Last updated on May 17th, 2023 at 03:38 pm
Stuck asking yourself “Why isn’t my social media gaining any followers?” or “I have no followers! Where do I even start?” Growing your social media presence can be a daunting task, especially if you’re just starting out. Settings and trends are ever-changing. It can be easy to have the mindset of “I am just a tiny fish in a huge ocean of social media.” In this article, we’ll dive into how to grow your social media following for your business.
Why Bother Growing Business Social Media Following?
According to Sprout Social in 2016, ” 86% of social media users want to and do follow brands on social.” Now consider the rapid growth and importance of social media in more recent years following 2016 due to the pandemic. Even following the conclusion of the pandemic, many people no longer travel to and work in traditional work settings surrounded by their peers. According to The Hill in February of 2023, “Nearly 30% of work still remains remote.” It has also been reported that many younger members of the workforce now seek out and expect this type of remote work flexibility in all future jobs they accept. This could be attributed to fewer funds spent on gas, care patience, and child care, less time wasted commuting, a more relaxing and comfortable work environment, and other factors. The remote working percentage of the population now uses social media for the majority of their social interaction. For this reason, it is important to focus on growing your social media following!
This population that no longer travels to the office, also will not come into contact with as many traditional advertising elements such as billboards or radio ads. They also will not as often hear from their colleagues about fantastic services or products they recently used.
Allow social media to fill this gap for your business. What people aren’t heard from their co-workers in the next cubical over, they are now reading or hearing on social media from previous customers, influencers, and even your profile. Those billboards and radio ads that potential customers may have happened to see on their drive to the office are now the post that may happen to be recommended to them on their social media feed due to new algorithms.
How to Grow Your Social Media for Businesses
Follow these steps to re-evaluate or to get started adding to your follower count. Hint hint! The last one is the most important of them all!
Define Your Target Audience
Before you start creating content and posting on social media, it’s crucial to define your target audience. Who are they? How old are they? What are their interests? What problems do they face that your business can solve? Once you have a clear understanding of your target audience, you can tailor your content and profiles to their needs and preferences.
Choose The Right Platforms
There are numerous social media platforms available, but not all of them may be suitable for your business. For example, Linkedin can be great if your target audience is a professional. For example, home inspection companies target real estate agents who refer them to homebuyers and sellers. This professional relationship would warrant an appearance on LinkedIn. In contrast, a wedding venue would rather target individuals who are planning a wedding using videos or photos to showcase their beautiful property. This audience is typically younger adults. Instagram is more popular with the young population and showcases videos and images. It’s important to choose the platforms where your target audience is most active and engaged.
If you are considering using Instagram, consider researching Instagram’s algorithm and how you can use it to your advantage.
Set Up (or Edit) Your Profile
Think about what your target audience would want to see or would click on! If they wanted to purchase from you, is it easy to do so from your social profile? Does your profile seem well-put-together yet relatable? Ensure your profile includes a link or links so that your audience can travel to your company website to make a purchase and convert.
If you are planning on using Facebook for example, do further research on how to best optimize and build your Facebook bio.
Create Engaging Content
Creating engaging content is key to growing your social media presence. Your content should be relevant, informative, and visually appealing. Also, consider incorporating popular trends. Do research into what users are looking for and find ways to relate it to your content. For example, If a new Avatar movie is hitting theaters this week, consider if you can relate that to your product or service. Use high-quality images, videos, and infographics to grab your audience’s attention. Also, don’t forget to include a call-to-action (CTA) in your posts to encourage engagement.
Also, consider researching what your competitors are posting. Social media competitor analysis can be a great tool to avoid making the same mistakes they did or to just get some good ideas to build on.
Consistency is Key
Consistency is crucial when it comes to social media. You need to post regularly to keep your audience engaged and interested in your brand. Create a content calendar and schedule your posts in advance to ensure consistency. We recommend posting feed posts between three and five times per week at optimum days and times when your audience is active. For example, this company below should be posting content on Wednesdays around noon or in the evening around five or six, because their analytics show that is when the majority of their target audience (followers) are on the platform.
However, also ensure that your posts do not become so predictable that the audience tunes out. Consider changing up post themes, ideas, and times slightly regularly to keep your audience interested.
Leverage Influencers
Influencer marketing is a powerful way to grow your social media presence. Collaborating with influencers who have a large following in your niche can help you reach a wider audience and increase brand awareness. However, make sure to choose influencers whose values align with your brand. Not every business wants or needs Kim Kardashian to promote them. Influencers do not have to be as high profile as many may think. For example, if you own a small-town landscaping business, consider asking the local police chief or mayor if he would like his lawn done free of charge or for a heavy discount. After completing the job, ask if he or she would post a picture of the work or if he would be okay if you posted it and tagged him in the post. Community members who respect the individual may consider using you a little more since you have the influencer’s trust.
Engagement and Outreach with Your Audience
This one is the most important!!! Social media is a two-way street. You need to engage with your audience by responding to their comments, messages, and mentions as well as interacting with your target audience members’ content. This will help you build a relationship with your audience and show them that you value their feedback. Social media platforms will recommend your content much more frequently if the algorithms can see that you have relationships with people. Your posts will be recommended to people with similar profiles, interests, hobbies, searches, locations, etc as the people/profiles you have existing relationships with.
Lastly, follow new people in your target audience EVERY WEEK. Yes, every week. Likely, a percentage of those profiles will follow you back once they click on your profile and see that you have helpful information and engaging posts. Please know that not every account you follow will return the favor, but that’s okay! Not sure who to follow? Consider taking a peek at your competitors’ followers. Those individuals are likely interested in the product or service your business sells.
Conclusion
Growing your social media for businesses requires time, effort, and consistency. The great thing about it is that if you chose to invest the time into it yourself, it can be 100% free! By defining your target audience, choosing the right platforms, creating engaging content, being consistent, leveraging influencers, and engaging with your audience, you can grow your social media presence and increase brand awareness.
Feeling like you don’t have the time to invest in your social media management journey, but still want to gain followers? Considering hiring a social media management company to create and post content, as well as complete engagement and outreach on your behalf.
