5 Tips for Growing on Social Media

Growing on social media can be tough sledding. With thousands of blogs and every ‘guru’ giving you advice, figuring out what works and what’s noise is tough.

You want to grow your accounts to bring exposure/customers to your business. But you only have 24 hours in a day, and it seems like a new platform is launching every week.

So, let’s cut through the noise and get to real ways you can grow your accounts. Because the alternative is to stay in social media limbo, never gaining traction.

1. Bite off what you can chew

The most common issue I see companies facing on social media, especially SMBs (small-to-midsize businesses), is trying to do too much on too many platforms.

If you have a lean marketing team (or are a solo marketer), spreading yourself too thin is a recipe for social media stagnation.

Instead, focus on creating content and learning as much as possible about success on 1-2 platforms. Once you’ve mastered those, add other channels to the mix.

2. Stop trying to be the hero of the story

The hero’s journey is one of the most common story frameworks. It puts the main character in a tough situation and follows them as they push through setback after setback until they reach their desired location.

There’s only one issue with the story and social media.

Your company is not the hero of the story––the customer is. There’s simply not enough room for two heroes in the story you’re trying to tell.

Rather than fight for the spotlight you can’t have, change the lens from which you tell the story. Your company should be positioned as the trusty guide to the customer’s hero role.

In 80’s movie terms, your company is Mr. Miyagi to the customer’s Karate Kid. This takes posts from “look how great we are” to “look how great we can help you become.”

A seemingly small but actually big difference.

3. Use a scheduling tool

This is short and sweet. But, use a scheduler for social media content. This allows you to create and schedule in batches, saving you a ton of time. I personally use Kontentino, but Hootsuite, Sprout Social, Buffer, and Later are all great options.

4. Be intentional about who you engage with

Instead of scrolling social media and waiting for content to engage with, create a list of people/companies you follow and want to engage with consistently.

For example, I’ve created a notion board with people/accounts I want to engage with daily. In this board, I put links directly to their feeds so I’m able to check their posts and see if there’s a post I should engage with or not.

This process stops me from spending too much time scrolling on social media.

5. Stop chasing the algorithm

Social media algorithms change all of the time. So, constantly tweaking content types to please the algorithm for engagement (i) causes creator burnout and (ii) doesn’t work as a long-term strategy.

Instead, create the type of content you enjoy making and resonates with customers. That could be photos, text-only, emails, etc. The key is that you can commit to creating that style for the long haul.

Don’t chase the algorithm. Instead, create your own narrative.

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