How to Get More Followers and Increase Your Reach on Social Media

As a small business owner, what is your main purpose for using social media? For most businesses, it is to generate leads.

However, to make social media an effective lead generating tool, you must first have a following. The more fans and followers you have on your social media platforms, the better reach you will have.

So to use social media for lead generation, you must take steps to increase your social media reach.

Which social media platforms are best for me?

To choose which social media platforms are best for your business, you must discover where your target audience is. This should be part of your marketing plan discovery. 

Know your target market and where they are spending their time.

If you don’t know where your target audience hangs out, ask your customers. Send your current customers a survey and ask which social media networks they use most often.

Create a robust profile

Whether you are on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn or Instagram or one of the many other social media networks, make sure your business profile is professional and the wording is a clear and concise description about your company. You can make it fun too but make sure to include a link to your website.

Be sure to use your business’ name, upload your company logo and post pictures that are recognizable of your products, your staff or yourself.

Promote your social media presence everywhere

And by everywhere, I mean everywhere: on the footer of your website, on your blog, on your email signature, in your print advertising, on signage in your store or office, on your business cards.

Most social media networks have “Follow” buttons you can use on your website and blog where people can start following you without leaving your website or blog.

Cross promote your business on all of the social media platforms you use. This is a great way to let your followers know where else on social media they can find you. This way you can get your Twitter followers to become Facebook fans and your Facebook fans to become your Instagram followers, and so on. Cross promoting is easy. It is a simple as adding a link to another social media network in a post.

Add social sharing buttons

Social sharing buttons allow your readers and site visitors to easily share your content with their personal networks. You will reach a broader audience with your fans and followers sharing your content.

Post useful, valuable content

Just posting for the sake of posting will not grow your business or increase your followers. Your social media presence must me something that is worth your readers’ time to read and follow.

Make sure your posts, tweets and updates contain valuable, useful and engaging content. Avoid product-focused content. Instead, aim for content that educates.

Interact with followers

Social networks are about being social. Monitor your social media presence and interact with your fans and followers. Reply to comments, even negative ones. Engage smartly with your followers.