How We Grew Our Social Media Following To 30K In Just One Year

Social media is often thought of as a passive marketing tool. But it’s so much more than that: It’s an opportunity to share your unique brand voice, connect with customers and influencers, and grow an audience.

The right strategy can help you build your following quickly by creating compelling content, using targeted hashtags, and developing influencer relationships. 

But not all strategies are created equal. That’s why we’ve put together our top tips for how any business can grow their social media following in 2019!

Key Takeaways
1. Consistency is key: Regularly posting engaging content helped maintain audience interest.
2. Utilize analytics: Tracking performance metrics allowed us to refine our strategies.
3. Audience interaction matters: Responding to comments and messages fostered a sense of community.
4. Collaborations amplify reach: Partnering with influencers widened our social media reach.
5. Adapt and experiment: Trying different approaches helped identify what resonated best with our audience.

Identify Your Goals

You need to clearly define your goals, and set some realistic expectations. The most important thing is to know what you want to achieve, so take some time to think about it.

Be specific: You can’t measure the success of something if you don’t know what it is! If your goal is “to get more followers,” that’s not very helpful it’s just too broad. 

When setting goals for yourself on social media, try to ask yourself this question: “What does success look like?” If you don’t have an answer yet, keep thinking until one comes along.

Make them measurable: In order for your goal to be measurable, there needs to be a clear way of measuring its progress towards completion. For example, if I said my goal was “to buy a new pair of shoes,” how would I know when I’d completed that task? 

It might seem like a silly example because buying shoes isn’t exactly complicated (or expensive). But consider an example like helping someone through tough times; how would we quantify whether or not our efforts were successful? 

We wouldn’t really be able to say with any certainty unless there was some sort of metric attached in which case we could just check off our checklist once all items were done (i.e., sent flowers). And even then…

Growing a social media following can be a daunting task, but our journey of reaching 30k followers in just one year was both exciting and enlightening. Learn how we achieved this milestone by reading our detailed account: “How We Grew Our Social Media Following to 30k in Just One Year”.

Prepare A Strategy

Before you begin growing your social media following, it is important to prepare a strategy. It is not enough just to post on social media; you need to have a plan for growing your following and know what you want to achieve.

There are various ways in which one can go about building their audience on social media- from traditional methods such as email marketing and cold calling, to more high tech strategies such as using scheduling tools like Hootsuite or Buffer. 

While these are all good options, we recommend using Facebook advertising because it offers the most targeted way of building an audience on any platform.

Focus On 1 Or 2 Platforms To Start

If you are starting a new social media account, or looking to increase engagement on an existing one, start by focusing on just one or two platforms. 

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the number of different platforms available and jump from Instagram to Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat without ever really gaining traction in any of them.

Once you have decided which platforms are best for your business, focus on growing your following here before expanding further. 

Starting small allows you to develop relationships with those followers that are already interested in what you have to say before branching out into other areas.

When it comes to effective marketing, understanding the psychology behind consumer behavior is essential. Dive into the realm of neuromarketing and discover how it influences decision-making in our post: “Neuromarketing: Decoding the Science of How to Engage Customers”.

Establish Your Brand

One of the most important parts of your social media strategy is to establish your brand, which can be defined as the image or idea that you want customers to associate with your business. 

Having a solid brand will help you build trust with potential clients and give them an idea of what they can expect from working with you.

The first step in creating an effective brand is creating a logo that represents who you are as an individual or company. 

Your logo should be recognizable, memorable and visually attractive so that people can easily identify it online when they see it on websites or posts in their newsfeeds. It should also contain all the necessary elements for creating different versions (for example, Facebook cover photos).

Once you’ve created a beautiful logo for yourself, make sure that every other visual element from color schemes down to fonts is consistent with this image so everything looks like it belongs under one roof!

Track Your Progress Using Analytics

If you’re going to grow your following, you’ll need to know exactly how far along your growth journey is. 

Knowing what stats tell the story about your social media presence can help inform your marketing strategy and make sure you don’t waste time or resources on ineffective strategies.

You need analytics that show:

The number of people who follow your page/profile. This helps determine how successful it has been at attracting new followers in the past and will help predict how much further it will grow in the future.

The number of likes on posts, which indicates the popularity of individual posts (and thus gives insight into what types of content works best) as well as overall engagement with your account (which shows whether people are liking anything).

