Setting up a new social media profile for your business can be daunting with no followers and no posts. However, a blank slate is a great starting point to begin developing a profile that will engage your audience and keep them coming back for more!
Whether you’re starting from scratch or just looking to give your follower count a boost, here are 17 tips that can help you start growing your audience now!
Understand your audience
Everything you are hoping to do with your social media profiles should be centred on who your audience is, alongside what they want and what they’re most likely to engage with. This will shape the type of platforms you use and the type of content you share.
Connect with influencers
Connecting and communicating with key influencers within your industry can help you to build your authority and reach a much wider audience.
Communicate on relevant hashtags
Keep up to date with the key relevant hashtags in your field and make sure you’re using them in your posts. You can also track these tags to see what’s being said and the type of audience that’s engaging with them.
Get visual
Don’t rely on text posts. It’s important that you share good quality images, videos, infographics and any visual material that will capture the attention of your audience.
Make sure you respond
It’s vital that you take the time to respond to anyone who engages with your business. Whether it’s a statement, question, compliment or complaint, it doesn’t matter. You should be engaging with your audience if they’re taking the time to speak to you.
Use a social media scheduling tool
Scheduling tools such as Tweetdeck and Hootsuite are great for helping you to keep on top of your activity and ensure you’re always sharing something. Avoid letting your profile go stale with a regular schedule of activity.
Often is good, quality is better
Although it’s crucial that you’re posting regular content, it’s more important that what you are sharing is quality. Don’t post any old photo or rush a post that you know isn’t your best work just to have something on your page. Spending time on your content will reap much better rewards.
Blog and guest blog
A great way to ensure you always have content to share is to have your own blog filled with engaging, useful content. If you don’t have your own blog then you could try your hand at guest blogging on an industry website.
Share your knowledge and expertise
Sharing useful advice and insight will help your to grow your audience by developing your voice as an authority in the field. You audience will begin to trust you as a source of knowledge and will return to your business for future support.
Engage with and share others’ content
Don’t just focus on your own content. Make sure you’re being social and looking at the content being shared by those you follow, key influencers in your industry and other important users on the platform.
Use keywords and industry terms
Wherever you’re active online you should be using key words, phrases and terms that relate to your business and industry. It’s important that your business is present and visible when customers use relevant terms so ensure they’re present in your online content.
Set short term goals
Setting short term goals will help you to keep track of how successfully you are growing your follower list and will enable you to set realistic goals for the future.
Engage with industry trends, holidays and breaking news
Follow trending news and hot topics on your social platforms to make sure you’re engaging in conversations and having your say when and where you can.
Be relatable
It’s important that your tone and style are approachable and relatable. The aim is to get your audience to engage with your brand and start developing a relationship and they’re only going to do this if they trust and connect on a real level with your business.
Be consistent
From your usernames and handles to your voice and tone, consistency is key! A style guide can help anyone who is using your social media profiles to maintain a level of professionalism and brand identity.
Use call to actions but don’t be salesy
You will be looking to drive action from your social activity - whether that’s signing up to an e-newsletter, downloading an e-book or purchasing from you. Your content should drive your audience towards a particular action but this shouldn’t be overbearing within their timeline. Scatter your call to actions within lots of great quality content and posts.