LAUNCH Your Social Media Following
January 25, 2019
Creating a strong following on social media may seem like a daunting challenge, but there are some tried and true methods to launch your social media into the limelight. Before I joined the MGP PR team, I learned a lot about building a strong following by creating an Instagram account for my dog. As silly as it may seem, that account allowed me to connect with others over something I’m passionate about, while also creating something of value for myself and others. I have since gone on to manage social media for a few companies, and my understanding of how to promote many ideas and products over a wide variety of social platforms has grown.
Building an audience on social media can be broken down into five categories, which will help you LAUNCH your social media:
Learning
Authenticity
Uniqueness
Network
Consistency and
Hashtags
Learn From Your Posts
As you look back over your past social media content, take note of which posts generated the most views, likes, click-throughs and overall engagement. Spend time researching other social media influencers in your sphere and analyze their most popular content – what made the content successful? Whether you’re starting from scratch or already have a following, your best strategy is to learn what sparks interest for your audience. Recreating similar posts and content on your social platforms will allow you to gain a larger following.
K.I.S.S. – or Keep It Short and Sweet is one of the lessons I’ve gleaned from managing social content. Tweets should be short and catchy so viewers are interested in engaging with the content — ideally enough to click through any provided links. On Instagram, videos gain more traction than photos, so I plan and post videos often to reach a larger audience. Understanding the quirks and qualifications of each social media platform allows you to reach a wider audience in the way they enjoy intaking content.
Be Authentic
Authenticity generates passionate, thoughtful and meaningful posts. Creative content driven by passion brings out the best in your brand and portray a positive image to consumers. Audiences appreciate and respond best to content that is real and applicable. Online connections are similar to real life connections; people prefer genuine relationships. Sharing “real life” content gives your fan base a better sense of who you are and what you value, with or without your brand.
Be Unique
Think of your favorite things or people on social media – why do you like them? Do they seem exclusive, different or unique? Are they passionate about what they do? Most are and you should be, too! After all, if you’re not passionate about what you’re posting, why should others in the social community be?
Hone in on a unique topic or explore a new angle on a popular topic – most importantly, focus on something you’re passionate about. Passion fuels creative, original and genuine content. As public relations representatives, our job is to convey our clients’ passion and unique offerings through PR — including social media. Creating thoughtful and well-informed posts reflects highly on their brands and allows them to experience more traction with their audiences. The same applies to your audience.
Network
Networking is as important online as it is in the real world. As you work to build a following on social media, reach out to others who have established a secure following, or those who are trying to build an audience in the same space. Follow, like, share and comment on other influencer’s content. Ask for advice and feedback from successful people in and outside your network – even give shoutouts and encouragement every now and then. Building this rapport with other influencers in your target market demonstrates you’re willing to help them grow; in return, most people are happy to follow and promote your content as well.
I’ve found noteworthy success reaching out to related featured pages on Instagram and Facebook. While I was building up a following for my dog, Brie’s Instagram, I contacted applicable pages, asked if they were interested in promoting my dog and gave a short history along with a few pictures. Most of the time, the organizers of the pages were interested, and as a result, I gained a larger following because of the relationships I formed. As my following grew, many pages started to contact me to be featured on their page so they could gain followers, too. Networking is a win-win – everyone benefits.
Be Consistent
Posting articles and pictures on a regular basis allows your followers to develop an appetite for your message and helps your brand to stay relevant in the news feeds. When you don’t post often, audiences quickly lose interest. Sharing consistent content keeps you at the forefront of your followers’ minds, leaving them hungry for more.
Hashtags
Hashtags are a great tool for interested viewers to find your content more quickly and it’s important to use them to your advantage. Brainstorm ideas about what hashtags will fit your brand or topic. Keep in mind, hashtags have a shelf life, so keep them current and trending. Remember to spice things up every so often – try a viral hashtag to reach a different audience. For example, you could recreate a photo from a popular reality TV show and use their hashtag, like #TheBachelor. Now you have reached a brand new audience and new followers in new circles.
Social media is PR tool we use at MGP, but it’s also a fun and effective way to promote yourself or your brand and engage with audiences in a more personal way and in real time. It’s definitely an art form in its own way, but with these tools in hand, you’ll be well-equipped to build a strong following on your social media pages.
