HOW TO BUILD A LARGE SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWING

I often get asked how I built a sizable social media following on Facebook (200,000). The truth of the matter, is that it did not just happen overnight and it actually took a combination of a few different steps. If you are looking at starting your own business, jumping onto the social media train or are looking to revamp the way you operate online, you won’t want to miss this blog post.

First of all it is really important to be on social media, especially to have a Facebook business page. Facebook is the Father of all social media, therefore if you do not have a business page, you don’t really exist. You never want to use a personal profile as your business page, for the followers show us as FRIENDS and not LIKES. You also cap out at 5,000 FRIENDS, which is not beneficial for you in the end when your following reaches that number.

It is smart to have 2-3 social media outlets that you really show up on. Make sure these outlets resonate with your type of business. For example, everyone should have a Facebook business page so that should be your first outlet.  Secondly, if you have a creative type of business, Instagram should be your second outlet. It is a very powerful way to show the world your imagery, for an image tells a thousand words.  Thirdly, Twitter or Pinterest might be other good outlets.  Twitter is obviously for quick statements or informative blasts.  Since my creative business is more image-based, I prefer to use Twitter casually, just having my Instagram posts stream over to it.  Pinterest has really expanded over the years, providing you with the capability to capture someone’s attention with an image and then take them directly to your website.

Know your media method!

Writing, video, on air, or imagery.  

We all have one form of media that we feel the most comfortable with.  Embrace it.

You need to be very consistent with the “vibe” on your social media. Make sure the headers and imagery on all of them are the same. This will help people start to recognize who you are. With each of your social media outlets, make sure you are not just posting the exact same thing on all of them. Make sure the outlets are segmented in some way.  Such as Facebook for general information, deals, promotions, etc. Twitter for quick comments, advice, quotes, etc.  Pinterest for inspiration, pinning great ideas that fall under your niche, the occasional promotion. Instagram for more personal interactions with your following. Provide imagery and insight about who you are, experiences you are having, inspiring photographs, etc. Bottom line, make it interesting.

Always provide your contact information on all of your social media outlets. Make sure people know where to find you. Have your biography, or details on your business, clear for all of the viewers to see.

Use colorful imagery in all of your posts. The most colorful and high contrasting photographs get the most likes, hearts, etc. If you have a specific message, share it on the image itself.  Social media sites tend to not share to 100% of your following.  The reason for this is because they want you to pay to be seen. A creative way around this is to share your message on your image so that the image can circulate better and become more shareable. This also allows you to put your website, or link that you would like people to go to, in the text on your image too. This is a very good idea, for social media robots can’t find a link or call to action in the post text itself. Yes, they do watch for address links, calls to action, words like SHARE, LIKE, FOLLOW, FRIENDS, etc. So get your message onto your images. Keeping your images a 1×1 size is also good, for you can reuse them on Instagram as well.

Since social media is a social place, it’s good to respond to comments and show a sense of community. This also sparks more engagement. The more a post is liked and commented on Facebook, the more people see it. Commented on posts usually get sent directly to the top of your Facebook wall, and followers walls, for viewing.

You have to be consistent in your posting. Your followers will get to know that you post once a day, twice a day or once a week. Posting once a week is not enough if you are wanting to build your following. You should be posting on all social media once a day, at least. If this seems crazy to you, you can streamline it all with the help of social media post organizers programs.

Try to make sure all of your content is actionable, shareable, fun and provides the viewer with some kind of value.  This is the stuff that people want to share. The more people share, the more your name gets out there. Don’t just be selling all the time. People hate being bombarded with sales, promotions and being told to buy something. Keep these actions to 10%.

SHARE other pages or other people’s work that is similar to your niche.  Support others in the business. It’s all about being collaborative, not competitive.  Share this blog post too if you would like!

I hope this has been helpful for you.  If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. I would love for you to comment below with any great tips of your own that have allowed you to gain a great social media following.