How to Grow Social Media Followers: 17 Key Techniques

1. Post Great Content

Creating great content is key to growing your social media following. Many people post the same content on all platforms to save time. However, each platform needs different copy and tone. Customise your message to fit each platform.

Graphics also have different sizes and quality requirements for each platform. Social media is all about authenticity and personality.  Use it to reinforce your brand. Mix marketing with creative content.

2. Create a Strong Brand Identity

Building a memorable brand identity is the first step toward social media success. This covers everything, from the tone in your posts to the colours used in your images. Consistency is crucial when growing your business's social media following.

Every post should reflect and humanise your brand, showing your audience what makes it stand out. Establishing clear brand style guidelines will keep your team on the same page. It ensures that your content stays consistent.

However, your social media brand guidelines should cover:

• Fonts
• Color choices
• Photo style
• Templates
• Hashtags
• Tone and voice
• CTAs
• Caption length

3. Study Your Competitors

To grow your social media presence, analyse your competition. List similar brands and study their social media platforms closely. This competitive analysis helps you understand their strategies. Note down:

• The types of content they post. It can be tips, videos, or product features.
• How do they adapt their strategy for each platform?
• The tone they use. It can be playful, serious, or informative.
• How they engage with followers, by reposting, asking questions, or replying to comments

When you grow your business’s social media, it’s important to adjust your content for each platform. For instance, Instagram is more casual. It’s about creating eye-catching visuals and interacting with followers through comments and direct messages.

On the other hand, LinkedIn is more professional. It focuses on sharing long-form content and business-related posts.

4. Study Your Target Audience

Think about who you want to see your posts. This is your target audience. Consider their demographics and personality. Use your buyer personas to create social media personas.

Once you know your audience, you can choose the best ways to reach them. Each platform has different user demographics. TikTok is popular with Gen Z, while Instagram targets millennials. Knowing your audience helps you focus your social media campaigns.

5. Make a Content Calendar and Be Consistent

Maintain a consistent posting schedule to keep your audience engaged and your content focused. Make sure every story, video, reel, or update aims for engagement. Specifically, aim to get likes, comments, or actions from your audience with each post.

6. Stay Up on Content Trends

Keep an eye on current trends to grow your social media following. Social media platforms often introduce new features, like in-app shopping or longer videos. They usually promote these updates, giving early adopters better visibility.

Look at what's trending on each platform for inspiration. Successful brands use trending content to stay relevant. It helps brands feel modern and part of pop culture. But remember, there’s a fine line between being trendy and overdoing it. If a new trend emerges, like a video or audio, ensure it fits your brand.

7. Develop A Unique & Effective Strategy for Each Platform

Each platform needs a unique strategy. When starting, growing to your first 1,000 followers can seem hard. Organic growth requires high-quality content, but every platform is different.

First, decide which platforms suit your business. If you're looking for clients, create a professional profile on LinkedIn. If you sell directly to customers, link your website to Instagram or Facebook for in-app sales. Brands with global customers can use WhatsApp for easy communication.

8. Interact with Your Followers Often

Interacting with your followers is key to growing on social media. Social media is about connection. Respond to comments quickly or repost user content. People like seeing positive interactions between brands and customers.

Just replying to a complaint can boost customer loyalty by 25%. Responding to comments, reposting, hosting contests, and asking questions demonstrate that you care and help you understand your audience and customers. This is called social listening.

9. Follow Relevant Profiles

It’s best to have more followers than accounts you follow. Who you follow shapes your feed and what content you see. Following others helps you engage with new content and stay updated.

Start by following brands and influencers in your industry. This helps grow your visibility and attract more followers. You should be careful not to follow direct competitors. It will boost their engagement, not yours. Don’t follow everyone in hopes of follow-backs. Be strategic.

10. Use the Right Hashtags on Your Content

Hashtags are a great way to organically grow your following. When you use a hashtag, people searching for it may find your post. Hashtags work like keywords for your brand or product.

The number of hashtags varies by platform. LinkedIn has fewer hashtag options than Instagram or TikTok. Look at popular posts from competitors and other industry players. See which hashtags they use.

11. Find the Right Time to Post and Schedule in Advance

The best times to post on social media are when people are free. These times are typically in the morning, before and after lunch, after work, and before bed. When to post depends on your audience and their time zone.

Key takeaways:

1) Post just before or after peak times for less competition.

2) Social media growth requires experimentation.

3) Use platform analytics to identify what works best for you.

