Social media provides an excellent opportunity for businesses to communicate with customers and offers unprecedented reach with the large number of people using the many available platforms. However, one of the biggest limiters when it comes to communicating via social media is the number of likes and followers a business page has.
One of the more obvious reasons for this is that the vast majority of people that view a business’s posts also follow their page. This means that if a business has very few followers it will consequently have very little reach. Many businesses attempt to circumvent the need for likes with hashtags. Hashtags do help, but they are not a substitute for having followers.
Hashtags essentially lump posts into groups. For example, using the hashtag #minneapolis will allow users to find that post by searching #minneapolis. This may seem like a solution, but there are two key problems with hashtags. First, very few people actually search hashtags on a regular basis. This means that there are very few people looking at any particular hashtag. Couple this with the second problem, which is that a massive number of pages use each hashtag, and there is almost no added benefit to using hashtags. Unless it is something very specific and includes a location and an industry (i.e. #minneapolisconcrete) there is very little benefit to using hashtags.
That is not to say that hashtags are useless. However, when considering that there are very few people looking at hashtags and that each hashtag grouping is flooded with an obscene amount of posts, it is clear that hashtags are not a substitute for likes and follows.
Now, gaining likes and followers may seem like a daunting task and competitors may seem to be out of reach. However, this is more than likely not the case. Most businesses don’t need millions of followers. A few thousand is more than enough for the majority of businesses, and it is entirely feasible with the right strategy.
Seven1 Media’s general strategy for gaining followers consists of three main parts. The first is consistent posts. Having a steady stream (no more than one per day) of posts is key to gaining followers. When customers look at a business’s page and see very few posts, it is very unlikely that they will feel compelled to follow them. However, if the page has a consistent flow of informational and engaging posts that are relevant to the needs of customers, it is very likely that new page visitors will follow the page.
Second in Seven1 Media’s strategy is the use of Facebook ads. Facebook ads allow businesses to pay to get more exposure with their posts. Ads give businesses a chance to drive viewers to their page and ultimately to follow the page and hopefully make a purchase. Ads can be used for a variety of purposes ranging from awareness, to video views, to conversions. It is important to be clear on the goal of an ad so that it is specifically designed and placed for optimal results. When used correctly, ads can communicate enticing offers and gain awareness for a page. And if people are driven to a page that has a steady stream of high quality posts, it is likely that there will be many new followers for that page.
The final facet of Seven1 Media’s strategy to increase the following of a page is simply requesting likes. This can be done in several ways. One easy way to gain 30-50 likes is to invite friends and family to like the page. This can be done by any admin of a page and is an easy way to increase the credibility of that page. While these people may not necessarily be potential customers, they do send an important message to other page visitors, which is that it is not abnormal to like the page. From an evolutionary standpoint people like to follow the crowd, so if a page appears to have some people following it, it is more likely to gain subsequent likes. Other ways to request likes will be geared towards potential customers. First, it is important to simply request that people “like, comment, or share” on every post. And second, asking satisfied customers to follow a page is a very good way to not only gain followers, but also positive word of mouth for the business.
Likes and follows are the lifeblood of any business page on social media. They dictate who will see the business’s posts and the effectiveness of any social media activity. They give value to posts as they allow more people to see the posts. And finally, the more follows that a business has, the more easily it will gain subsequent likes. Demonstrating that it is normal to like a page gives people confidence in a business and will motivate them to fit in with the crowd.
If you feel that your business is lacking followers in comparison to your competitors, it is never too late to begin catching up. Using Seven1 Media’s tips it is possible to rapidly gain followers with just three simple concepts. I will be posting more detail about what constitutes a high-quality post or ad in coming blog posts, but if you would prefer to meet with me and discuss how I can help grow your business’s following, all you need to do is click the button below and set up a meeting. At our meeting I will include a FREE all-encompassing evaluation and recommendation for your business’s marketing for you to do with as you please. Click below to take the first step in improving your marketing.