Now more than ever having a social media account for your business is a marketing necessity. Having an account can be a great way to advertise, inform customers of promotions, and more. Creating your authentic social media audience is an important step in making sure that your social media accounts are effective in conveying these messages. Fake followers have become a real issue in social media marketing. According to Cybersecurity firm Cheq, fake fans had costed brands $1.3 billion just in 2019 alone. Due to brands paying social media influencers based on the number of followers, when an account has fake followers the brands are paying to reach consumers that are non-existent. Here are 10 ways to get more authentic followers for your brands:
Using Hashtags to your advantage.
Using Hashtags that are descriptive to your brand will help users searching for specific topics find your business. Finding followers that will engage with your account long term are key. There are tools like Iconosquare and Websta, which notes changes in algorithms to help your business determine the most popular relevant hashtags. In a study conducted by Inconoquare, the Gymshark Instagram account saw an increase of 30% per post engagement rate and saw follower growth of 50%.
Take advantage of your bio.
This tip is very simple, but some brands miss out on this. Simply posting a link to your website in the bio is an easy way to drive your Instagram traffic to your website.
Post consistently.
Gaining potential followers comes down to reminded users why they should follow you in the first place. Without regular content, there is no draw bringing in new followers.
Try to get in front of a larger audience.
Tagging relevant accounts that re-post can be a great way to get your content in front of a larger audience, drawing the attention of followers who may not have been able to find your account otherwise.
Take part in relevant trends and conversations.
Many trends take place on social media. Including yourself in popular trends and conversations can bring exposure from potential new followers.
Use Geotags.
Including locations on your posts is another way to get your content in front of users who may not have otherwise found it. Tagging local cities, locations and other relevant locations will expose your business to potential customers.
Encourage Engagement.
Consumers are always looking for a positive customer service experience, and social media is no different. Replying to comments, direct messages, and commenting and liking posts will create a positive experience, encouraging new followers and customers.
Be personable.
Social Media marketing, and anything done through the internet can lose a sense of personalization. Letting followers know that there are people behind the posts can provide a sense of familiarity. Posting team headshots and bios can convey that message to followers.
Post daily stories.
Posting stories can be a great way to promote specific items, promotions, news, and more. Stories will keep your followers interested and engaged. Keeping followers interested will cause a spike in growth.
Posting at the right time.
It is proven that posting at specific times of the day plays a part in the amount of engagement received. Data by Hubspot shows that there is an ideal time to post that is different every day of the week. For example, on Saturday 11am is your best bet for engagement. Knowing these times can be important for gaining potential followers.
Works Cited
https://www.wired.com/story/instagram-fake-followers/
https://pro.iconosquare.com/about
https://www.shopify.com/blog/14288561-how-to-build-a-massive-following-on-instagram#one
https://influencermarketinghub.com/best-time-to-post-on-instagram/
https://sproutsocial.com/insights/how-to-get-followers-on-instagram/
