Social media was more of a gimmick when it became mainstream two decades ago. However, social media now plays an integral part in our lives. Social media is much more than a tool for staying up-to-date with breaking news or interacting with friends, family, and celebrities; it is a platform that can help you achieve personal or professional success.
Building a strong social media presence can open previously locked doors in your personal and professional life. Content creators can push their work to a global audience, while businesses can reach potential customers who would not ordinarily know about their products and services. Building your presence organically is key; here are ten tried and tested ways to do that.
Choose the Right Platforms
Not all social media platforms are created equal, and picking the ones that align with your goals is essential. Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube each have associated pros and cons. Knowing your target audience and their preferences lets you focus your efforts where they’re most active. For example, professional services are better suited to LinkedIn; visual content creators may focus on Instagram, while the BetUS sportsbook could use Facebook or Twitter to push their promotions.
Create Compelling Content
Content is king, especially in social media, so create high-quality content whenever you post. Do not post on social media just for the sake of doing so; you must ensure everything you share resonates with your current and target audience. Your posts should always have a goal in mind, whether that is entertainment, sharing information, or generating potential sales.
Use Hashtags Wisely
Hashtags can significantly boost the discoverability of your content on social media platforms. Social media users search for hashtags, and the platforms display all posts containing them. Research and use relevant hashtags in your posts, and you’ll soon discover a broader audience is seeing your content.
It is important not to overuse hashtags; a couple of well-chosen hashtags are more effective than seven or eight generic ones.
Engage With Your Audience
Many social media users wrongly believe that building a social media presence is a one-way street; it is not. People want to be heard and want to feel part of something. Responding promptly to comments, messages, and mentions helps foster a sense of community, increasing the likelihood of your content being shared. The more eyes that see your content, the more likely you will gain new followers.
If someone has taken time from their day to engage with you and your content, you must respond. That is the Golden Rule.
Collaborate With Others
Collaborations with influencers, other content creators, and businesses in your niche can result in your follower count exploding. Such cross-promotion exposes your profile to new, untapped audiences and can result in mutually beneficial relationships down the road.
Video gaming giants PlayStation and Xbox have hit the headlines for the right reasons several times after interacting with one another on social media despite being arch-rivals. In November 2020, the Xbox Twitter account tweeted about the launch of the new Xbox Series X console. PlayStation responded with a funny celebratory video using footage from its version of a Mortal Kombat game. PlayStation’s reply gained 62,000 likes, 5,100 retweets, and over 900 comments!
Optimize Your Profile
Don’t underestimate the importance of having a detailed profile and vibrant profile picture for your social media accounts. Write a compelling bio, including relevant links, so people instantly know who you are or what your brand represents. A well-optimized profile encourages people to follow and engage with you because you seem more real than a faceless corporate entity.
Share User-Generated Content
Another great way to build your brand and social media presence is by sharing user-generated content. Encouraging your followers to create content related to your brand, services, or products and then share it with your audience helps build a strong connection within your community. People who feel part of a community are more loyal, increasingly likely to share your posts, and far more likely to make a purchase if that is your ultimate goal.
Pay Attention to Analytics
Most social media platforms offer insights into your audience demographics, post reach, and engagement. Many social media users neglect to monitor these analytics, but the brands and users with the biggest followings watch them like a hawk.
Paying close attention to analytics allows you to understand what works and what doesn’t. You may discover that posting at 09:00 a.m. generates more engagement than posting similar content at 11:00 a.m. Having these facts to hand allows you to tailor your content and posts to suit your audience, increasing the chances of your content being shared and attracting new followers.
Host Contests, Giveaways, and Polls
It is not a secret that people love freebies, so hosting giveaways or contests is an excellent way to generate excitement and increase your reach. Your prizes don’t even have to be exciting; the fact they are free means people will want them! Ensure that participants need to tag friends or engage with your content to enter any contests you run.
In addition, consider running polls that your audience can get involved in. Polls can be about anything and everything, but they can be particularly helpful if you ask your followers what content they want to see. Their responses tell you what they want, show you care about them and want the best for them. Again, this builds a strong community spirit and a sense of belonging.
Always Remain Authentic
You must always remain authentic because authenticity builds trust. Be genuine in your interactions and truthful in any reviews you post; inform your audience if you have received compensation for a product review or similar. You can bet your bottom dollar that your followers will tell all and sundry about the one time you bent the truth or were unauthentic in any of your posts.
Conclusion
Building a strong social media presence organically takes time, patience, quality content, and plenty of trial and error. While cutting corners and purchasing followers from the many websites offering that service is tempting, you should never do so. Bought followers tend to be dead or “bot” accounts that provide little or no engagement with your content. Furthermore, social media users are savvy and will quickly realize you paid for your huge following, eroding their trust in you.
Follow the ten steps discussed above, and slowly but surely, your audience will grow.
