Do you want to gain thousands of followers quickly? Well, maybe you should reconsider. If you have ever seen that clickbait on your feed, it is exactly that: clickbait. Sure, you can gain a lot of followers that way, but they won’t be quality followers who interact with your posts and stories. They will be like ghosts who ruin your engagement rate.
If you can’t gain mass followers quickly at the click of a button, then there must be a different formula.
Here at Stratezine, we set out to find that formula by reaching out to many local and regional businesses in Eastern Idaho. Through interviews, research, and analysis, we crafted 9 steps that may help you gain followers organically. Not even paid ads are necessary!
These are the kind of quality followers who will actually interact with and purchase what your business has to offer. Next time you think your follower count is looking a little bleak, give these 9 steps a try.
Don’t Force Fast Growth
You’ve heard it before – but not quite like this. Authenticity looks a little different depending on the brand that wears it. Righteous Slice wears it well. A local pizza shop in the small Idaho town of Rexburg, Righteous Slice uses social media to be honest and authentic to their brand.
The best-kept secret, however, is that getting followers quickly is not always the answer for a successful business. Sometimes, slow growth brings permanent growth. This has been the case for Righteous Slice. With the business being local, slow growth on social media works well for them.
When speaking with the owner of Righteous Slice, we discovered what “authentic” means to her.
“Most of [the posts] that have done well involve [employees],” Cheryl said.
While showcasing people on business social pages is common, Cheryl also noted that their social media did well when using humor.
“Humor works really well. I had an employee that would make me a weekly meme,” Cheryl said.
The formula is tried and true: people being themselves brings genuine followers. There are so many lists that circle the internet and prey on businesses. These lists swear their tips will get you followers quickly.
As Cheryl explained her business’s slow-growth social media formula, it was easy to see that what they were doing at Righteous Slice was working. On an average Wednesday afternoon, business was booming.
“I just want to be authentic, post things that I think are interesting, or show what we do so that we can advertise what we do,” Cheryl said.
Step one for gaining followers organically: don’t be afraid to take it slow.
“Do what makes sense,” Cheryl said. See the full video interview below!
Full Interview Righteous Slice.mp4
Create Professional Content Early On
Novelist Cynthia Ozick once said, “Two things remain irretrievable: time and a first impression.”
Growth can come in many forms and at many speeds, but it does not matter at what stage of the process your business is, it is imperative that your social media content reflects the size of your dreams from the very first interaction.
Crispy Cones, a soft cone ice cream company that from 2019 to 2023 has managed to open multiple locations in Idaho, grow over 20k followers on Instagram, and even score a deal on the famous show Shark Tank, never underestimate the power of quality content from the very first day.
Kaitlyn Carlson, CMO and part-owner of this sweet, growing empire shared with us that from the early stages of the business, she decided to elevate her pictures and content and stray away from the common mistake early businesses do of just taking pictures with their phone and uploading it to their social media.
“We kind of saw ourselves as bigger than what we were in the grand scheme of things. We were literally just a trailer single location in Rexburg, Idaho,” Carlson said.
She grabbed a higher-end camera than an iPhone, decided on a brand image, and started posting high-quality photos with a color scheme and clarity that she keeps on using even now. As you start your business, an investment needs to happen in the equipment you use to create the content: buy or borrow a camera that gives the media your product deserves, consider getting a professional backdrop for your product placement pictures, and/or choose a good editing software and become familiar with it.
If your business’ headquarters are the craft room of your apartment or a place that is less than glamorous, do not let that bleed onto the content that you use on social media, and post as if you are already a Fortune 500 entrepreneur.
Screenshot taken from @crispycones_ on Instagram.
Now, with plans of opening a new location in Orlando, Florida, this strategy continues to show its timeless potential.
“We took it so seriously that […] we created high-quality content in both photo and video,” Carlson said, “it stilled confidence in us.”