Engagement rate; this shows how often people interact with something you’ve posted compared to how often they see it–the higher this percentage is, the better!

To track these metrics over time and compare them across different posts and platforms, we recommend using Google Analytics or Hootsuite Pro for Facebook analytics data; Sprout Social for Instagram analytics; 

Buffer for Twitter analytics; Sprout Social also has a great feature called “Social” which lets users track their progress across all platforms in one place!

Crafting persuasive email content requires tapping into psychological triggers that resonate with recipients. Explore our insights on how to make your emails irresistible with these “12 Psychological Tricks to Make Your Email Irresistible”.

Post Regularly And Consistently

If you haven’t already, it’s time to start posting regularly and consistently.

We know this is a bit vague, so we’ll explain what that means exactly. When we say “regularly,” we mean once or twice per week (depending on your industry). If you’re posting more than two times per week, try scaling back and see what happens when you do so. 

There’s no magic number of posts that will make or break your account it’s all about trial and error until you find what works best for your company or brand.

To figure out how many times per week feels right for you, consider how many followers each post gets and whether those numbers spike in any way after certain times of the day (like when people are listening to podcasts during their morning commute). 

If there isn’t much variation in the numbers from one day to another, then maybe it’s time for an increase in frequency!

Post At The Right Time

Posting at the right time is one of the most important aspects of growing your social media following. Here’s what you need to know:

Post during peak hours. The best way to figure out what times are optimal for posting is by checking your analytics. 

For example, you might find that between 10 am-12 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, people are more likely to engage with your content than they are in other hours of the day (or week).

Post during off-peak hours. If you’re not able to post during peak hours every day, try posting at different times each week or month to reach new audiences and continue building momentum around your brand and its mission!

Post at the same time each day/week/month/year/decade (or longer). 

You can also use this strategy for optimal engagement by establishing a consistent schedule for yourself say 5 days per week between 9-11 am EST so that followers know when they should check back for an update from you!

Effective storytelling is a powerful tool for captivating audiences and conveying messages. Learn from the best in the business as we analyze examples of how good storytelling can transform businesses in: “Examples of How Good Storytelling Can Change Your Life”.

Target The Right Influencers

Influencers are key to growing your social media following. To get the most out of them, it’s important to target the right influencers.

First, identify the type of audience you’re trying to reach. Is it moms? Millennials? Then look for influencers who have a similar audience and ask them if they’d be willing to share your content on their social channels or blog. 

You can also offer them other ways of supporting each other through partnerships or paid collaborations, for example, offering a discount code in exchange for an Instagram post from the influencer about their favorite product from yours!

Create Shareable Content

It’s more than just having a large following; you want to make sure your audience is engaging with your posts and sharing them with their friends. 

That’s where the fun starts, because it means that you’re doing something right! It also means that you’re helping other people which we can all agree is awesome!

Here are some tips for creating shareable content:

Be interesting and relevant. This sounds simple, but it’s important that whatever you’re posting relates directly to your target audience and interests them in some way. 

For example, if someone follows an account about makeup tips then they probably don’t care about recipes for dinner tonight or how to build muscle mass faster (unless maybe it has something to do with cooking). 

If someone follows an account about fitness then they will appreciate anything related to working out at home rather than going into a gym because that saves money! 

So make sure when making decisions about what kind of content should be posted each day/week/month etc., think about how relevant it would be not only from an educational standpoint (like teaching people skills) but also from an interest point-of-view too.”

Create Valuable Content That’s Relevant To Your Target Audience

When it comes to social media, creating valuable content that is relevant to your target audience is key. This means that you need to be producing content that is not just about your brand, product or service.

Be mindful of the fact that your audience may be on different platforms than you are and will expect a different type of content on each channel. 

For example, if they’re followers of yours on Facebook then they’ll expect more personalised posts while Instagram users might be interested in images with lots of filters which makes them look nicer (and also helps get likes).

Be Authentic And Human

Being human and authentic is the key to growing an engaged audience. You have to be approachable, relatable, and transparent. 

People love seeing real people behind brands on social media because it makes them feel like they’re connecting with someone who has similar interests as them, rather than just a business that wants their money.

The best way to show your human side is by posting content that shows you in your element you don’t want too much of a facade when it comes down to it. 

We’ve seen this work well for brands like @TOMS (who uses their Instagram account as a platform for daily updates related to events they’re attending or causes they care about) and @JCDecaux (whose CEO shares personal stories through videos).

