Social media can feel very lonely when you’re getting started, but it’s crucial that you grow your channels by providing authentic, engaging, and unique content—not by buying followers or copying your competitor’s strategy.
In this #ContentChat, we’re joined by Justin Wise (@JustinWise), an executive consultant and business and social growth coach, to discuss how to grow your social media following. Read the full recap below to learn:
- How to ID the best social media channel(s) for your brand
- What an ideal social media content posting schedule looks like
- Tips for using DMs to engage your community
Q1: What are some common mistakes that content marketers make when trying to grow their social media followings?
There are many mistakes that content marketers make when trying to grow their social media followings, including trying to be all things to all people…
A1: Biggest mistake I’ve made personally is trying to be all things to all people.
At some point, you gotta choose.
Who are you FOR?
Who are you NOT FOR?
It can feel restrictive. But the growth is in constraints.#ContentChat
— Justin Wise (@JustinWise) August 15, 2022
“Who are you not for” is the question I’ve focusing on for my LinkedIn content #ContentChat
— Masooma | Content Writer (@inkandcopy) August 15, 2022
YES!!!
B/C if your content is aimed at everyone it’s going to connect with no one. Love this.
#ContentChat https://t.co/W1Wfym5cmC— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) August 15, 2022
Not understanding your social media community and why they follow you/what they are looking for…
A1: A big mistake I see when marketers have a goal of growing their social followings is a lack of understanding their existing audience. If you don’t know why people are following you, you don’t know where to invest your resources to reach more of the right people. #ContentChat https://t.co/NyTDMTGRNV
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) August 15, 2022
Niche down – it is scary, but is useful in the longer run! Your messaging needs to be relevant and so make sure you know who are talking to and hence know what their needs are! #ContentChat
— Shruti Deshpande 🇮🇳🇬🇧 (@shruti12d) August 15, 2022
Inadequate research#Contentchat
— Dorcas (@Dorcas_Agbedeyi) August 15, 2022
Focusing strictly on follower count as a marker of success…
A1: Focusing strictly on numbers is also a big mistake I’ve made. Sure, you can grow. But do you have the RIGHT people in your audience?
The reality is anyone can go a buy numbers.#ContentChat
— Justin Wise (@JustinWise) August 15, 2022
I am so with you on this. A focus on increasing the numbers led so many well-intentioned people to buy followers in the early days of Twitter. Not only will that not translate into engagement (the real gold), it tanks your metrics!#ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) August 15, 2022
Yes to this! So many people join social with the dream of growing a huge following.
But it’s really about the 1-to-1 connections and trust you can build + the quality of people your content and engagement attracts #ContentChat
— Masooma | Content Writer (@inkandcopy) August 15, 2022
It is ALL about relationships!#ContentChat
— Kathryn Lang – hopesmith and dream ignitor (@Kathrynclang) August 15, 2022
And only on reality TV programs are serious relationships forged in a day…#ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) August 15, 2022
Failing to share valuable content and resources (and instead sharing links to a website homepage)…
A1: Not giving their followers content on TWITTER to engage with… Ppl don’t want to automatically visit your site if they don’t know you or aren’t familiar with your brand.#ContentChat
— Sweepsify (@Sweepsify_) August 15, 2022
Using social media as a one-way blast of information…
A1
Spamming their feeds with blog post links.
Not engaging with the audience in the comment section.
Social media is not a one-way channel.
Sharing only success stories.#ContentChat— Amna Aslam (@amnaaslam20) August 15, 2022
Posting but not engaging. #ContentChat
— Aimen Arshad (@Aimencreates) August 16, 2022
Inconsistent branding…
A1. Mistakes marketers make when growing their social following:
• Scheduled content with little to no engagement
• Selling before they can build a community/following
• Forgetting they’ve to start with building trust first of all
• Inconsistent branding #ContentChat
— Masooma | Content Writer (@inkandcopy) August 15, 2022
And relying on copy-and-paste templates.
A1:
1. Putting numbers over quality
2. Lack of authenticity
3. Inconsistency#contentChat— Rosemary Egbo (@rosemary_egbo) August 15, 2022
Number 2!
So so many people just copy-paste templates of content doing well on a certain platform.
