From the course: Introduction to Social Media Strategy

Building a following

From the course: Introduction to Social Media Strategy

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Building a following

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- Social media is not social if no one follows you. One of the most common questions I get from clients is where to get started to build a following. In this video, I'll tell you the steps I suggest you take to grow your social media audience. Start small and close to home. Once you set up your social media accounts, tell your friends and family, and ask them to follow you. People closest to you are interested in what you have to say, so why not invite them? Many social platforms have a handy button for this. Next, make sure to include your social media links in all your owned media. Start with your website and your blog, but also include links in your emails or newsletters. Then, focus on posting valuable content. If you post content people can use or will be interested in, chances are they will share it. The wider your content gets shared, the higher the chances you will pick up some new followers. Use hashtags in your posts. Hashtags are a way to classify content online. Anyone can create a hashtag to refer to specific content or to a topic. By using the hashtag, you indicate a relation of your content to that specific topic. Hashtags are searchable and, on some networks like Instagram, people can follow hashtags, so they can see content related to the hashtag appear in their feed. Including popular or trending hashtags is a great way to get exposure to people who are not in your immediate network, and they could become your followers. Here is an example. Imagine you're a soda brand, and you want to generate some awareness. It so happens that it's World Cup soccer time. You could post a picture of your great sodas with a copy that reads, Ready for something refreshing and different while enjoying the #Worldcup game. We got you covered! Now, when people search World Cup, they may come across your brand, and they may decide to follow you. Want to know which hashtags are popular right now? Tools like Keyhole or Hashtagify can help you find the most popular hashtags related to your business. You can also use @ mentions in your posts. An @ mention calls out another platform user. By doing this, the other user gets alerted to your post and if they consider your post relevant, they may share it with their audience giving you exposure to a new group of potential followers. Imagine you own a bakery. You could post a picture that includes a stunning flower arrangement from the popular local flower shop with the caption, What's better than fresh croissants and coffee? Fresh croissants and coffee with flowers from @flowergirls. Chances are Flower Girls will share your picture with their followers. A new audience for you that could result in a few followers of your own. Another great way to grow your following is to rely on an influencer. A post from them on their account could give you a lot of exposure. However, this typically doesn't come for free. If you're interested in getting help from an influencer, tools like Socialbaker or Tagger can help you find an influencer that's right for you and the audience you target. Finally, you can create an advertising campaign to help you generate awareness and followers for your business. One piece of advice, you want followers who have a genuine interest in your brand, so make sure your ad campaign is focused on building an authentic follower base. You don't build a following overnight, but if you take these steps, you'll find that your audience can grow faster than you think.

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