Today, when people say they’re “surfing the internet,” that means they’re on social media. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Reddit are just a few of the top social media platforms used to share content across the globe. Content creators, on the other hand, struggle every day to get a sufficient number of clicks for one item.
Gaining a following through social media is no different than a carnival barker trying to coax patrons to an attraction. Whatever your attraction may be, the pitch needs to ring a bell with your audience. Some of it may take charm and finesse, but it can be as simple as being at the right place at the right time.
Here are four tips to increase social media reach organically.
Adjust Frequency
Habitually posting and sharing content is a fact of life for content creators. This may be an unethical way to build followers.
A study focused on three generations of social media users found Millennials follow for amusement and information, GenXers for promotions, and Boomers are a neutral mix. The three tend to unfollow if posts were too spammy or become a daily nuisance.
Learn to pace your posting and sharing frequencies. Wednesdays and Thursdays between the hours of noon to 2 pm are the best times. Any weekday from 10 am to 3 pm is also optimal.
Targeting
Chances are that a video compilation of baby panda clips showed up in your feed because of specific audience targeting. Targeting social media posts is the smart way to spread content without the need to spam.
Most social media platforms have convenient targeting options. Those Twitter hashtags are one way to spread content to interested users. If you create a post on Facebook, you might notice a small “target” icon at the bottom. Use this to target your posts by interest, gender, and country.
Get An Advocate
The name isn’t “social” media for nothing. Your posts will grow in popularity when more people begin to interact with them. If you have a decent amount of followers, then maybe you could convince them to become advocates.
Social media advocates can be vocal followers, related creators, or your circle of friends. Ask them to share your posts around. Try to add incentives for their cooperation. This is a good way to create promotions or get to know your followers.
Influencers are another type of social media advocacy you can use. Create content that is within their field and ask if they’ll host it on their site.
Curate Content
Your social media life thrives when you make good content. However, there’s so much online content that you don’t know if you have anything better to add. Maybe you would make a good curator.
Share and comment on posts within your field of expertise. For example, a real estate agent in Jacksonville may share a news article about a new Hollywood Walk of Fame inductee and add a comment (with the link) about properties on Vine Street. A sincere voice is all you need to win followers.