the “Stories” option many platforms such as Instagram and Twitter provide.
This will give your followers the chance to see you being active and they will easily be able to send you a message and reach out to you and let you know of their support. The more time you spend engaging with your audience and providing them with daily entertainment and content, the more loyal they will be to your brand.
Attracting more followers in an easy yet effective way
There are a few rules a social media influencer needs to follow in order to grow their following efficiently and successfully. The good news is that this is definitely not a difficult thing and it can easily be achieved by anyone who is determined to put some time into making their brand more popular and their voice heard online.
Which of these strategies do you find to be the most useful for your situation?
About The Author:
Marie Fincher is a digital content director at Trust My Paper company with a background in marketing, technology, and business intelligence. She frequently writes about data science, BI, new marketing trends and branding strategies. Marie gradually changed her focus from working in marketing to writing about it.