Which means zero authenticity and their personality + voice rarely shows #ContentChat
— Masooma | Content Writer (@inkandcopy) August 15, 2022
Absolute cut, copy, paste! Doesn’t work #ContentChat
Instead;
👉Know your customer
👉Problem Solve
👉Be consistent pic.twitter.com/11J44XNkbJ— Shruti Deshpande 🇮🇳🇬🇧 (@shruti12d) August 15, 2022
Agreed! Plus don’t be afraid to write in your voice #ContentChat
— Masooma | Content Writer (@inkandcopy) August 15, 2022
Q2: How can you identify the best social media channels to prioritize?
Justin and Erika recommend you start with the social media channels that you enjoy.
A2: Start with what you enjoy. Seriously!
Social media is a marathon—if you don’t enjoy creating there is ZERO change you’ll stick with it over the long haul.
You’ll stick with it if you enjoy what you’re doing.#ContentChat https://t.co/KiJJanN7M0
— Justin Wise (@JustinWise) August 15, 2022
I’ll second this.
🙂If you hate taking photos/videos, for example, you are going to struggle to create Instagram and TikTok content that others on the platform will love.
Similarly, Twitter is all about conversations. If you don’t use Twitter yourself…#ContentChat https://t.co/gFUBJHOvSt
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) August 15, 2022
Revisit your goals for being on social media to understand which channel(s) will best help you meet those goals.
A2: Start with your goals for being on social media. WHere can you reach the right people with the right content to meet those goals?
For example, I want to bring joy to my friends and the interwebs by sharing my squishy-faced cat and dog photos. So, Instagram!#ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) August 15, 2022
#ContentChat P.S. https://t.co/rAZdsUt9yN
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) August 15, 2022
#ContentChat And https://t.co/ePmG1cqbKK
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) August 15, 2022
Ask your ideal community members about their preferred social media channels and what they look to gain from those sites. Social listening will also uncover these details.
A2: Ask your audience. I’m a huge fan of going where the energy is instead of trying to manufacture it on your own.
Like, I just recently started up on LinkedIn. That’s where my audience is, so I want to learn how to connect with them there.#ContentChat
— Justin Wise (@JustinWise) August 15, 2022
A2:Research your audience’s favorite social media and hang out with them.
Find at least two favorite social media channels of your audience.#ContentChat— Amna Aslam (@amnaaslam20) August 15, 2022
Social listening is a smart way to prioritize where you invest your time. Go to where your people already are.#ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) August 15, 2022
@inkandcopy answered the same thing I was typing. People over-complicate this.
1 – who’s your audience?
2 – where do they hang out? (audience data available by platform)— Jennifer Perrella (@jperrella) August 15, 2022
Yess! Great minds think alike and all that lol.
On number 2: if you already have an audience base, say an email community, you can also poll them to learn which platforms they use the most. #ContentChat
— Masooma | Content Writer (@inkandcopy) August 15, 2022
Assess where your content receives the most engagement.
Where you realize your content is being monitored by your target audience. Also where you get the most engagement. Analytics tell everything. #ContentChat
— Abdullah Zahid (@abdullah_zahid) August 15, 2022
Regardless of which channel(s) you prioritize, stay consistent with your activity.
A2. The best social channels to prioritize are ones:
• Your audience spends time on and looks forward to engaging with brands
• You enjoy spending time on yourself/are interested in learning
This balance is key to be consistent, which is super imp for SMM #ContentChat
— Masooma | Content Writer (@inkandcopy) August 15, 2022
Q3: What is an ideal social media content cadence to support your content marketing efforts?
Social media often requires daily activity for you to grow your community.
A3: I don’t know much, but I know that daily dedication is good for the creator, the audience, AND the algorithm.#ContentChat
— Justin Wise (@JustinWise) August 15, 2022
It’s important to get into the habit of creation, so I’m with you that doing something on social every day is a good thing. Plus, it’s a bummer if you miss a timely question or shout-out.#ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) August 15, 2022
True that. But daily doesn’t mean you sacrifice your mental wellness and the quality of the content you’re putting out #ContentChat
— Masooma | Content Writer (@inkandcopy) August 15, 2022
However, you should follow a cadence that is realistic for you. It is more effective to share content regularly than to post in bursts once every few months.
A3b: You also got ask yourself, “what’s realistic for me?”
A consistent weekly posting schedule is better than an inconsistent daily posting schedule.
Ya dig?#ContentChat
— Justin Wise (@JustinWise) August 15, 2022
A3. Ideal cadence is show up regularly.
