Social media is a great place to promote your business and connect with customers, but it can be hard to find the right balance between posting content, engaging with other users, and not boring your audience while at it.
If you’re interested in learning how to grow social media followers the right way, we’ve got you covered.
This is the only reason you need to do it: your social media presence can replace your marketing department!
That said, you can grow social media followers organically on your own, or hire a digital marketing agency to do it in your stead!
Table of Contents
1. Post Consistently
As cliche as it may sound, consistency is indeed key.
People are in a sea of content. If you post infrequently, it’s easy for them to forget about you.
However, thin is the line between consistency and spamming, so make sure not to cross it.
You have to know how much is too much and how little is too little.
Another common mistake when learning how to grow social media followers for business is that people often confuse it with a personal profile. A business page is not where you want to post pictures of your dog every two seconds!
Sounds confusing?
We’ll help you find the sweet spot of optimal posting frequency on the most popular social media platforms.
Generally, you should allow your audience time to digest the message before publishing more content, but let’s get to the nitty-gritty of it all!
How Often Should You Post on TikTok?
TikTok itself recommends users post 1-4 times a day.
According to TikTok’s management, posting four times a day is ideal for people and businesses just starting out, as it gives them enough room to test how their content is performing and discover what works for them.
Post at different times of the day and keep an eye out on the analytics. A/B testing is your best ally when it comes to determining the best time to post. You can rely on different social media management tools to schedule your posts ahead and then track the results.
TikTok is not big on flawless aesthetics or certain picture sizes and formats. It is easier for you to publish content without spending too much time on making your posts pitch-perfect.
This doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be valuable, unique, and high-quality — it just means the platform is not as strict when it comes to visual appeal.
How Often Should You Post on Facebook?
One of the biggest mistakes people make is posting too often and making their audience feel like they're spamming them with stuff they don't want to see.
If you post too often, your followers will tune out, and those who are still following you will less likely engage with your content.
The question here is how to grow social media followers, not how to lose them.
So, how many times should you post on Facebook?
It’s generally accepted that posting one time a day is the best practice. However, some people prefer to have a more relaxed schedule, so they'll only post a couple of times a week or even once in a while, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Study your Facebook engagement rates and learn from them.
Don't feel pressured into posting according to other people’s schedules—you'll probably find that if your posts are timed well for when people are awake (e.g., morning), then most of them will be seen and engaged with by your audience anyway!
Invest time and effort (and money if needed) in interactive Facebook posts, and track your followers’ behavior at all times — you’ll find all the answers you need in the analytics.
How Often Should You Post on Instagram?
If you’re wondering how to increase Instagram engagement, don’t overthink it: the more you post, the higher your engagement and reach rates will be.
However, this is not always a good thing.
What’s the use of publishing content aimed at millennials that only gen Z sees? Don’t be deceived by high reach — it gives a fake sense of success that often does more harm than good.
Generally speaking, one or two posts per day are just enough to keep the Instagram algorithm happy. If the algorithm is happy, your followers are happy too — it’s a win-win!
Later dug deeper and, according to their analysis, accounts that have:
- Under a thousand followers should post 14 times a week.
- Between 1,000-250,000 followers should post 14 to 20 times a week.
- Over 250,000 followers should post once a week.
It’s clear (and logical) that businesses that are yet to build a strong social media presence are expected to publish more content to get more followers.
How Often Should You Post on Twitter?
When it comes to Twitter, you can’t pinpoint an approximate (let alone exact) number of tweets a business should post per day.
While some argue that tweeting three times a day is just enough, others are leaning towards tweeting 30 times.
Note that tweets have a rather short shelf life.
If you're yet to build a following, 30 tweets a day doesn’t seem like such a crazy idea considering most of your tweets will never reach a wider audience. In this case, it’s better to rinse and repeat until your tweets get some traction.
On the other hand, engagement significantly decreases after the third tweet in a day. If you already have a solid audience on Twitter, you have nothing to prove. Stick to a maximum of three posts a day, and you’re good to go.
