Building your social media can feel like an overwhelming task. So many trends, platforms, and engagement strategies are constantly popping up and evolving, and if you’re creating your business account from scratch it can feel daunting to get started. But as someone who’s grown a successful social media following, I’ve learned a thing or two about what works. But more importantly, I know what doesn’t work.
If you’re starting to grow your social media, here are five mistakes to avoid,
Never Buy Followers
Have you ever seen an account with tens of thousands of followers with low engagement on their posts? Low engagement with a super high follower account is a sure way to identify if someone has purchased followers. There are a few reasons why you should never do this but the main one is that it promotes an obvious sense of inauthenticity. If you’re a service provider, you want your followers to be people who are actually interested in your product, not bots who ultimately do nothing for your business.
Don’t Post Just to Post
Spoiler: You don’t have to post every day! Quality over quantity is the name of the game when it comes to curating a successful social media presence. Focus on creating thoughtful, engaging content that resonates with your target audience. You want people to get value from your posts and if you’re just firing off post after post just to fill your feed, you won’t see the results you’re looking for. A few ways to beat social media fatigue is to plan intentional content days, that way you have dedicated time to brainstorm, film, and edit content.
Don’t Purchase the Blue Checkmark
Similar to buying followers, people know if you’ve purchased the checkmark. Again, authenticity is your goal, and your value as a service provider or business owner will depreciate in the social media world if it’s obvious that you’ve purchased a mark of validity. Plus, if you’re just building your social media, the likelihood of you receiving a blue checkmark is incredibly low. In the beginning, focus on creating engaging content that attracts people to your page–the blue checkmark will come in time.
Avoid Lengthy Paragraphs When Writing Your Caption
Break all the grammar rules here. The more you chop up your paragraphs, the better. One, big paragraph is incredibly overwhelming to your audience. You spend a lot of time and energy creating your caption, so make sure your text is structured in pieces so people will actually read your copy.
Don’t Start Disingenuous Conversations
Sometimes the best sales tactic is to wait for the invitation. Don’t flood your follower’s inboxes with overt sales tactics and conversations that only serve you. Nothing, and I mean nothing, turns people off more than an unsolicited proposition to purchase your product. Be thoughtful in your conversations and interactions with your followers. Show a genuine interest in what they’re experiencing and create content that validates how your services can help.
Whether you’re starting your account from scratch or looking for new ways to grow your following, the main objective is authenticity. These tips are reminders of what NOT to do, so remember to show up as you are, create content consistently, and avoid comparison. I can’t wait to watch you grow!
Interested in learning more about how to grow your social media? There’s an entire module dedicated to it in my self-paced course Educator’s Exit.