12. Spend Time Optimising Your Profiles

Your social media profiles are important. Ensure they clearly represent who you are as a brand. Link your website, email, and other contact information where possible. Your bio should explain your services and products, and include relevant keywords.

Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Pinterest allow you to link your website and products. This lets people learn about what you offer and even shop within the app.

13. Cross-Promote with Other Brands

Collaborating with brands that aren’t direct competitors helps grow your following. Partnerships allow you to share followers and boost engagement. You could host a giveaway or contest that requires followers to like both brands' profiles. Sponsoring events or co-hosting a live-streaming event are other good options.

14. Offer Exclusive Social-Only Content or Perks

The best brands make followers feel like they’re missing out if they don’t check regularly. Exclusive social media content, like giveaways, sales, or early access to new products, keeps followers coming back. You could also ask for feedback or let followers vote on new products. Encourage website visitors to follow your social media by offering discounts or rewards.

15. Consider Working with Influencers

Influencer marketing involves someone promoting your brand on social media. Large influencers with thousands of followers often charge to post. Smaller “micro” influencers might accept free products or affiliate links for commissions.

Don’t focus just on the number of followers; engagement matters more. Choose influencers in your niche. Their followers should be interested in your brand, too. Work only with influencers who match your brand to maintain authenticity.

16. Know How to Respond to Comments

Create guidelines for responding to social media comments. Make sure responses feel personal, for example, you can use names, jokes, or emojis. Followers prefer talking to a person, not a bot.

If a comment is negative, try moving the conversation to direct messages. Social media can also serve as customer service for questions or complaints.

17. Make the Best Use of Your Data

Business accounts on social media give you better analytics. You can see which posts receive the most engagement and whether they lead to sales. Facebook and Pinterest offer pixels that you can link to your website.

Run A/B tests to compare how different posts perform. Try different copy with the same image, or vice versa. You can also test video lengths or blog posts. The data you gather helps you understand your audience better and improve your strategy.

Facebook

• Run ads on Facebook or Instagram after creating a Facebook Business Page.
• Use Meta Business Manager for detailed social media analytics.
• Connect the Facebook pixel to track visitors on your website.
• Respond to customers through live or automated chat.
• Post long-form content and videos, including articles from websites or YouTube.
• Create service menus and offers, ideal for businesses without a website.

LinkedIn

• Post articles, blogs, and updates. Share product releases and press news.
• Show your expertise with helpful content that others will share.
• Network with brands and professionals. It’s better for B2B leads.
• Quality content is highly valued on LinkedIn, along with audience engagement.

WhatsApp

• Communicate with customers from anywhere around the world.
• Build personal, one-on-one relationships with clients.
• Set up a business profile with greetings, away messages, and quick replies.
• Use translation tools to connect with multilingual customers.
• The Business API has advanced features for automating messages.
• Drive sales and let customers make purchases directly through the app.

Instagram

• Share photos, meaningful content, videos, and live streams to engage your audience.
• Connect with customers through direct messages and comments.
• Let your audience comment or DM you directly.
• Use relevant hashtags to reach new followers.
• Instagram’s algorithm favours engagement from your audience.

X (Formerly Twitter)

• Post tweets of fewer than 280 characters.
• Share content multiple times each day.
• Repost articles, blogs, and press releases to keep your audience updated.
• Use hashtags to follow trends and attract new followers.
• Show your brand's personality with fun content like jokes and questions.
• 60% of followers are more likely to recommend or buy from brands they follow.

YouTube

• Post videos up to 15 minutes for unverified accounts; verified accounts can upload longer.
• Use product demos or tutorials to showcase your products.
• Run ads to build brand awareness and get leads.
• Popular videos can earn ad revenue.

Pinterest

• Target customers using keywords or interests in your ads.
• Upload photos and video content.
• Pick from a variety of pin formats.
• Use the Pinterest Tag to track conversions and improve reporting.
• Pinterest drives 3.8 times more sales than other platforms.

Snapchat

• Create custom filters for brand awareness and engagement.
• Reach new audiences through the Discover feature.
• Run location-based and age-targeted ads.
• Upload your product catalogue for direct purchases.
• Snapchat is casual and promotes fun, authentic content. It’s mainly for users under 35.

TikTok

• Upload videos up to 10 minutes long, but most are under 30 seconds.
• TikTok mainly targets Gen Z users.
• Sell directly through in-feed videos, live streams, and product tabs.
• Profiles with fewer than 100K followers have a 28% engagement rate.

Still unsure which platforms to focus on? Find experts like BrandsofPanel to help you grow your social media following.