The age-old question: How do I build a Social Media audience?

Social Media is at the baby stage of development; just look at how often Facebook changes each year! There are literally hundreds upon hundreds of sites that cater to niche markets that are just beginning to be tapped in to. Above the niche markets are the most widely used and known sites: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Most companies are on these sites but some experience mixed results. With that being said, many companies do not utilize their pages to achieve their full potential. Specifically looking at Facebook and Twitter, there are a series of rules to be followed that will lead to an increase in followers.

Be personable.No one wants to be talked down to.No one wants the feeling of getting sold to, either.On your Facebook and/or Twitter account make sure you speak with a friendly tone.
Interact with your followers.Social media was created to induce interaction, so do it!Good or bad, responding to comments (even something as simple as saying thanks or liking their post) will make people respect or admire your business more.
Specifically ask your followers to like, share or retweet your posts.This may seem intrusive, but people will respond to a post that asks them to do something – as long as you aren’t constantly asking your followers to do something in every post.
Network!Social media is a network, so use it to your advantage.Give a call to the store down the street (or across the country) and see if they are willing to share some of your posts.If they don’t want to share a piece of your content, don’t sweat it – it never hurts to ask, they can only say no!
Cross-promote.Incorporate your Facebook and Twitter through email, enewsletters, within each other – i.e. via Twitter: Check our Facebook page for an exclusive offer.Gain any leverage possible to help promote your up-and-coming page.
Giveaways, contests, events, behind the scenes action etc.Give a reason for your fans to actually click “like” or “follow.”Here’s a link to a blog post that gives 50 different ideas to help improve your Facebook page.
Share and post good content.If your page is interesting, then people will come back.If you post consistently people will notice.The 80/20 rule is in effect to be considered for “good content.”This simply means that 80% of the time the posts should be unrelated to sales, whereas the other 20% of the time you can promote your product.All along you should be promoting your company “brand.”As far as content goes, shorter posts are better, and photos appear to have the most engagement among followers.
Edge Rank for Facebook.Facebook has their own ranking system, for more information on how to increase your visibility on Facebook, search on Google “Facebook Edge Rank” and you will find countless blogs and articles that go in-depth on how to maximize your Facebook visibility.

The steps listed above are guidance on how to utilize your Facebook and Twitter sites. The most important aspect of a page is content. Make sure that there is sufficient content for followers to feel like they can gain something by following or liking your page. The rest should come with time, just make sure to keep striving to promote your page and company altogether.

Please comment below with any additional ways you have grown your social media audience! If you would like, post your LinkedIn, Facebook and/or Twitter link and let’s connect!

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