Just a handful of active followers, people who are likely to engage with posts, are more valuable than hundreds of robotic place-fillers that are little more than a number. There are a variety of ways to grow your following and engagements on all social media platforms.
Start by optimizing your sites. Be sure to choose identifiable names, recognizable profile photos and clear and succinct descriptions of your business. Be sure to include all details such as your location and contact info as well as links to your website and other social media pages. Develop a clear list of keywords and phrases to use in your posts and as hashtags.
The first is to post a variety of content.It’s really important to post a variety of content to keep your social media channels fresh, interesting and engaging. Use different topics that all relate to your business. Break up text with images, video or promotions. Followers are more likely to engage with content on social media that contains visual content like designs and photos.
Targeting options, demographics, interests, geolocation; it’s all knowledge you need to have before posting.Another wayto grow a following is tolike, comment on and share posts and photos in your niche and your target area. This helps to get your name out there and allows other users to discover you. Check hashtags, or view the followers of your favorite accounts.Respond to the comments and inquires you receive and leave comments of your own on others’ work. This will begin conversations and relationships. Focus on following as many real people and highly interactive businesses as you can.
You should also be enabling your site visitors and email subscribers to share your content with their personal networks as easily as possible. By evangelizing your audience to share your content, you’ll have better potential to reach a broader audience that extends beyond your direct network of fans and followers. (And if those people like the content that their friends are sharing with them, they may be inclined to become direct followers of you, too.)
Create your own hashtag and encourage others to use it. Once people start using your hashtag (and you use it, too), then you can repost images from your followers (giving them proper credit, of course). Not only does this build community by showing your followers that you appreciate their photos, but it also gives you content for your own account.
Join groups and communities who share your type of business or target area. This is an easy way to gain quality followers and can also help you improve your business. These groups will post relevant information and trends and often have group chats about a topic.
Use social media sites to ask for followers on others. Send out a mass email asking your contacts to follow your accounts. You can even link your accounts to bring followers from one to another!Use geotags (location tags) to show where the photo was taken or the post was created. That way, other people who used the same geotag can see your photo and potentially follow you.
Use social media to advertise new products or services, promotions, news, events or even contests or giveaways depending on your type of business. For example, run a promotional giveaway offering a product or service to a randomly selected follower who likes and shares your post. Add social sharing buttons such as “Share on Facebook” or “Tweet This” to all of your content, on individual blog articles, in email messages, on images and videos, etc.
There is always the option to hire a dedicated social media manager to manage your accounts, keep your profiles up-to-date, stay on top of trends, post attractive content, and do a whole lot of experimenting. There are number of important skills that a social media manager must possess other than just finding followers and driving engagement. The best social media managers are content creators, marketing analysts, news junkies, customer service reps, community managers and facilitatorsand project managers.
