How To Grow Your Social Media Following: Tips and Tricks

In just 280 characters, a single image, or a 15-second video clip, you have the power to reach millions of people, all over the world, right on their phones… for free. Once you click "post" or "send," your content is out there for the world to see, hopefully gaining traction with shares, likes, and comments.

Social media, with its ability to balance captivating content and ads, is the modern way to build customer relationships and an integral part of a brand’s digital marketing and content strategy. It can be an extension of customer service or a platform to build loyalty and hype and to share your story. Over half of the world is active on social media, with the average person spending around two hours and twenty-seven minutes each day between platforms.

How can you reach all of these potential followers? Whether you're looking to grow your social media following for your personal brand or your business, this guide will help you get started.

Create a memorable brand identity

One of the keys to social media growth and success is to create a memorable brand identity. Brand identity on social media is everything from the tone of voice in your copy to the colors in your graphics.

When growing your social media following as a business, consistency is essential. Every post needs to reinforce who you are. Social media is an opportunity to give a brand personality and a human touch; you’ll want to showcase what makes your brand unique.

Establishing brand style guidelines helps ensure everyone working on growing the social media presence is on the same page and can create consistent content. It also makes onboarding new talent quicker and easier. The right social media content tools like Canva make it easy to collaborate with teams. They even have built-in brand kits and templates so you can quickly generate on-brand social media posts.

In your brand style guidelines for social media, you’ll want to include:

• Fonts
• Color schemes
• Types of photos used
• Templates
• Hashtags
• Voice and tone
• CTAs
• Caption length

Study the competition

Make a list of similar brands and take a deep dive into their different social media platforms. This is your competitive analysis. As you go through, take note of:

• What type of content they post—tips, product features, videos, and pictures
• How their social media strategy changes for each platform
• Their tone of voice—serious or playful, informative or entertaining
• How they engage with their followers—reposting stories, asking questions or polls, and replying to comments

When growing your business's social media following, you’ll want to tailor your content for each platform. For example, Instagram is a friendly platform emphasizing graphics and interaction with followers through comments, reposts, and direct messages. But LinkedIn is more professional and informative, focusing on business-related topics and longer articles rather than short-form content for entertainment. A thought piece or infographic would perform better on LinkedIn than on other social platforms.

You may want to post a picture of employees smiling and working in the office on Instagram and then post a newly written article from your website on LinkedIn.

Pro Tip: Avoid the temptation of "buying followers" and using bots to grow your social media following. Rarely are these followers real people who want to see and engage with your content. Often, the budget spent on buying followers would be better used on boosting and promoting posts.

Study your target audience

Who do you hope sees your posts and follows your accounts? This is your target audience. Think about who your customers are, from their demographics to personality traits. Take your buyer personas and turn them into social media personas.

Once you know your target audience, you can figure out the best ways to reach them. The content changes between platforms because their user demographics are so different. If your target audience is other businesses, LinkedIn will likely be your most engaging platform. TikTok has the highest population of Gen Z users, while Instagram can target millennials.

Knowing your audience helps you decide where to focus social media campaigns (especially paid ads) for the best results.

Pro Tip: If your audience is local, turn on geotagging for posts whenever it's an option. Adding a location helps more people in your area see the content you post.

Make a content calendar and be consistent

Being consistent on both what you're posting and how often is an essential component for growing your social media presence. Whenever you post a story, video, reel, or update, it's organic engagement. The goal is to have your audience interact with your posts, whether commenting, liking, or taking action using a story sticker.

Creating a publication calendar for your team and scheduling posts in advance makes it easier to post regular content. Finding the time to make posts, create a posting schedule, and respond to comments can be time-consuming. You can get help from social media experts on Upwork to maximize your social media growth and save yourself time. Overseeing the project without having to do everything yourself lets you focus on your job while still getting the results you need.

Stay up on content trends

Staying up to date with current trends is helpful for growing your social media following organically. Social media platforms may introduce updates like being able to shop in-app or allowing longer videos, which they will likely promote. People and brands that adopt these new features earlier may have a better chance at visibility.

Take note of what's popular on each platform to spark inspiration and figure out what to add to your social media strategy. The most successful brands pick the right trending content and use it. Trends can help brands feel modern and be a part of pop culture.

But be warned: there's a fine line between being "trendy" and "over the top." If you see a new type of video like a snap to decorate on TikTok or trending audio on Instagram, make sure it’s on brand and value-adding before you post content of your own.

‍Pro Tip: Pinterest launched Pinterest Trends, so you can discover what's trending each week to get inspiration for posts. Pinterest Predicts forecasts future trends to help you plan in advance.

Establish a strategy for each social media platform

Each social media platform needs its own marketing strategy. When you're just starting off, figuring out how to get your first 1,000 followers can feel monumental. Organic social media growth calls for high-quality content, but each platform is unique.

