Since the launch of social media, it has become a growing challenge where people seek constant social validation.  Many believe a large following is an indication of success, and while this may be acceptable in some degrees, in other instances, chasing a large following can lead you into an infinite spiral to which there is no end. 

Though the temptation offered by schemes promising mass follower gains can seem appealing, they are highly damaging as they can decrease your engagement, create a false sense of community, or cause your account to be shadowbanned. There is no easy solution. Just like everything else you do, be it working out, chasing a promotion, or learning a new skill, it takes time and requires consistent work.

Stop worrying about the elusive blue tick or millions of followers and focus on these authentic aspects instead.

Remove followers

Don’t panic. Please, allow me to explain. Removing followers may sound ludicrous, but it is essential when starting out. Most social media algorithms will determine what content is likeable based on the engagement it receives and behaviours of the accounts which interact with it. 

Having inactive followers will do more harm than good. These ghost followers will never interact with your content, leading the algorithm to think that your content is uninteresting. This will have a domino effect on future content resulting in lower levels of performance. For this reason, you should never purchase fake followers. You will waste your money, stain your reputation, and not achieve the long-term performance you aim for. 

Consistently look through your followers to determine who is inactive or fake. Fake followers will usually have extreme differences in their follower-to-following ratio, incomplete profiles, and scrambled usernames. Inactive followers are harder to classify as they are real accounts. Look at when they last posted or updated their page and if they have previously engaged with your content. 

Create value driven content

Currently, social media is very saturated. Audiences are fragile. Attention spans are limited. If people aren’t interested in your content, they will go somewhere else to find what they need. Make your content unique, inject your brand identity across your page, and create content that provides value. If you master these things, audiences that interact with your page will naturally follow you and your mission. 

Focus on your brand 

Develop your brand’s foundation before posting on social media. Focus on developing the tone that you wish to project throughout, the personality, and brand core (mission, purpose and values). Over time, your content will mature and evolve. Establishing your brand’s guiding principles will make it easier to create content and support building a relationship with your audience. Once you start posting, you want to be in the position of optimisation and tweaking, and not still constructing. 

Build relationships 

Your audiences constantly show up and engage with you or your content. Especially at the end point of purchasing your products or services. Therefore, reciprocating a similar level of interaction should be the expectation. Brands repeatedly neglect this. You want your audience to engage with your brand, and so you need to return the same level of support. 

Create brand loyalty. Your audience is more than just a transaction: start creating conversations, responding to comments or asking for their feedback. Take one step further by reaching out to larger audiences, engaging in trending topics associated with the industry, popular hashtags, or similar accounts. 

Develop a system 

Create harmony and remove friction. Define a system that enables you to streamline processes, automate actions, and free up time. Include different people, tools, and strategies required to execute this vision. Always prepare for long-term growth. Your brand is continuously evolving, so your system should be too. 

Social media is complex. To make your unique selling point stand out and be recognised requires a lot of consistent work and dedication. Take the time to do a monthly audit of your social media. You will be able to identify inactive followers, bottlenecks in your system, and gain feedback from your audience. 

Focusing on these aspects will set up the foundation needed for your long-term vision and will get you one step closer to the growth you envision: 

• Remove followers
• Create value driven content
• Focus on your brand
• Build Relationships
• Develop a system

Keep your momentum going, stay consistent, and always improve your content.

At Enterprise Starter, we simplify the process of establishing, launching, and growing an enterprise. Our mission is to support and advance entrepreneurs to accomplish their ambitions by encouraging them to take the leap, building the foundation needed to grow their enterprise.

Since the founding of Enterprise Starter, our purpose has been to make “enterprise” more accessible to people, particularly those with socioeconomic disadvantages. We are here to effect positive change. We inspire entrepreneurs, support removing hurdles and enable ease of access for anyone wishing to start their entrepreneurial journey, contributing to our wider community.

Take your social media to the next level. Our social media experts can support you and your team in creating the foundation for your long term success with a range of resources, advice and guidance.  

We are building a community where entrepreneurs thrive, and ideas come to life.

Contact us through our website Enterprise Starter

or send us an email at startsomething@enterprisestarter.com