One million. The social media milestone everyone wants to hit.

It’s a dazzling number, but, as the saying goes, “it’s not the destination, it’s the journey”. Growing your fan base on social media takes time and patience. It’s a long-term investment that will see you reaping the benefits if done right.

So, without further ado, here’s our golden list of things you can start doing TODAY to bag those loyal followers (and be on your way to hitting that seven-digit figure)….

The Root of it All

Start with the root of your business – your website! Be sure that you’ve included social connect buttons on your site (like the ones you see at the bottom right of this page). Also include buttons for connecting and subscribing to any other social platforms where you can be found, like YouTube and Pinterest.

Make it easy for visitors to share your content on their own social platforms and to give your brand an instant follow.

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Spread the Word

Run ad campaigns. The beauty of Twitter and Facebook ad campaigns is that they are relatively inexpensive and can grow your business’ fan base in a very targeted, very efficient way. In these campaigns, you will define your target audience, budget, placement (i.e. desktop News Feed, mobile News Feed, right-hand column) and scheduling – when you optimise your campaign for page likes, you will be charged when your advert is served to people within your target audience who are more inclined to like your Page. It’s straightforward, and, best of all, it works.

 

Network

It isn’t called ‘social’ media for no reason – time to get that networking cap on and connect with others in the industry! Use free tools like hashtags to discover influencers who can help strengthen your brand’s reach. These connections can also be helpful for cross-promoting with other local businesses. Plus, social media is a very reciprocal medium, so when you promote someone else’s brand, they will almost certainly promote yours back. Take a look at the people they’re following and those who are following them… you may be surprised at the wealth of connections you might find!

 

Be Captivating

It might seem obvious, but create content people WANT to read and engage with. Whatever your business, content plays a pivotal role in building a fan base; strive to become a source for readers in your area of expertise, with people scrolling through your social media platforms at any given chance, simply because they are interested in what you have to say.

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(Like this guy).

 

Personality, Personality, Personality

In the world of social media, personalisation is the best way to market. Customers share their data willingly to you, so make the most out of it by tailoring your message to your customer’s wants. Be human. Post relevant content across your platforms, and do it consistently.

There is no such thing as being too personable. With feeds refreshed every 5 seconds, the best way to stay relevant is through content that speaks at a personal level – conversation that makes your front line audience share your story with co-workers, friends and even a next-door neighbour. Create content that cuts through the noise. 

 

Tap into Their Interests

Don’t be afraid to get sleuthy. What types of things do your audience post? Have a look.

If you can craft posts that they relate to, you are more likely to see people sharing your posts. Also, there is a good chance that the people who follow your followers are part of your target audience, too. Essentially, it is a domino effect – relatable posts leads to shareability factor, which leads to more and more people seeing your incredible content.

 

Get Competitive

A surefire way to engage potential followers is with a reward, and what better way to create traction than through a social media competition? Encourage people to comment on and share the post on their own platforms, and like your platforms if they haven’t already. Run the competition for a couple of days, even a couple of weeks, to ensure people get the chance to be involved. The prize you decide to give away is a small price to pay for the number of follows you will gain from this clever strategy.

Take #inspo from Cobra Beer.

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Be Yourself

Cheesy, but oh-so true. What really separates run-of-the-mill social media accounts from those with thousands, millions of followers is authenticity. Whether it’s a unique expertise or a humorous tone of voice, only those who are unapologetically themselves rise to the top.

The takeaway? Don’t replicate what others are doing just because it works for them. Embrace your own way of saying things, your unique wit. Just be you, as publicly and frequently as possible, and the followers will follow.

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Growing your social media fan base is something of an art, but there are a few components that will get you noticed quickly and effectively. Need help in marking your social media footprint? We’re your people.

How can we help?