Meaning: you show up at least once daily or 3-4 times a week.
The idea is to show up regularly enough to stay on top of your audience’s minds while never sacrificing the quality of your content for the sake of its quantity #ContentChat
— Masooma | Content Writer (@inkandcopy) August 15, 2022
Schedule time on your calendar to invest in your social media channels.
A3
Show up at least 3 times a week.
Like I daily give 30 minutes to Linkedin and Twitter.#ContentChat— Amna Aslam (@amnaaslam20) August 15, 2022
I always tell clients who are looking to build their thought leadership profiles to put that time on their calendar every day. Showing up regularly is half the battle!#ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) August 15, 2022
A3:
My ideal cadence is seeing social media as a core part of my freelance business. It’s not something I do when I’m less busy, but something I do to solidify my brand’s online presence.I add my social media activities to my daily to-do lists.#ContentChat
— Rosemary Egbo (@rosemary_egbo) August 15, 2022
Each social media channel has a different optimal posting cadence. Twitter is best for multiple posts a day, whereas one post daily is plenty for LinkedIn.
A3: Every channel has different best practices for what works from a timing cadence. So, it’s just as important, however, to know how much is too much. For example, on LinkedIn, if a company posts more than once a day, your content is competing against itself. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) August 15, 2022
Ooh that’s an interesting info bit. Does this hold true for all LinkedIn profiles or just business pages? #ContentChat
— Masooma | Content Writer (@inkandcopy) August 15, 2022
I think for individuals it’s a shorter timeline. But if your followers aren’t on multiple times per day, you are less likely to get the right post in front of the right person b/c they are not going to serve up 5 posts to them at once.
See: https://t.co/XfAFfrO5kn#ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) August 15, 2022
A3. 5-6 times daily is a good cadence on Twitter – probably more, depending on where you are in your ‘building journey; it is more often on some other social media channels! #ContentChat
— Shruti Deshpande 🇮🇳🇬🇧 (@shruti12d) August 15, 2022
Yeah, I am very selective about what goes on LinkedIn and how often… the spread of information is just much more gradual. Not necessarily a great platform for “breaking” information, but if you get the mix right you’ll get a ton of eyeballs on it (and maybe clicks) #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie 🎯 (@derekpillie) August 15, 2022
Don’t overthink it. Find a cadence that works for you to start, and refine your schedule and posting style based on how well the content performs.
A3. Just put your thought out there. Don’t overthink. #ContentChat
— Abdullah Zahid (@abdullah_zahid) August 15, 2022
Q4: How can content marketers craft more engaging social media posts?
Blend your personality into everything you post.
Personality > Knowledge.
Inject your personality into your content. Let your freak flag fly high in the sky.#ContentChat
— Justin Wise (@JustinWise) August 15, 2022
Address the ‘what’s in it for me’ (WIIFM) for your target community member.
A4: Always start by asking what’s in it for me (WIIFM), for the person seeing your social posts. You have to put yourself in your community’s shoes. How is it helpful or inspiring for them + THEIR community? #ContentChat https://t.co/j4u2OUq2HI
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) August 15, 2022
Use storytelling to engage readers.
A4. With the art of storytelling. Here’s an example. #ContentChat https://t.co/OTUE3FWyGQ
— Abdullah Zahid (@abdullah_zahid) August 15, 2022
Test different post styles to see what works best for your community.
A4.
• Test what resonates with your audience (content format, voice, and style)
• Instead of copying, let your voice show
• Be human. Talk like you’d like being talked to. Spark conversations #ContentChat
— Masooma | Content Writer (@inkandcopy) August 15, 2022
A4
Be yourself.
Do trail tests with your video, text, and photo content and check the engagement rate. And then craft content accordingly.#ContentChat— Amna Aslam (@amnaaslam20) August 15, 2022
Q5: Should marketers consider using DMs to increase their content’s reach? What are your tips for success with DMs without being seen as spammy?
Justin and the community do not recommend using DMs to increase your content reach. However, DMs are a great way to network and build trust.
A5: For content reach? Hell no.
Nothing screams ‘I”m desperate!’ more than a plea for engagement via DM
For networking and building trust? Hell yes.
Twitter’s great because, if you play it right, you can connect with just about anyone.#ContentChat
— Justin Wise (@JustinWise) August 15, 2022
Yesss! With you on this 💯
Also, it’s best to ask for people’s permission before DMing. #ContentChat
— Masooma | Content Writer (@inkandcopy) August 15, 2022
A5: My go-to is sending DMs to people showing how I took their advice.