2. Be Yourself (But Don’t Overdo It)
When you're building a social media following, being stiff or boring is not an option.
You don't want followers who feel "meh" about your content—you need an audience that enjoys following along with what you do.
So, while being yourself is the best advice you can follow in any life situation, when it comes to social media, you have to think twice about how you present yourself.
You might think that sharing too much information about yourself would make people feel comfortable connecting with you online, but actually, there’s a fair chance of the opposite happening.
It’s simple psychology: if you see a celebrity talking about your favorite topic or sharing an opinion on a matter that you feel strongly about, you might not be as much star-struck if they say something you disagree with.
The same goes for you: if your audience sees or hears something from you that they don’t necessarily approve of, they will not only lose interest in interacting with you, but also stop paying attention altogether.
Of course, you should stay authentic and voice your opinions, but do it with caution.
At the end of the day, you can’t please everyone, but it’s easier to displease them, and that’s not what your business needs.
3. Find Your Niche
Think of your niche as the place where you can add value to your audience. It's also what people will become interested in when they hear about you, so this is an important factor to consider when choosing a niche.
The best way to find your ideal niche is by asking questions that matter to you:
- What do I love?
- What is my vision?
- How can my passion and goals bring me success?
Once you've answered them, it'll be easy for others (including potential customers) to follow along with the same thought processes.
This way, they can identify areas where they connect with you. It’s then and there that your following will start to grow!
4. Use Your Name and Come up With an Effective Bio
The first thing people will notice is your name (or your business name).
That’s why you need to ensure your name doesn’t look like spam. Even more important, it has to be easy to remember.
When it comes to your bio, make sure that you're clear and concise. The first thing people see when they come across your profile is this brief introduction of yourself. You want them to know what you do, so put some thought into it!
Here are a couple of tips:
- Use keywords. If someone is searching for "how to grow your social media following," then they'll open those profiles that added the keyword. Most people don't want to waste time, so by adding relevant keywords, you’ll make it easier for them to find exactly what they’re looking for.
- Be descriptive about what exactly you do (or at least try). Vague descriptions won't help anyone understand what kind of person/service/company/etc. you are or why you have any value at all! Tell people what you do and why they should care about it.
5. Tag People/Brands/Locations in Your Posts & Engage With Other Users and Brands
Tagging people or brands in your posts is an interesting way to grow social media followers as it helps you engage with others who might be interested in what you have to say.
Tagging also provides a way for people to find other users with similar content, which can help them discover new sources of information about the same topic as yours.
You can easily make a name for yourself and gain respect by:
- Responding to comments and messages
- Engaging with other users who are posting in your niche
- Reaching out to other brands in your niche
- Staying in touch with users who are relevant to your business, such as influencers or bloggers you work with on a regular basis
- Following users who have a large following because those people may be interested in what you do, too
Probably most important, put your customers/clients first.
If you come across as arrogant or just full of yourself, no one will give you the time of day.
But, if you are down-to-earth (no matter how large a following you have), ready to address your audience’s concerns, or just there to chit-chat every now and then, you’ll find a one-way street to your followers’ hearts.
6. Share UGC (User Generated Content)
UGC is a great way to build your brand, especially if you are new to social media.
You can share UGC that you have created or found on the Internet and make it look like it was directly made for your business. For example, if you own a wedding venue, then sharing photos of weddings taken at your venue would be perfect.
You’re not limited to just images either!
You could also use videos or text posts with links back to where they came from (the original source).
Take these tips and apply them to your Instagram account. You’ll be surprised at how much more engagement you can get—and what a difference it makes in your overall brand presence.
Expert Tips on How To Grow Social Media Followers: Key Takeaways
Like it or not, we can’t live without social media, and you can use this fact in your favor!
Long gone are the days when TV ads brought massive profits. Nowadays, social media has the power to make or break a deal.
On how to grow followers on social media, there are many approaches you can take.
From focusing on high-quality content to collaborating with influencers and choosing authenticity, you can grow your following organically without spending a dime.