With this experience, we close step two for gaining followers organically: create professional content early on, as it will reward you with a steady image, industry presence, and confidence in your business.
Use Different Strategies for Different Platforms
I know, you might have seen this before, but with the constant change of media, and how fast something can go viral, this principle needs a revisit.
When creating content for your business, it is very easy to fall into the habit of using whatever is trending fast: the top-charting song, the snippet of a vintage movie that’s doing a comeback, or just silly audio that’s been doing the rounds and amassing thousands of subscribers. Although this can be, and usually is, very valuable material to work with, it can backfire if we assume that Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok will have the same engagement with the exact same post.
Let’s go back to our conversation with Kaitlyn Carlson, part-owner and CMO of Crispy Cones. Her most successful platform from the beginning has been Instagram where, as we have read, she specialized in high-quality content that was in line with the brand and that was visually appealing. Because this was working so well, she was disappointed to see that her engagement on TikTok with the same strategy was not bringing her the same amount of followers and interactions.
She then hired an intern that knew the importance of differentiating the content of each platform.
“When you are on TikTok you are not scrolling to find pretty things, people are scrolling to find relatable videos,” Carlson said.
This realization completely changed her social media game, and she combined these skills with making sure that the trending content that they did decide to use was not overused and pushed onto the wrong audience.
For you, the solution doesn’t have to come with hiring someone, but being aware of this phenomenon is a good starting point.
If you combine this with the other points of this blog, you’ll become a master on step 3 of this list: using different content on different platforms in the best way possible.
Prioritize SEO Over Hashtags
Macall Carlsen is a freelance social media manager who works with a variety of clients to help them grow audiences organically on such platforms as Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.
Macall shared that the strategy for building an audience will depend on the platform.
“For Pinterest, you’re posting a lot. I post about 15 pins a day. And that’s just all SEO-like for me to grow companies and like my clients I know exactly how to grow them. And that’s just by having keywords in the content and just hoping for the best, which honestly works because you’re posting so much, and all the research that I do helps them grow,” Carlsen said.
In order to find the right keywords, it is important to understand the audience that the business is trying to target. Hence, good keywords will be related to questions, challenges, and interests that a potential audience has.
However, SEO strategy works not only for Pinterest. Here is Macall’s comment about Instagram:
“I think it’s important not to have keywords just in your hashtags, but also in your captions, I think Instagram’s algorithm notices, not the little blue hashtag, but what you’re putting in the caption, the caption is just as important as your actual visual for sure.”
It is time to move forward from a basic strategy of adding 20-30 hashtags because social media algorithms become more complicated, so the platform settings track the relevancy of all of the text that is shared with the post. It is better to stick with 3-5 main hashtags that will be connected to the content and brand in general.
Make Your Account a Potential and Professional Portfolio
“In our studies, something like almost 40% of young people, when they’re looking for a place for lunch, they don’t go to Google Maps or Search. They go to TikTok or Instagram.” said Prabhakar Raghavan, Senior Vice President of Google’s Knowledge and Information organization.
More and more people are no longer turning to the Google search bar to find things to do, clothes to wear, recipes to cook, and places to travel to. They are turning to TikTok videos, tweets, and Instagram posts.
Madison Hafen, an international wedding videographer, understood that her social media accounts were not only to get more awareness of her business, but it has become the first thing people see when they find her. People aren’t searching for “wedding videographer” on Google as much as they used to; they are searching for it on social media platforms.
“My intention of using social media is to showcase my work in the most beautiful way,” Hafen said. “I want to be true to my style and represent my client in an authentic way.”
Hafen decided to make her social media presence more of a portfolio so when potential clients find her, they are able to see the quality of her work and what she can offer from a simple click or social media search. Her account answers all of the potential client’s questions like, “How much does it cost? What other videos have you created? What is your film style and aesthetic?”
“I have never had someone say, ‘Your reel with the trending sound really sold me.’ That can sometimes get me followers, but never clients or customers,” said Hafen.
