How do I grow my social media following?
It must be the most often asked question by businesses small and large
Whilst we could debate the quantity vs quality of followers as many have, there is no reason you can’t have an ever growing number of quality followers
So whether you’re a small business or large business, whether you’re a B2C business or B2B business, here are 5 absolute essentials to grow your social media following
1. Dedicated social media manager
Social Media should not be something that is left “for when I get the chance”
It’s a role that needs to be written into a job description with clear roles, responsibilities and KPI’s to measure against
For small businesses we’re not suggesting you rush out the job advert not for a 40 hour a week position, but social media isn’t something that should be a “nice to have addition” alongside another job role where you, the business owner, are happy that something occasionally goes out
The dedicated social media manager should have time allotted as part of their daily activities to dedicate at least 30 minutes a day to social media where nothing else in the business detracts from this
They should also be trained in the role of Social Media Marketing and feel confident to approach the role rather than assumptions made as to their skill set
Always remember that Social Media is a marketing role rather than an admin function
2. Content Library
Your business should not be suffering content droughts
We’ve probably used that phrase in 3 or 4 blogs this year and we will continue to do so
Your content library should be packed with visual content be that photos, videos, graphic design and every story should be told
Stories should have a beginning, a middle and end
And it should be documented at every opportunity
Digital champions for each area of your business should be empowered to provide content to the dedicated social media manager to allow them to do their job
When it comes to content the mission should be over deliver rather than just do what is necessary
The word new is a magic word that brings so much back to your business
3. Great customer service
Great customer service is at the heart of every great business
After all what happens in real life ends up on Social Media
If you provide great customer service to customers, the amplified word of mouth that is social media will take over and more and more people will hear about the business
What is better to grow your social media following than having raving fans that are happy to shout about you at every moment?
If you can be one of those handful of businesses that people shout about in a good way you’re on to a winner
When a customer shouts about you that means your business is the different between great and good
4. Employee advocacy scheme
When you think of an employee advocacy schemes you immediately think of huge companies like Barclays, IBM, Apple and so on
There’s no reason an employee advocacy scheme can’t apply to a small business with 3-5 employees
If you have a dedicated social media manager who has great content and a business where all the staff believe in great customer service – it makes it easier for employees to get behind everything you’re doing on social media
The average Facebook user now has about 338 friends
The Average Twitter User Now has 707 Followers
Imagine getting your staff behind the business sharing your key updates on Social Media as well
An employee advocacy scheme can often mean that your updates reach double, triple or more the audience they normally would
5. A Strong Network
Face to Face networking is a strong way to build your online network
Networking when done the right way is about helping and supporting others within your network
It makes sense that if you go to a weekly / monthly networking group with 30-40 businesses attending – not only will your immediate social media following grow, but so will the sharing potential from all of those businesses as well
We’re part of a local networking group with approx. 20 members and the twitter account reaches over 100,000 screens each month because of the power of the collective
If you’re part of a networking group that doesn’t support each other on Social Media, then you’re part of the wrong networking group
NEED HELP WITH YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA?
Chat to us about Social Media Marketing for YOUR organisation , so we can better understand YOU and what will grow your organisation
We can only find out what is unique to your business by chatting with you
Look at our Social Media Training and Social Media Management services
Or
Please call Alex on 07806774279 or email alex@altrinchamhq.co.uk
