5 Steps to Gaining More Long-Term Social Followers
Every small business owner knows that social media is one of the best ways to build a following, gain exposure and turn visitors to your business website into fans. Still, many of these small business owners are confused when it comes to building a fan base that sticks around long-term.
We have put together some guaranteed methods that we use to build a more sustainable social media following. Remember, these aren’t changes that will net you results that you can see today or even next week; these tips provide results over the long term where you need them most.
1. Develop a consistent posting strategy. Posting consistently is the key to anything on social media as it will keep your brand relevant and fresh in the minds of your target audience. If your social media account goes too long without your fan base seeing updates, they will soon forget about your company.
2. Tailor your content to the platform. Utilizing just one social media strategy doesn’t make sense, as social media is made up of many different types of people and businesses. If your medium is more visual, such as Facebook and Pinterest, be sure to post accordingly. If you are looking to gain more professional followers, visit LinkedIn; more instantaneous response, try Twitter. You get the idea.
3. Engage in one-on-one conversations. Be sure to engage with your audience any time they reach out to you on social media. Whether it’s a customer concern or just a product question, engage them in conversation and you will win them over as a follower for life.
4. Avoid activity bursts by using a scheduling tool. Don’t post a lot of information all at once and then not be seen for a while. This type of social media dumping can be detrimental to your campaign and turn a lot of current followers away. Use a scheduling tool to post consistently without bundling your activity.
There is an exception to this rule when you are posting live news or information from an event your company is sponsoring; just be sure that it isn’t too pitchy and you aren’t just talking about your business or products.
5. Give away special offers or promotions. Special offers, contests, giveaways, whichever you choose, they are all effective tools for building a long term following on social media. A recent survey show that 52% of users follow brands specifically to be notified of special offers and promotions, while 38% follow to take part in competitions, and 33% follow for access to freebies.
Nothing builds long term brand loyalty like giving away free stuff. Customers like to know they are getting a good deal and when they get something for nothing, they will remember your business over any other. You can also use your promotion to build an even bigger following by having your users tag their friends and share your link on social media to enter.
Building a strong social media following is important and it isn’t something that will happen overnight. Use the above steps and be patient, the results are well worth it.
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