Creating Content For Your Audience, Not For Algorithms

The most important thing you can do to grow your social media following is to create and share content that is relevant to your followers. This means offering up something they want to read, not just posting for the sake of posting. 

Don’t just post about your products or services; if you’re trying to sell something, make sure that what you’re selling will help them (and don’t try to be all things to all people).

Don’t just post about yourself or your brand. If someone follows you on social media because they love what it is that you stand for, then they don’t want updates about how great it is being a part of the company or organization.

They want updates about the issues that matter most in their lives and day-to-day experiences with things like family life and personal growth opportunities outside of work hours.

Neuroimaging research has provided valuable insights into understanding consumer behavior and preferences. Find out how these findings can be harnessed to enhance your marketing strategies in: “How Neuroimaging Research Can Help You Become a Better Marketer”.

Consistency Is King

You may think you’re posting enough, but in reality, you probably aren’t. Consistency is key to growing your following and engagement with your audience. Without a solid foundation of content and brand recognition, it will be hard for people to trust you or even know who you are!

Think of consistency as the base layer of building a house without it, everything else falls apart. If you don’t have regular posts going up on social media, then all the other work that goes into building up followers will mean nothing because no one will see them or interact with them!

We recommend posting at least once per day (but ideally twice). This ensures that there’s always content for people coming back again tomorrow who might not have seen the last post in their feed yet and more importantly: 

It helps maintain consistency within your own marketing strategy across platforms because it keeps things organized so well!

Telling Stories

One of the best ways to grow your social media following is by telling stories. Your brand’s story, values, mission, and history are all great starting points for sharing on social media.

If you’re not sure where to start, here are some examples:

Tell us about why you started your business in the first place. How did it come about? What motivated you? Who inspired you along the way? 

The more specific details about how and why things happened can help people feel connected with your brand and make them want to engage with it further.

Share what makes working at your company special and unique compared to other companies out there. 

This could include anything from perks like free meals or on-site gyms (which may seem more common now) but can also be something as simple as an offbeat sense of humor or quirky work culture that sets yours apart from others in its industry.

Getting The Perfect Photo

Although having a good camera, lens, and light source will help you take better pictures, there are other ways to ensure your photos look as good as possible.

A great background is one of them. A white wall works well for many scenarios, but what about when you want to use an image that has been taken outdoors? 

It’s easy to find some beautiful scenery around where we live in Southern California but since we wanted all our images to be consistent in terms of colors and style, we decided against using scenic shots from the beach or mountains. 

Instead, we found an old brick wall near where we lived which provided us with a neutral yet interesting background that could work with any type of subject matter.

We also had access to two different lenses which allowed us some flexibility when shooting the photographs we could choose between close-up shots and wide-angle ones depending on what would work best for each image.

Giveaways Work

Giveaways are a great way to get people to follow you, engage with your brand, share your brand and talk about you.

There are so many different types of giveaways that can work depending on the type of business you have. For example, if you sell clothing and accessories then an Instagram giveaway is perfect for you because it’s all visual! 

Your followers will love being able to enter the giveaway by tagging themselves in a photo on Instagram using specific hashtags outlined in the rules of the giveaway. 

This way they don’t have to make a new account just for entering this contest but can still participate without leaving their current account (and losing likes).

Use Your Photos Whenever Possible

You’re a photographer, or at least you know someone who is. You have some great photos that represent the look and feel of your brand, so why not use them? 

Make sure to put your best foot forward with images that are well-lit, professionally shot (if necessary), and relevant to the product or service being sold.

If you don’t have any photos available to use as part of your social media strategy or if you don’t feel like taking the time to find stock images that are okay too! 

There are plenty of places online where photographers can sell their work for fairly cheap prices. Just make sure that when purchasing stock photography from these sites, all rights are retained by yourself as well as any third parties involved in producing the said image(s).

Embrace Aesthetics, But Don’t Make It The Main Feature

It’s true that aesthetics are important, but they shouldn’t be the focus. Aesthetics should support and enhance the content you’re sharing.

It is equally true that you need to understand what it takes to create great content. So if you’re not a designer or photographer who can do this work yourself, find someone who can help you execute on your strategy at least once per week (if not daily).

If your social media presence is just focused on aesthetics without any substance, then it won’t resonate with your audience or grow quickly enough to sustain itself over time.

