How to Build Your Social Media Fan Base the Right Way

It’s come to light recently that several online organizations sell everything from clicks on links to YouTube views to followers. And while these sorts of schemes certainly provide higher search results, it isn’t the most ethical way to get your word out. The good news is that you can still get your message out there without turning to morally questionable sites that are increasingly subject to investigation by Google. Below are five tips that will help you curate a real-life audience that truly appreciates what you have to say.

Say Something Worth Listening To

Perhaps this is common sense, but one of the best ways to get people to follow you is to post content that engages them. For businesses, this means that you should not only share your own creative pieces, but comment on relevant news stories and others’ opinions as well. By creating a dialogue that your target audience is interested in, you are sure to catch their attention.

And Make Sure It’s Shareable

This one requires getting inside of the minds of your audience: what types of things do they post? If you can craft status updates or Tweets that they relate to and believe in, you’re more likely to see people re-tweet or share your posts. And there’s a good chance that the people who follow your followers are part of your target audience, too.

Beyond sharing your own creative content, one easy way to get shares is to find inspirational quotes relevant to your followers and your business. Not only do people enjoy reading these messages — and appreciate the positive feeling they’ll associate with you and your brand — but they also enjoy sharing them with their friends.

Engage With Potential Followers

Sharing your insight and expertise is a way to build a connection with your potential followers. Seek out a Twitter or Facebook conversation using hashtags and keywords relevant to your own area of interest. Then, simply join in on a relevant conversation.

Although Twitter limits your responses to 140 characters , you can always send a direct message to truly engage an interested follower. This is a great strategy not only for building an audience, but for building an audience that feels a close personal connection to your brand.

Create a Social-Media Contest

A surefire way to engage potential followers is with a reward. A contest based on your social media page makes your audience want to visit your page more often. This means that they’re actually paying attention to your content and returning regularly to check the status of the contest. The prize you give away — whether it’s exclusive access to new content, a future discount, or an physical reward, like a sample of your product — is a small price to pay for the number of follows you’ll gain from this sort of strategy.

Make Social Media a Priority

Whether you’re selling Rolls Royces or installing new roofs on homes, social media shouldn’t be a back-burner project if you want to get the word out about your business. In fact, when it comes to building a fan base, you should use social media as much as possible. Studies show that the more a person or brand tweets, the more followers they accrue. And with all of this extra social-media work, you’ll most likely hone your brand’s tone and figure out the types of posts that most effectively engage and build your audience. Talk about an effective use of everyone’s time!

If you set aside some time to really concentrate on building a following, you won’t need to spend your money on link-selling schemes. Instead, build a lasting and enthusiastic relationship with your customers, and you will all reap the rewards.

 About The Author: 

Scott Huntington is a writer, reporter, blogger, and social media marketer for CJ Pony Parts. Follow Scott at @SMHuntington