Hannah Martin
Account Coordinator
LAUNCH Your Social Media Following
January 25, 2019
Creating a strong following on social media may seem like a daunting challenge, but there are some tried and true methods to launch your social media into the limelight. Before I joined the MGP PR team, I learned a lot about building a strong following by creating an Instagram account for my dog. As silly as it may seem, that account allowed me to connect with others over something I’m passionate about, while also creating something of value for myself and others. I have since gone on to manage social media for a few companies, and my understanding of how to promote many ideas and products over a wide variety of social platforms has grown.
Building an audience on social media can be broken down into five categories, which will help you LAUNCH your social media:
- Learning
- Authenticity
- Uniqueness
- Network
- Consistency and
- Hashtags
Learn From Your Posts
As you look back over your past social media content, take note of which posts generated the most views, likes, click-throughs and overall engagement. Spend time researching other social media influencers in your sphere and analyze their most popular content – what made the content successful? Whether you’re starting from scratch or already have a following, your best strategy is to learn what sparks interest for your audience. Recreating similar posts and content on your social platforms will allow you to gain a larger following.
K.I.S.S. – or Keep It Short and Sweet is one of the lessons I’ve gleaned from managing social content. Tweets should be short and catchy so viewers are interested in engaging with the content — ideally enough to click through any provided links. On Instagram, videos gain more traction than photos, so I plan and post videos often to reach a larger audience. Understanding the quirks and qualifications of each social media platform allows you to reach a wider audience in the way they enjoy intaking content.
Be Authentic
Authenticity generates passionate, thoughtful and meaningful posts. Creative content driven by passion brings out the best in your brand and portray a positive image to consumers. Audiences appreciate and respond best to content that is real and applicable. Online connections are similar to real life connections; people prefer genuine relationships. Sharing “real life” content gives your fan base a better sense of who you are and what you value, with or without your brand.
Be Unique
Think of your favorite things or people on social media – why do you like them? Do they seem exclusive, different or unique? Are they passionate about what they do? Most are and you should be, too! After all, if you’re not passionate about what you’re posting, why should others in the social community be?
Hone in on a unique topic or explore a new angle on a popular topic – most importantly, focus on something you’re passionate about. Passion fuels creative, original and genuine content. As public relations representatives, our job is to convey our clients’ passion and unique offerings through PR — including social media. Creating thoughtful and well-informed posts reflects highly on their brands and allows them to experience more traction with their audiences. The same applies to your audience.
Network
Networking is as important online as it is in the real world. As you work to build a following on social media, reach out to others who have established a secure following, or those who are trying to build an audience in the same space. Follow, like, share and comment on other influencer’s content. Ask for advice and feedback from successful people in and outside your network – even give shoutouts and encouragement every now and then. Building this rapport with other influencers in your target market demonstrates you’re willing to help them grow; in return, most people are happy to follow and promote your content as well.
I’ve found noteworthy success reaching out to related featured pages on Instagram and Facebook. While I was building up a following for my dog, Brie’s Instagram, I contacted applicable pages, asked if they were interested in promoting my dog and gave a short history along with a few pictures. Most of the time, the organizers of the pages were interested, and as a result, I gained a larger following because of the relationships I formed. As my following grew, many pages started to contact me to be featured on their page so they could gain followers, too. Networking is a win-win – everyone benefits.
Be Consistent
Posting articles and pictures on a regular basis allows your followers to develop an appetite for your message and helps your brand to stay relevant in the news feeds. When you don’t post often, audiences quickly lose interest. Sharing consistent content keeps you at the forefront of your followers’ minds, leaving them hungry for more.
Hashtags
Hashtags are a great tool for interested viewers to find your content more quickly and it’s important to use them to your advantage. Brainstorm ideas about what hashtags will fit your brand or topic. Keep in mind, hashtags have a shelf life, so keep them current and trending. Remember to spice things up every so often – try a viral hashtag to reach a different audience. For example, you could recreate a photo from a popular reality TV show and use their hashtag, like #TheBachelor. Now you have reached a brand new audience and new followers in new circles.
Social media is PR tool we use at MGP, but it’s also a fun and effective way to promote yourself or your brand and engage with audiences in a more personal way and in real time. It’s definitely an art form in its own way, but with these tools in hand, you’ll be well-equipped to build a strong following on your social media pages.