A genuine attempt to show someone how they made an impact in my life/business with ZERO expectation of anything in return.
(People pick up on vibes, so that last part’s super important.)#ContentChat
— Justin Wise (@JustinWise) August 15, 2022
I love this. I similarly use DMs to thank people for sharing something that I’ve put into use.#ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) August 15, 2022
Start with building relationships outside of DMs first.
A2. Start with building relationships outside DMs first. It’s only then that you can jump to taking conversations to DMs.
It’s very much like building and progressing relationships IRL. Don’t do anything that you won’t in real life ❌#ContentChat
— Masooma | Content Writer (@inkandcopy) August 15, 2022
A5
I will go with @inkandcopy.
Once you build relationships others share your content automatically.#ContentChat— Amna Aslam (@amnaaslam20) August 15, 2022
A5 I would be careful using DMs without any context, as it could appear as spammy and drive people away! Got to nurture before jumping into DMs #ContentChat
— Shruti Deshpande 🇮🇳🇬🇧 (@shruti12d) August 15, 2022
Regularly engage with your community and share great content to build a relationship with them.
A5:
I’m for engagement coming naturally. If your audience finds value in your content, they’ll engage.
DMing people to engage with your content is exhausting, and looks parasitic, especially when you don’t engage your audience’s content.#ContentChat— Rosemary Egbo (@rosemary_egbo) August 15, 2022
No, sending a direct message will be intrusive. It is better to create more engaging content consistently. #contentchat
— Dorcas (@Dorcas_Agbedeyi) August 15, 2022
When you approach someone through DMs, personalize the content and offer a clear WIIFM.
A5. Cold emails is the concept where people do get leads and business. It works for DM too. Here’s a catch. Find some commonality and personalise the content to get maximum result.#ContentChat
— Abdullah Zahid (@abdullah_zahid) August 15, 2022
Agreed. When I get a cold email from someone I’ve never met, who doesn’t know anything about me, asking me to do something for them…NOPE!
Now, when I recognize them from Twitter…that’s an instant reply.#ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) August 15, 2022
A5: I think it can work but only if it’s something irresistible like a coupon or freebie.
Haven’t had much success with that tbh and don’t like when ppl send me links as the first message either 🤷♀️#ContentChat
— Sweepsify (@Sweepsify_) August 15, 2022
Q6: How can content marketers use video and audio content on social media to engage their followers?
Personalized video and audio messages perform well because few marketers create them.
A6: I use custom video/audio messages all the time in DMs.
“Do sh*t that doesn’t scale.”
It’s a pain in the ass to create content on a 1-to-1 level, but it gets noticed.
Why?
Because no one else is doing it.#ContentChat
— Justin Wise (@JustinWise) August 15, 2022
Create video and audio content to share a behind-the-scenes look at your work and address personal and unique topics.
A6: Video and audio are such personal communication tools. Use them to share behind-the-scenes content, and other things that are personal and unique to you.#ContentChat https://t.co/IHxU8SIQCs
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) August 15, 2022
Use them to build the connect, show your personality and be genuine! All these are essential to build the all important trust! #ContentChat
— Shruti Deshpande 🇮🇳🇬🇧 (@shruti12d) August 15, 2022
Repurpose existing content to extend its value through video.
A6. Honestly, depends on how well your audience enjoys these content formats.
If they do: repurpose you content to create video and audio content. #ContentChat
— Masooma | Content Writer (@inkandcopy) August 15, 2022
Twitter Spaces is a great way to engage your community through audio and get more comfortable creating live content.
A6:
I use Twitter Spaces to engage my freelancer followers, and it’s been a great learning curve. I’m yet to try video content for now. I believe I’ll try TikTok and YouTube soon. 😎#ContentChat— Rosemary Egbo (@rosemary_egbo) August 15, 2022
A6…more like Q6b
My concern in this case is that I’m kinda camera-shy so videos aren’t my thing…at least for now.Although, sometimes I try to get on twitter spaces relating to content writing and marketing#contentchat
— Julia Ofoegbu (@julia_ofoegbu) August 15, 2022
Experiment with different video and audio content lengths to find what resonates best with your community across channels.
