Growing a social media audience in a crowded digital space requires a combination of effective strategies and consistent effort.
EZY Marketing’s social media team shares some of their top tips on attracting long-term and loyal followers for your business or organization.
1. Establish your Brand Identity
A cohesive brand identity is the cornerstone of good social media strategy. Posts, stories, reels, and other content should have a cohesive look that’s easily identifiable. Marketing professionals use branding boards to ensure consistent use of logos, color palettes, and fonts. Maintaining an authentic voice and tone also helps build brand identity.
2. Optimize Profile Bios and Links
Your profile bio is the most valuable piece of real estate on your social media channels, so be sure to check its curb appeal. Succinctly define what you do and who it’s for, making use of relevant keywords. Keep your links up to date and consider using a link tree on platforms such as Instagram where clickable links are limited to the bio.
3. Share Valuable Content
Nothing turns off followers and subscribers like a sales pitch parade. Follow the ’80-20 rule’ of providing educational or entertaining content 80 percent of the time and marketing content the other 20 percent. Create a content calendar to help organize and plan posts in advance. If you have a heavy load of content creation, consider leveraging AI or automation tools.
4. Engage with Your Audience
Your social media feed should be a conversation not a bulletin board, so look for ways to actively engage your audience. Ask open-ended questions and seek feedback. Challenge your followers to write the caption. Create opportunities for two-way dialogue to foster a sense of community and build relationships.
5. Use Hashtags Strategically
Growing your channels organically takes time, but strategic use of hashtags can expand your message to a wider audience and increase engagement by up to 80 percent. Research trending keywords and encourage followers to use branded hashtags in their own posts. And if your hashtag game has ‘no game,’ watch our video on using #hashtags effectively to help you get started.
6. Prioritize Customer Service
Customers often turn to social media for service questions, praising responsive brands and calling out those who fall short. Set up workflows to monitor direct messages and mentions. Respond to comments promptly. Showcase positive feedback and have a plan in place to address criticism professionally.
7. Use Paid Advertising Wisely
Social media boosts and paid advertising can be cost-effective marketing tools, but it’s important to set clear objectives, such as increasing event registrations or driving traffic to a landing page. Set a budget, define your audience, and don’t be afraid to test different formats, graphics, headlines, and offers.
8. Collaborate with Other Brands or Influencers
Social media collaborations are great for cross promoting your business. Identify partners based on shared audiences and co-host giveaways, live events, or social media ‘takeovers.’ Consider partnering with an influencer who is relevant in your niche. Even ‘micro-influencers’ with 1,000 – 100,000 followers can have significant influence. Developing mutually beneficial agreements in writing with compensation based on results, not impressions.
9. Never Pay for Followers
Resist the temptation to pay for followers, as it can have adverse effects on your reputation. Most of the gains are from bots or inactive accounts which drag down your engagement. Accounts suspected of paying for followers can be banned. It’s not worth it to artificially pad the numbers.
10. Refine your Strategy
Finally, don’t get locked into a strategy that’s gone stale. Analyze your key performance indicators monthly and experiment with new tactics. A good social media strategy is constantly being refined.
Remember, growing your social media channels takes time and persistence. Stay authentic, be responsive, and adapt your approach based on the preferences and behavior of your audience.
Need help growing your channel and increasing engagement? Watch our free Social Media Crash Course series, subscribe to our YouTube channel, or contact us for a personalized consultation.