She decided that each reel, post, story, or carousel is going to be of the best quality she can so she can showcase her best work.
Your social media could potentially become your resume. This is your opportunity to show what your business is about and how you can stand out.
Maximize Reach Through Video Content
Different types of content have different purposes in terms of interacting with the existing audience or reaching out to new people. Social media manager Macall Carlsen mentioned before the power of the right keywords to make content seen. But to take keywords strategy to a different level, it is crucial to choose the right type of content that will reach new people. Carlsen said:
“Knowing video and how to kind of figure out content ideas that go along with the video is so important, because not only is it great for your content and organization, but the reach is way much bigger for video content versus just a still image for a hard post or a story.”
There is still demand for static posts and interesting visuals, but this type of media is helpful when the audience is more familiar with the stuff that was posted before on the page. It is important to integrate different types of content and find the right balance that will work for a certain profile.
“Now the video is blowing up because of Tik Tok. Other channels are trying to keep up with it, and it’s awesome because videos tell more of a story, and it’s easier to reach people,” Carlsen said.
The main power of short videos is that they can be created from images, audio, text, and long videos. Hence, there is a chance to catch the attention of the users, so they will want to explore more of our content on the different channels. Short videos like Facebook and Instagram reels, Tik Tok videos, and YouTube shorts work as free advertisements that lead to the main account where users can dive into the whole storytelling experience.
Develop Connections through Shareable Content
Tripp Mims, owner of Mims Bakery in Salt Lake City, has grown an audience of almost 7K followers on Instagram. His main approach to social media is about creating personalized content that the audience wants to engage with instead of using only catchy trends.
Mims said, “I think it’s about being authentic, and kind of like showing your personality through your branding. I hope that my Instagram reflects me and is not the trending meme going on. I like the funny memes, but that can’t be the centerpiece of where you’re building your business around (the cool thing that day) […] but I think it should be a little more stable than that.”
It is important to post something fresh and unique, so the new audience will be interested to learn more about the account and interact with it. Good quality content is worth sharing with others. That’s how Mims Bakery is expanding its audience right now.
“If I’m actually going to gain followers now, the only way that happens is through someone else’s account. The right person reposts something that’s far enough outside of my circle, and those people jump onto my account. That’s usually something like a collaboration with someone, me shouting out someone else’s business, or content that shows the process video goes over well. And if it has my face in it, something personal, those are the ones that just get a ton of likes or a ton of engagement,” Tripp Mims said.
Interacting with accounts or businesses that might be even in different niches but still have similar target audiences is a great approach. No one wants to advertise their competitors, but sharing content from profiles that have similar values can drive a new flow of people and engagement.
Use Seasons and Current Events to Your Advantage
You know about all major holidays, but the real question is: Do you know how to use them to your advantage? Whether it’s Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day, or Independence Day, being aware of these events can do wonders for your social media growth.
Except, it isn’t just about being aware of upcoming events and holidays. In fact, simply having these things on your radar isn’t anywhere near enough – you need to plan.
Kelli Lundgreen, the social media manager for Nailed It, a nail studio located in Rexburg, Idaho, told us how planning around holidays and other relevant events has changed the game for her social media growth. Looking several months ahead has proven to be highly beneficial to Nailed It, especially in the past year.
“We always have something on deck”, she said.
Her main approach to social media growth focuses on the what and when of content, in other words, she focuses on what content the business’s audience wants to see and when they want to see it.
One way to think about this is to ask yourself, “What month do stores start selling Christmas decorations?”, if the answer were “December”, think about how much profit those stores would be missing out on each year. The same is true for social media posts in relation to upcoming holidays.
For instance, Kelli told us that in her experience, posting too close to a holiday or event actually negatively impacts a post’s performance, resulting in a low amount of new followers.
