Building a Strong Social Media Following: Best Practices for Entrepreneurs

I’ve said before that it’s more important to focus on quality over quantity, and really focus on the community you are building when it comes to your social media. In fact, I’ve got a whole blog post about it in case you don’t believe me.

So while a lot of followers is a great thing, so is the quality of those followers. And to build up the number of followers you have, you’ll want to make sure you’re doing it the right way so you are attracting the ones who are your ideal audience, your potential customers, and the ones who are going to stick around for the long run. But how do you do this?

GET MORE (OF THE RIGHT) FOLLOWERS

There are a few guidelines you’ll want to stick to that are going to bring in the right people…

• Show up on the channels where your audience and customers are showing up. The best place to reach them is where they are hanging out.
• Make sure your profiles on all of those platforms are correct and optimized. Oftentimes this is the first place a customer will go to find out about you, and you don’t want to lose them with a sloppy or uninformative bio. Instagram is a BIG one too when it comes to customers visiting your bio. So if you haven’t addressed it in a while, do so sooner than later. I’ve got a helpful podcast episode with some tips to get you up to speed quickly.?
• Figure out the best time to post for your business. There are so many factors that can affect this. Where you are located, where your customers are located, or what it is you are selling. The best way to do this is to start with a variety of times, see what is performing the best, and adjust those times accordingly. Posting at the right time allows you more opportunities to reach the right people. Many platforms like Instagram and Facebook also give you the option to schedule your posts ahead of time which is very convenient when planning out your strategy.
• While working on your strategy, also make sure you are posting enough. Consistency is key. But be intentional at the same time. Don’t just throw a bunch of random posts out for the sake of posting. Take the time to make sure what you are posting resonates with your audience and is of benefit to them. Stay consistent in posting and consistent in content.
• Engage, engage, engage. I can’t say this enough. If you are not engaging, commenting, communicating with people, and building relationships, you will lose followers. You cannot simply post and go silent. Social media is all about connection. If people don’t feel connected to you, they will leave. Plain and simple.
• Find accounts and people that have commonalities with you, and follow and engage with them. Other relevant accounts are a great place to insert yourself and interact and get ideas. Chances are their audience is also your ideal audience.?

If you feel like you could still use a little help tweaking your social media so that you are building up the right type of following, don’t hesitate to reach out and let us know what you need!