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First things first -

The most important thing to keep in mind is that your social media page represents something actually worthy of following. This is the foundation of everything. If your social media page is for sharing art or music, is the music up to par? Is the business or brand actually solving a problem, and relevant to the followers you wish to attract?

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Automate -

Attracting new followers is, as previously mentioned, all about getting quality content out there. It's all about timing. Automate so that your content is posted at busy times and track how posts are performing using the tools supplied on Instagram and Facebook, for instance.

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Focus on customer service -

If you're a business, you should be aware that most customers are turning to social media to solve their problems rather than attempting to contact businesses by phone or email.

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Promote your pages -

Promote your accounts on social media, ask people to follow you at the end of emails for "more information," and add links to your social media platforms on every blog post and your website.

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Engage with people -

Try to develop genuine relationships with your audience. Actively engage with them as much as possible.

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Watch the competition -

What pages or brands are performing the way you want your page to? Consider mimicking what they are doing (in the number of posts, for example).

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Know what's happening -

Track and analyze the conversations that are happening around your pages or in the industry in general. Be informed on the opinions of thought leaders.

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Establish a tone -

Every time a page makes a post, comments, or interacts in any other way online, it is communicating in a tone revealing the brand voice.

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Know your platforms -

For newcomers, this must be one of the most important lessons to learn. You wouldn't attempt to engage with toddlers on late-night television. Likewise, you shouldn't attempt to engage with 13-17-year-olds primarily on Facebook.

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Understanding Facebook -

For example, Facebook is great for sending people to websites and is geared mainly at news and entertainment.

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Some best practices for Facebook -

On Facebook, use hashtags sparingly. Upload your videos directly rather than sending people to YouTube (natively uploaded videos generally outperform YouTube links). Don't sound like an advertisement, and keep things short.

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Understanding Twitter -

Twitter is geared at sharing news and acts as a social media website, which is great for sharing blog posts and website content.

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Some best practices for Twitter -

Respond to as much as you can and try to avoid the pitfall of overusing hashtags. Automate your schedule, and don't forget to share photos to drive engagement too.

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Understanding Instagram -

Instagram is highly visual and isn't great for sharing wordy content or driving people to websites.

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Some best practices for Instagram -

Strive for authenticity, use hashtags in posts, and share the location with the image. Try to be inspiring snd entertaining.

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Understanding LinkedIn -

LinkedIn is a professional network that's great for sharing articles and professional content.

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Some best practices for LinkedIn -

Avoid trying to be funny or sharing GIFs. Keep it professional by sharing professional content, job opportunities, articles, and by reaching out to people directly.

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Be sincere -

People want to feel like they're speaking to another person when they're engaging online, so try not to sound like an automated response.

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Know your audience -

You have to know what kind of language your audience uses and what they're into. What do they have in common? What are their interests? You want to put yourself in the middle of all of it without coming across as robotic.

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Empathy -

If people have problems and complain, they want to be heard and understood as much as they want the problem to be fixed.

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Consider the quality required of content -

Some platforms like Twitter will require a lot of quantity with very little quality. On the other hand, Instagram requires high-quality visual content.

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Consistency -

Your posts should all contribute to the goal. You shouldn't be posting just to have posts up.

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Research your hashtags -

There is often a story and cultural significance behind a hashtag, so it's seriously important that you don't throw them around out of context.

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Ignorance IS NOT bliss -

Some slogans and hashtags may not mean what they seem to mean. For example, #DefundThePolice  is most widely agreed upon as a movement that aims at reallocating or redirecting funding away from the police departments to other government agencies rather than actually defunding the police entirely as it may seem to suggest. In short, if you don't know what things mean, you may take a stance you don't mean and alienate your brand.

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Ignore trolls -

There is a major need to be able to distinguish between trolls and serious complaints. This may take time and experience. Trolls are often just out to cause trouble and hurt feelings, and are best to not engage with.

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Find your niche -

No matter what business you're in, if you can engage with and be important to one in a hundred people, you will be successful.

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Let people in -

People want to know the story of your brand or your own personal story. Keep your bio updated. It's difficult to be vulnerable, but it's what wins followers.

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Collaborate -

Nobody can do anything of significance completely by themselves, so be open to collaborating.

Sources: (Aspiration Marketing) (SocialPilot)

See also: Celebrities who have given up social media

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