A6. Short 30 second animations are doing wonders. Your customer should be the hero and your product a magic gift using which the hero achieves objective and goal.#ContentChat
— Abdullah Zahid (@abdullah_zahid) August 15, 2022
A6
It depends upon your social media channel.
On Instagram and Tikto audience prefers reels but on Youtube and Linkedin, your audience can watch long videos.#ContentChat— Amna Aslam (@amnaaslam20) August 15, 2022
Check out this past chat recap to learn more about how to use personalized video messages:
A6: Our past chat recap with @EthanBeute about how personalized video messages can strengthen your #contentmarketing is a great resource for this! https://t.co/HwdxkxoxzO #ContentChat
— Alek Irvin (@AlekIrvin) August 15, 2022
Q7: What are your go-to tips or strategies for expanding your social media reach?
Expand your social media reach by posting regularly and using tags or mentions to tap into new audiences…
A7:
Consistency: sticking with it no matter what.
Tag: a well-placed tag and/or mention taps other’s audiences.
Repeat: saying the same thing 1000 different ways.#ContentChat
— Justin Wise (@JustinWise) August 15, 2022
Glad that you noted “a well placed tag” because it’s so common for people to take a spammy approach with tagging others #ContentChat
— Masooma | Content Writer (@inkandcopy) August 15, 2022
You mean you don’t enjoy being tagged with 20 random people by someone you don’t know on a blog post share on a topic you know nothing about? Whyyyy?
;)🤣🤣🤣#ContentChat pic.twitter.com/vLpJvbbMYe— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) August 15, 2022
Providing value in everything you post…
A7.
• Be consistent
• Take a value-first approach
• Engage, engage, engage
• Build relationships, not followers #ContentChat— Masooma | Content Writer (@inkandcopy) August 15, 2022
A7:
1. Know your target audience
2. Ensure that your audience fall under these 3 categories:
1. The people you want to earn from
2. The people you want to learn from
3. The people you want to teach3. Be yourself
4. Put value over quantity
5. Be a giver#ContentChat— Rosemary Egbo (@rosemary_egbo) August 15, 2022
Collaborating with complementary businesses…
A7: Reach out to ppl who do business with your prospects but wouldn’t necessarily need your services!
Brings the entire family together 🤣🍭#ContentChat
— Sweepsify (@Sweepsify_) August 15, 2022
Engaging with your community, including influencers in your industry…
A7
I have started from zero on social media.
My number 1 tip engage with your audience in the comment section.
Create valaubale content.
Show up regularly.#ContentChat— Amna Aslam (@amnaaslam20) August 15, 2022
A7
Engaging with other pages
Consistently showing up.#contentchat— Julia Ofoegbu (@julia_ofoegbu) August 15, 2022
A7. Replying to influencers. Constantly making myself heard out there with the best. Like I am doing here. #ContentChat
— Abdullah Zahid (@abdullah_zahid) August 15, 2022
And proving that you are a human with a unique personality and insights to share!
A7 Interact. The more people see you replying and acting like a human (ie: in a personable way), the more they’ll be interested in listening to what else you have to say. Put a different way: If people care about YOU, they’ll care more about the content you share. #ContentChat
— Martin Lieberman (@martinlieberman) August 15, 2022
Q8: Are there any favorite tools you use for social media research, content creation, and measurement?
Justin and the community share their favorite social media tools below. Did they miss your favorite? Tweet us @ErikaHeald with #ContentChat.
A8:@thejustinwelsh got me on @typeshare_co. @TweetHunterIO because it’s awesome.@loom for fast/easy personalized videos.#ContentChat
— Justin Wise (@JustinWise) August 15, 2022
Loom seems to be a favorite for video creation. I can’t wait to check out the other two tools as I haven’t tried either of them. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) August 15, 2022
A8: KISS method: Advanced Twitter Search FTW! ❤#ContentChat
— Sweepsify (@Sweepsify_) August 15, 2022
A8. Used Buzzsumo. Now GOOGLE is enough. #ContentChat
— Abdullah Zahid (@abdullah_zahid) August 15, 2022
A8:@TaplioHQ is pretty gnarly for LinkedIn stuff.#ContentChat
— Justin Wise (@JustinWise) August 15, 2022
A8
Google docs for writing Linkedin posts and tweets.
Twitter and Linkedin Analytics for measurements.
Canva for graphics creation.#ContentChat— Amna Aslam (@amnaaslam20) August 15, 2022
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