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?

community management