One of the best ways to boost your online marketing campaign is to gain a social media following. As an AIM member store, it’s important to create a social media profile in order to promote your business. However, social media isn’t something you set and forget. That’s why we’ve done a little research on the best ways to build a social media following that will help turn people into paying customers.

Choose The Right Platform

First things first, it’s important to understand that not all social media platforms are created equal. In fact, just because you like one, doesn’t mean you need to be on it. Instead, it’s best to choose a platform that makes sense for your business. With that being said, you should be on a social media platform that your consumers are on.

Simply put, posting great content to Twitter won’t do anything if your potential followers are on Facebook. Take the time to identify your target demographic and find out what social media platform they are most likely to use.

Study The Competition

When it comes to online marketing, it’s important to analyze your competitors. This is especially true when it comes to gaining social media followers. What platforms are they using? What kind of content are they posting? How often? Understanding their strategies and how they engage with their followers will help you establish a successful game plan going forward. Even more, analyzing the competition will help you come up with new ways to set yourself apart.

Build Your Profile

Once you’ve determined what social media platforms work best for you, it’s time to build your profile. Make sure to add the most accurate and up-to-date information that will showcase your business along with a high-quality profile picture and cover photo. Even more, don’t forget to add your phone number and website URL. Providing this information will add trust and credibility to your profile and convince people to take action.

Be Consistent

Consistency is key when it comes to the tone of your website and social media presence. Be sure to use the same personality and voice when it comes to the content you provide and how you engage with your followers. This is especially true if you’re using multiple social media platforms.

People want to make a meaningful connection with your brand and sharing mixed messages will only confuse them. This, in turn, will make them less likely to follow and engage with you. Bottom line, keep your tone consistent.

Share Meaningful Content

The content you post and what people want to see is crucial and cannot be overlooked. Sharing meaningful content that captivates potential followers will help establish your brand as an industry leader. The challenge, however, is knowing what kind of content you should share. While you should share content like blogs that you’ve written on your website, you should also share influencers posts as well. Just make sure you share posts that are relevant to your company, products, and services.

For example, if your marketing niche is fitness, take the time to share top influencer articles regarding exercise, nutrition, etc. Why? This helps build trust with your followers with the valuable content you’re providing. People don’t want to be blasted with pushy sales offers all the time.

Furthermore, add plenty of visually appealing content in the form of images and videos. This will make your page more enticing. In fact,the most popular social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram show people tend to engage with visual content the most.

Last but not least, knowing the best time to share content on your social media page depends on your target audience. Take the time to review the analytic insights your platform provides to monitor and reevaluate your strategy going forward. This will help you determine the best days and time your followers are more likely to view and engage with your content.

Connect With Influencers

As we mentioned above, take the time to share top influencer content on your social media. This is a great tactic when it comes to growing and engaging potential followers. Industry leaders in your specific niche have a large audience for a reason – they share content that people trust and love. Tap into that resource by reaching out! For example, when you share any of their content, make sure to tag them to gain their attention and those following them. If an influencer engages with you, they may mention you in their comment or post. This will increase your visibility to potential followers.

Use #Hashtags

Once you’ve created amazing content, it’s important to optimize your posts to reach a larger audience. How? #Hashtags! For those who don’t know what a hashtag is, it’s the pound sign (#) combined with a keyword or phrase that people use to search for information on social media platforms.

The key to using a hashtag effectively, is to identify what hashtags are most relevant to your content and how popular they are with your niche market. For example, if you were a hair salon, you might want to consider using the hashtag #boisehairsalon because it relates to what your audience is searching for and is most relevant to the content you are posting. However, you don’t want to solely depend on the same boring hashtag. Instead, mix it up by using different key terms depending on your content to reach a larger audience.

Create Ads & Boost Posts

Now that you’ve established a social media presence, it’s time to take things to the next level. While social media platforms are free to use, they still want to make money. That’s why it’s important to boost your posts and create ads to reach a larger audience. This may cost you a little bit upfront, however, it’s one of the most cost-effective ways to engage with your niche market.

Engage, Engage, Engage

While it’s easy to create content, you need to engage with those who like and share your posts. Take the time to react and respond to comments, reviews, or check-ins that you are mentioned in. You should also respond to questions or messages you get in a timely manner. People love to interact with companies online. That’s why it’s called social media! The more you respond, the more they will be inclined to follow you!

Time To Get Started!

Now that you’ve got the basics down when it comes to gaining social media followers, it’s time to get started! Don’t wait until tomorrow to start implementing the tips mentioned above. The most successful people are self-starters who put in the time and effort every day to get the results they seek. Good luck!