First, decide what platforms make sense for you or your business. Let's say you're looking for new clients. Creating the perfect customer service profile on LinkedIn is a crucial first step to connecting with companies that need your services. If you sell a product directly to customers, you could link your website to Instagram or Facebook and start selling in-app. Brands with a high amount of international customers could use WhatsApp for easier communication.

Pro Tip: Even if you don't plan on being active on every platform, create an account and secure your brand's name so no one else can take it.

A Quick Breakdown of Each Social Media Platform:

Facebook

• Run ads on Facebook or Instagram when you create a Facebook Business Page
• Review comprehensive social media analytics through Meta Business Manager—connect the Facebook pixel to your website for better tracking
• Respond to customers through live or automated chat
• Post longer-form content and videos—repost articles from websites or YouTube
• Create service menu and offers-–great for businesses that don’t have a website yet

LinkedIn

• Post articles, blogs, and thought-leadership pieces; announce product releases, updates; and repost press
• Show expertise in a field with helpful content and have it shared
• Network with other brands and professionals—better for businesses-to-business leads and sales rather than consumer engagement

Pro Tip: LinkedIn values audience engagement but puts an added emphasis on the quality of the content

WhatsApp

• Communicate with customers globally
• Build one-on-one relationships
• Create a business profile and set greetings, away messages, and quick replies
• Translate messages for multilingual audiences
• Use Business API has deeper features and integrations for automated messaging about products and services
• Drive sales and allow customers to buy products directly through the platform

Instagram

• Engage your audience on this visual platform with pictures, videos, or live streaming
• Connect with customers through direct messaging and comments
• Allow your audience to leave comments or direct message brands and individuals
• Reach potential new followers with relevant hashtags

Pro Tip: The Instagram algorithm puts a high value on audience engagement

X (formerly Twitter)

• Post short-form content—fewer than 280 characters, called Tweets
• Share content multiple times a day
• Repost articles, press releases, and blogs—audience can see a short preview
• Use hashtags for trends and to reach new followers
• Show your brand’s personality with engaging content like jokes or asking questions to followers

Pro Tip: 60% of a brand's followers are more likely to recommend or purchase a product after following the brand

YouTube

• Post videos up to 15 minutes in length for unverified accounts (verified accounts can post videos up to 12 hours long)
• Showcase your products with product demos or tutorials
• Run ads and gain leads or build brand awareness with YouTube Ads

Pro Tip: Popular videos can be eligible for ad revenue

Pinterest

• Target customers based on keywords or interests in ads
• Add photos and video content
• Choose from many different pin formats
• Track conversions and get more accurate reporting when you add the Pinterest Tag to your website

Pro Tip: Pinterest drives 3.8 times more sales than other platforms, with 87% of users reporting to have purchased a product because of Pinterest

Snapchat

• Create your own custom filter for brand awareness and engagement
• Reach new audiences through the discover feature
• Run ads based on location and age
• Upload product catalog into app for direct purchases

Pro Tip: Snapchat is a casual platform that promotes authenticity and playful content. The platform has a younger demographic, with most users being under 35.

TikTok

• Upload videos up to 10 minutes, but most are less than 30 seconds
• Target Gen Z
• Sell products directly to consumers through in-feed videos, live streams, and product tab

Pro Tip: Engagement rate for profiles with less than 100K followers is 28% compared to 0.04% on Facebook and 0.67% on Instagram.

Still not sure which platforms you should focus on? Find experts and add them to your Virtual Talent Bench™ to start growing your social media following.

Interact with your followers often

Building a community and interacting with your followers frequently is a critical component of social media growth. Social media is all about connection, whether responding to comments quickly or reposting user content. People on social media enjoy seeing positive interactions between brands and individuals. Just answering a complaint in a comment can increase customer advocacy by up to 25%.

Responding to comments, reposting, hosting contests, and asking questions show that you care about your customers and value them. It's also a great way to understand your audience and who you're selling to; this is called social listening.

Meaningful engagement is also vital for social media algorithms so you can organically grow your social media following. Social media is fast-paced, and you should respond to comments and messages as soon as they arrive, no more than 24 hours after. Over 39 percent of users expect a brand to reply on social media in less than an hour. Reaching out to a brand on social media feels more like a direct line compared to email, so people expect a quicker response.

Follow relevant profiles

As a rule of thumb, you want more followers than the number of people you're following. Who you follow determines what your feed looks like and what content you have the opportunity to comment on, like, and share. It can also help provide inspiration and keep you up to date with the latest trends.

Start by following brands and influencers in your industry that ideally aren't direct competitors. Engage with their posts by commenting, liking, and sharing so your profile gains visibility and you can start getting more followers.

Be warned: if you do this to direct competitors, it just helps improve their engagement score.

Pro Tip: Avoid going into a follow-frenzy where you follow any and everyone in hopes of follow-backs; be strategic in who you follow.

Use the right hashtags on your content

Hashtags are one way to organically get more social media followers. When you add a hashtag to your post, people searching these hashtags may see it. Hashtags are similar to keywords that people may use to find a brand or product like yours online.

