5 tips to Boost Your Following!
A big thank you to everyone who sat on the panel for our recent event: Boost Your Following! In case you missed it, we thought we would put together a few tips that were mentioned in the panel to help you grow your following on various social media platforms. Most of these tips are geared toward Instagram, but can be applied to Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter etc.
Thank you to all the panel members that shared their wealth of knowledge! Make sure to check them out on social media:
Justin Oba from @obaliciouspnw and @savorseattle, Jenn Haskins from @hellorigby, Conner Cayson @findmeinseattle @breakfastclubsea, Paige Kang @seattleontherun @breakfastclubsea, Jess Tupper @dessertgeek_ and Becca Roebber @indichocolate
Here are a few tips to help you out:
Spend time researching relevant hashtags
With some recent changes in algorithms on Instagram, it is no longer a good idea to copy and paste the same hashtags over and over, because Instagram will mark it as spam.This requires you to do some extra research on which hashtags to use.
Find hashtags that describe your business and tell people what you do. For example we like to use hashtags that describe where we are #pikeplacemarket, what we do #beantobar and why you should support our business #shoplocal.
Make sure to not go too broad with your hashtags, because you are trying to really engage with people who would be interested in your product or service.
Engage with you people who comment, like and follow you
Make an effort to engage with people who are commenting on your posts. It is just like when someone walks into your business or in to your house, you want to make sure they are seen and heard. Engaging in a dialogue helps you to get to know your customer, which is pretty powerful tool!
Even if you are just saying thank you, followers appreciate that you take the time to reach out to them.
Post everyday
Don't get too wrapped up in presentation, or having the right lens or newest version of the iPhone. There is so much content being posted that your posts will inevitably get buried, make an effort to post everyday to get maximum engagement and visibility with your customers and audience.
Using a scheduling app for social media, like Hootesuite or Buffer.
Use a location tag
Make sure that you use a location tag. It is a very easy way to get good engagement and traffic. People are using it more like Yelp or Google, where they search key words. If people use your location tag than you are more likely to appear in the search portion for Instagram.
Collaborate
Work with people that bring you joy and happiness, people that share similar values and interests that you or your business do. We have been fortunate to put together some amazing events and had great partnerships with OOLA Distillery, Eat Seattle, Savor Seattle, Studio Bloom, Flying Eye Design, Babeland Seattle, Sweatbox Yoga and many more!
Photo by Nicole Kandi
Working on collaborative events and creating meaningful relationships means more exposure to different audiences. Collaboration is key!
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