It is astounding how much social media has grown within the last several years not only as a tool to connect with people but an effective method of growing businesses and brands as well. Harnessing the power of social media, however, is not that simple. Businesses that benefit from large social media followings understand that it requires consistency, time, and dedication.
Perhaps one of the biggest challenges is the sheer volume of users spread across different platforms. With over 2 billion users with multiple accounts active on social media day in and day out, it takes a team of social media marketers and a host of tools and resources to effectively manage business social media accounts to a scale which will produce intended results.
However, is it enough to hire a team of individuals to look after your social media accounts and expect it to grow to a scale you expect? Here are five easy tips on how to grow your social media following organically.
1. Create quality content to bring in more followers
Your social media following measures exposure and influence. Naturally, every business aims for high numbers not only to impress and get the attention of potential advertisers but also to build brand loyalty and trust. You need to begin by thinking about how followers behave when they see a social media page for the first time. What attracts you most when you open an Instagram account for example? Aren’t visuals and content quality paramount in getting your attention?
The most basic rule for any social media marketing effort is to post well-curated content. High-quality content creates a lasting first impression and grabs attention. Would it be enough to bring in the large following you are hoping for? It may not be sufficient, but it is a significant step in creating a comprehensive social media marketing plan for your brand.
Creating quality content also means striking a perfect balance between promoting your brand and using ideas from others. Social media marketing experts advise following the best practice of sharing content according to the 70:20:10 ratio. What this means is that 70% of the content you share must build and add value to your brand, 20% of content must be ideas and posts from third-parties, while the remaining 10% is promotional content about your business. This practice in a sense, makes followers trust your brand more because you are not focusing on promotional content alone.
Another strategy for improving social media content is using live videos. Ever since Facebook launched live videos two years ago, this feature has grown exponentially and businesses are already reaping the benefits of posting live videos on Instagram and Facebook. According to statistics, 80% would rather watch a live video from a brand than read a blog post. One benefit of posting live videos on your social media feed is that it gives viewers the impression of transparency and your company’s willingness to share raw, unedited content and behind-the-scenes footage of company events and processes.
2. Monitor and engage across several social media platforms
Whether you like it or not, social media marketing is about monitoring the numbers. But more than that, it is about responding to what your followers are saying about your business on social media. Anything can happen within a few seconds and what one follower mentions on a particular platform can make or break your business across other platforms. It is no secret that businesses today employ tools specifically designed to monitor every content related to them across social media accounts, forums, and websites. One such tool is SentiOne.It allows you to respond to these content as soon as possible.
Responding to social media mentions is as important as monitoring them to bolster your presence and do damage control if necessary. Moreover, your social media accounts are supposed to be your avenue for connecting with clients and potential customers. Responding to mentions and engaging with your audience to increase confidence and trust from your followers. On the other hand, consider also the social media mistakes you need to avoid, which may be the reasons why your strategy is not working.
3. Use Automation and scheduling tools
If you manage social media accounts individually, it will be inefficient and time-consuming. What businesses do today is use automation tools to schedule and monitor content posts and activities. If you employ the services of social media marketing experts, they can create a unified dashboard where you can easily log-in to your social media accounts using one credential. It will help your social media marketing manager in various tasks related to all platforms.
4. Maximize paid advertising
These days, you can pay for ads on Facebook and Instagram to increase your followers. As a matter of fact, 92% of social media marketing experts use Facebook advertisements. What’s unique about social media advertisements is the ability to customize the scope and reach of your content. You can specify ads to target audiences from a certain region or the entire country. You can even release global advertising if necessary. Aside from this, Facebook can also target audiences according to specific life events they post on their account as well as their browsing activity.
The endless possibilities of custom demographic targeting offered by Facebook are too good to pass on. These targeted ads not only bring new customers but also bolster brand recognition.
5. Register your name across different social media platforms
Brand recognition on social media also depends on the handle or name you use as a business. If you’ve created a social media account on Twitter and Facebook early in its inception, you’re lucky if you had the opportunity to register your preferred account name. These days, it is much harder to do. If possible, use a tool like Know’em to verify the availability of your name across different platforms. Have them registered in bulk so that no other entity ends up using your business name on social media. Securing that your name is registered on all social media channels guarantee that you protect your brand and its identity.
In conclusion, growing your social media following takes a lot of work and hours of dedication from your social media marketing team. The tips discussed above can help guarantee that businesses harness the full potential of social media as a powerful tool in attracting customers.
