Building up a social audience from scratch can feel daunting. It takes patience, but working through best practices can save you a lot of time and effort.
In this week’s #SproutChat, Sprout All Star and WhiskerCloud CEO, Adam Greenbaum joined to discuss his tips for growing your audience on social from the ground up, the resources you need to get started and the importance of social media etiquette.
Consistency & Engagement are Key
Make sure you’re posting consistent and relevant content. You’ll want to maintain consistency in your engagement strategy and stray away from over-selling yourself. Create genuine dialog with your audience for lasting results.
A1: Know your voice. I’m an entrepreneur building something – I like to give people a look behind the curtain – good and bad. #SproutChat https://t.co/wQs2XKLJfK
— Adam Greenbaum (@Greenbaumly) June 21, 2017
A1: I think making a consistent effort to talk to your audience really helps them feel special. They keep coming back! #SproutChat
— Kathleen Sykes (@ElementsDeStyle) June 21, 2017
A1: Engage! Get to know your audience. You can gain more followers through established relationships. #sproutchat
— Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) June 21, 2017
A1: Consistency. Quality and Relevant information. Responsiveness. #sproutchat
— John Venen (@JohnVenen) June 21, 2017
A1: provide valuable content and create dialogue with followers #SproutChat
— Sarah (@SarahOnSocial) June 21, 2017
A1: Want to build your online audience? Be consistent, authentic, genuine and relevant. Listen. Add value, don’t just sell! #SproutChat
— Erica Marois (@EricaMarois) June 21, 2017
#SproutChat A1: be you, be genuine. Join conversations by trending hashtags and follow people who are like-minded. pic.twitter.com/7Ra7gfkl9r
— Natasha Kristina (@hitheresunshine) June 21, 2017
Follow Social Media Etiquette
Keep the basics of social media etiquette in mind when you’re tying to build your following. Your audience has a keen sense of what’s inauthentic and over-selling your brand or using auto DMs are easy to see through.
A3: Don’t care what other people think. Someone recently told me they don’t like how I am on social media. Me: “Unfollow me.” #SproutChat https://t.co/dZ5Nb6feQW
— Adam Greenbaum (@Greenbaumly) June 21, 2017
A3: Don’t be annoying! Don’t try to be someone else. #sproutchat
— Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) June 21, 2017
A3: Don’t make it up as you go along. Refine and tweek, but go into it with a battle plan. #SproutChat
— Kathleen Sykes (@ElementsDeStyle) June 21, 2017
A3: Do: Post what you actually think/believe and your Target Market will follow, Don’t: copy others. #sproutchat
— Jacqui Liberman (@GossipGenie) June 21, 2017
A3 Don’t auto-RT another twitter account. It’s massively annoying. Don’t over automate at all actually #Sproutchat https://t.co/meAIf91FdV
— Ed Davies (@edavieswork) June 21, 2017
A3: Don’t just be a sales pitch. Be a person. Give them a reason to follow you. #SproutChat
— Shane✒ (@savanapridi) June 21, 2017
Spend Time on Platforms Where your Audience Lives
Before you start expanding your following, take time to think about your business goals. Each channel has unique benefits, so focus on the platforms that your audience spends the most time on and aligns most with your brand.
A4: GO FOR GOLD. I go big on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook. That’s what I like to use so that’s my focus. #SproutChat https://t.co/cIex6kQkuH
— Adam Greenbaum (@Greenbaumly) June 21, 2017
a4 i think it’s important to understand where your audience spends the most time. spend your time there. #sproutchat
— maggie may 💕 (@chitownmags) June 21, 2017
A4a: But I don’t spend more than 45 minutes on it every day. #SproutChat
— Kathleen Sykes (@ElementsDeStyle) June 21, 2017
A4: No, focus efforts on channels where your clients spend the most time. #SproutChat https://t.co/suA3ZOvsSr
— Melissa Kay (@theCEOffice) June 21, 2017
A4: Each platform has its own benefits. So it’s not just where your audience hangs out, but what you’re trying to accomplish. #SproutChat
— Alyssa Townsend (@atownx) June 21, 2017
A4: Don’t force anything and become inauthentic. Focus on where your audience is! #SproutChat pic.twitter.com/z3EFpqxnm9
— ARPR (@AR__PR) June 21, 2017
Tap Into Communities to Broaden Your Audience
Explore relevant groups or communities on LinkedIn and Facebook or specific hashtags on Instagram and Twitter to network with others in your industry. These communities will be a great starting point to grow your audience and you’ll begin to broaden your reach from there.
A6: All of the big social networks have a search feature. Look at what people like and go create better content than them. #SproutChat https://t.co/DXcrrzU1l5
— Adam Greenbaum (@Greenbaumly) June 21, 2017
A6: Conferences, associations, FB groups, @Meetup @eventbrite Twitter chats 😉 #SproutChat https://t.co/AJ6g5ddYFp
— Melissa Kay (@theCEOffice) June 21, 2017
A6: Twitter chats are amazing for building your community. It’s the perfect opportunity to make connections with new people. #SproutChat
— Express Writers (@ExpWriters) June 21, 2017
A6: Quora and Reddit are gold mines depending on your niche. Great places to build credibility and relationships #sproutchat
— 👇🏻Jonathan Payne (@SocialGamePlan) June 21, 2017
A6: Look offline at local professional and networking organizations #SproutChat https://t.co/ez1u9ESvUg
— Anna (@AnnaSlyu) June 21, 2017
A6 I have couple successes thru FB groups, Googled some slack groups as well, joining local @Meetup are great too #sproutchat
— Win Shi Wong (@winshiwong) June 21, 2017
See you next week, June 28 at 2 p.m. CDT to discuss influencer marketing with Sprout All Star, Adam Buchanan of Experticity. Until then, network in our Facebook community and to let us know of any other social media marketing topics on your mind.