The number of hashtags you use will vary from platform to platform. LinkedIn allows a limited number of hashtags compared to Instagram or TikTok. Start by taking a look at popular posts from others in your industry and competitors and see what hashtags they used. You can also do more research online into different hashtags and their ranking, to see what is trending.

Find the right time to post and schedule in advance

There are different peak times to post on social media: when people wake up, before and after lunch, after work, and before bedtime. Knowing when to post depends on where your key audience is and their time zone. If you're on the West Coast, but your clients are on the East Coast, you may want to post at their lunchtime, which is your breakfast.

While there are best times to post on each platform, you may find that your following grows more when you post right before or after a peak when there's less competition. Social media is a lot of trial and error, and using a platform's built-in analytics can help you figure out a social media strategy that works for you.

Spend time optimizing your profiles

Your social media profiles are important, and you should spend time making sure they reflect who you are as a brand. Depending on the platform, you can link your website, email, and other contact information. Your bio should have personality, explain your products, services, or other offerings, and use keywords.

Some platforms like Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Pinterest let you link your website and products so people can see what you offer and even shop directly within the app. Pinterest allows you to verify your website and apply to be a verified merchant to give potential customers an added sense of security.

Pro Tip: Make sure your website links to your social media profiles to encourage follows, and each social media profile should link to your website.

Cross-promote with other brands

Partnering with complementary brands that aren't your direct competition on social media is a great way to grow your social media following. With collaborations, you can share followers and increase engagement. Together you could host a giveaway or contest, each posting about it on your channels. Under the "How to enter" tab, make it a requirement to like both brands' profiles. You could also sponsor events in your industry or co-host a live-streaming event.

Offer exclusive social-only content or perks

The best brands on social media create a sense of urgency and provoke FOMO (fear of missing out). Their followers check their profiles regularly to make sure they haven't missed out on any social-media-only updates. This exclusive content could be giveaways like freebies or contests, sale codes or early access to sales, new product launches, or even the chance to vote and share an opinion on what the brand should launch next.

Pro Tip: Drive traffic from your website to grow your social media following by rewarding people for following your profiles with points or discounts on their next purchase.

Post great content

One of the cornerstones of your social media strategy to grow your following should be creating great content. Many people who are short on time will post the same graphic and text to each platform. While the overall message can be the same, the copy and tone should be adjusted to suit each different social media channel.

When it comes to graphics, there are different size and image-quality requirements for each platform. Social media is about authenticity and personality. Businesses and individuals can use social media to reinforce their branding. Posts should be a mix of marketing and more creative content. Your followers don't want to feel like they're being “sold to” every time they see your post.

Pro Tip: Canva is a great tool for creating post templates and making videos without having to be a graphic designer.

Consider working with influencers

Influencer marketing is where an influencer on social media promotes your brand and grows your following with a single post. The bigger influencers with tens or hundreds of thousands of followers charge to promote brands. Smaller "micro" influencers may be happy with getting free products or using an affiliate link, earning money with each purchase they drive.

The number of followers a person has doesn't always equal engagement; choose influencers who are in your niche. The people who follow them should also be interested in following you and vice versa.

Pro Tip: Only work with influencers that fit your product or industry to avoid cheapening your brand and losing authenticity.

Know how to respond to comments

You should have a guideline for anyone who has access to the business's social media accounts and can respond to comments. All responses should have a human touch, whether making a joke, adding the person's name in your comment, or using emojis.

Followers want to feel that they're talking to a person, not a bot. If a comment is negative, move the conversation if you can to a direct message so it can be dealt with privately. Social media can be an extension of your customer service and another way for customers to contact you if they have questions or complaints.

Make the best use of your data

When you make a business account on many social media platforms, you get better analytics and reporting features, which are essential for social media growth. You can see what types of posts are getting better engagement and, even more importantly, if they're converting to sales.

Facebook and Pinterest have pixels that you can integrate into your website, so when you run ads or post content you can track if they’re leading to sales. You can run A/B tests to see what type of content gets the most impressions, likes, and profile visits. Post the same image with different copy variations and different images with the same copy. See how blog posts perform or what video length has the best response. The data you collect during your social media campaigns can also help you uncover more about your customers and the customers you want to attract.

An expert can help grow your social media following

Creating a social media strategy to grow your following can seem overwhelming at first. Between mapping out the editorial calendar, creating graphics, writing copy, scheduling posts, and responding to comments and messages, social media can become an entire role in itself. Brands need a social media presence to stay competitive and reach their audiences where they are—on their phones.

When you hire a social media specialist through Upwork, you can focus on doing the work you love while still growing your social media following. Independent professionals who specialize in social media know the ins and outs of each platform. Whether you need captions, graphics, or someone to do social media management, explore Social Media Marketing in Project Catalog™ to get the help you need at a set price. Focus on the results while an independent professional gets to do the work they're passionate about.