She shared with us that last February of 2022, certain posts had mediocre performance because they were posted too close to Valentine’s Day. This year, Kelli decided to recycle the same content that had poor performance the year before. This time, she posted it exactly one month before the holiday.
The post went viral, as did many after that!
As it turns out, by the time a holiday is rapidly approaching, “people are already thinking about what’s next,” Kelli said. The trick to combatting this obstacle is simple: Plan to post early. “It [takes time to plan effectively]. If you don’t, you’re going to be scrambling, and your content [will suffer],” she said.
Don’t know where to start? Open up your calendar, get to planning, and always stay one (or two, or three) steps ahead.
Implement a Community Outreach Strategy
It’s safe to say that social media algorithms can be tough to work with. The good news is, once
you figure out how to make it work for you, things get a little less tricky.
Chrissy Rutledge, the social media specialist for Bronze Bod, a sunless tanning business in Rexburg, Idaho shared with us how her frustration with the Instagram algorithm is what led her to implement regular research to her weekly duties as a specialist.
As social media professionals, it’s vital to remember that the goal of every social media platform’s algorithm is to get users to spend as much time as possible on their platforms or apps.
By keeping up with the algorithm updates, Chrissy and her team are able to use their fresh knowledge to their advantage. “Instagram is continually changing,” Chrissy told us. “For instance, we were [consistently posting reels instead of pictures] because that’s what was performing the best. Then, Instagram updated its algorithm to [push] 50% reels, 50% pictures.”
Surprisingly enough, photos that would’ve performed poorly just weeks before, were doing even better than some of the reels that Chrissy and her team had spent hours on preparing.
Contrary to popular assumptions, the algorithm isn’t just about what you post, though – it’s also about how you interact with your audience. Chrissy shared that one way she’s obtained more reach and growth on Instagram was by engaging with the followers that Bronze Bod already had.
Through research about how Instagram decides what content to push to users, Chrissy found that interacting with users, specifically through direct messages, was one of the most optimal ways to make growth happen organically. “It’s always worth it to be connecting with your community,” she said. “It makes them feel [important] because you’re [taking time to talk to them].”
A way to engage with your community is through different social media groups. Here are some good types of groups to join to better know your audience:
-Reddit groups centered on your niche
-Facebook community groups (if your business is local)
-Facebook groups centered on your niche
-Reddit and Facebook groups based on your target audience demographic (gender, age, etc.)
-Groups.io email group
These groups can give the content creators a better glimpse to see what people in their target audience are looking for and wanting to know. People can ask questions, make recommendations, and post what they love.
Teague Bengtzen, the owner of Storage Chef, wanted to know questions and pain points people had when it came to food storage. After months of researching various online groups and blogs, he found out that people wanted their food storage to last and to taste good. He would solve their pain points with his product.
“It is important to be engaged in different forums,” said Bengtzen. “You can learn so much from the people in it and see what they are thinking.”
Since he has been in the groups for a while, he became a trusted resource. People trusted him because they had seen him comment in the past. Social media groups are some of their biggest funnels of sales.
Yes, learning how to work with social media algorithms is tough, but with a little bit of extra work outside of content creation, preparation, and learning more about your target audience, you can make it work for you.
Conclusion
Here are 9 ways to grow your social media following in a way that feels natural and in brand with what you have to offer! By reading what these businesses in different stages of growth had to say, you were able to see how showcasing the personality of your product into your content and combining that with best practices of social media presence makes a powerhouse.
Do not fall for scams that promote rapid follower growth and remember:
- Don’t Force Fast Growth
- Create Professional Content Early On
- Use Different Strategies for Different Platforms
- Prioritize SEO Over Hashtags
- Make Your Account a Professional Business Portfolio
- Maximize Reach Through Video Content
- Develop Connections Through Shareable Content
- Use Seasons and Current Events to Your Advantage
- Implement a Community Outreach Strategy
This can, and will, only boost the number and quality of your followers!
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