Never Miss A Holiday Or Celebration Day Opportunity

Use the holidays to your advantage. We’re not saying you should be posting about how you watch the Grinch on repeat every Christmas, but remember that people are more likely to share and engage with content with a holiday theme. 

This is especially true if you can take part in the celebration by offering exclusive content for customers, like coupons or recipes.

Hashtag on it! You can use hashtags more effectively than ever before by using them as a way for your audience to find (and engage) with your brand through social media. 

When choosing which hashtags to focus on, make sure they’re relevant and user-generated so they will be used frequently throughout the day by others engaging in similar conversations or topics of interest.

Post consistently and at the right time.* Create valuable content that’s relevant to your audience.

Don’t forget about the live video! It’s a great way for businesses who want to add personality into their messaging while simultaneously creating awareness among casual consumers who may not follow them otherwise–plus it’s fun!

Always Use A Hashtag

Hashtags allow you to categorize your content and make it easier for people to discover your posts. By using hashtags, you will be able to draw in new followers who are interested in the same topics as you are. 

Using relevant hashtags is important because this helps filter out people who might not be interested in what they see. 

Use popular and relevant hashtags that are unique and easy to remember so that anyone can find them easily when looking through their feed on social media sites such as Instagram or Twitter (which both have native features for searching by a hashtag). 

Also, make sure the format of each post’s hashtag is correct because otherwise, it may not show up properly when someone searches for it later!

Use Only High-Quality Images 

You can use a free photo editing tool like Canva to give your photos a professional look. If you don’t have the time or money for that, don’t worry it’s not necessary. Just make sure that the image is large enough and clear enough to be seen by everyone on all screens.

Don’t Use To Small Of An Image

The ideal size for Facebook posts is 1200px by 628px. 

This should be more than big enough to fit comfortably in most people’s newsfeeds without being overwhelming or taking up too much room on their screen (typing out long comments becomes difficult when there’s too much white space). 

However, if you’re posting pictures other places besides Facebook (like Instagram), then they need to be smaller and they need even more space depending on how many words are being displayed!

Engage Your Followers And Respond To Comments

One of the most effective ways to grow your social media following is by engaging with followers. Not only does this help you build relationships with new and existing fans, but it also helps you find out what they want from you. 

This will allow you to provide them with a better experience on your platform as well as increase trust and loyalty between you and your audience. Here are some things you can do:

Respond to comments by thanking them for taking the time to interact with you, asking questions about their interests or just saying hello!

Engage with their posts or photos in a genuine way that shows that – yes – this person exists outside of their online presence too! 

For example: If someone asks how they’re doing at work today, saying something like “I hope things go well today!” 

Could be enough encouragement for them not only because we genuinely care about others.

But also because we feel more connected when someone acknowledges us as human beings rather than just another user name on an app (which sometimes feels like robots). It’s important that when we reply back it gives us both an opportunity

Conclusion

As you can see, there are many different ways to grow your social media following on Instagram. It depends on the type of content you’re posting and how much time you have to devote to this project. 

In any case, we recommend starting small with one or two platforms and gradually scaling up. If all else fails, remember that consistency is key!

Further Reading

From 2k to 30k: How I Grew My Facebook Page in Just Six Months: Discover the strategies used to achieve remarkable growth on Facebook within a short span.

Using Social Media to Boost Your Business: Uncover the potential of social media in propelling business growth and success.

Exploring the Power of Organic Social Media: Dive into the world of organic social media and its impact on brand engagement and reach.

FAQs

How did you achieve such rapid Facebook page growth?

The growth of my Facebook page from 2k to 30k followers in six months was a result of consistent engagement, strategic content planning, and leveraging audience interactions.

What are some effective ways to utilize social media for business growth?

Utilizing social media platforms to grow your business involves creating compelling content, engaging with your audience, and leveraging the reach of different social channels to increase brand visibility.

How does organic social media differ from paid strategies?

Organic social media focuses on growing your brand’s presence through authentic engagement and content, while paid strategies involve sponsored posts and advertisements to reach a larger audience.

What role does content play in organic social media success?

Quality content is the cornerstone of organic social media success. Creating valuable, relevant, and shareable content enhances audience engagement and encourages organic growth.

Can organic social media efforts lead to measurable results?

Yes, organic social media efforts can lead to measurable results, including increased website traffic, higher engagement rates, improved brand loyalty, and eventually, enhanced business growth.