There’s no doubt that social media platforms are incredibly valuable tools for networking. A whopping 91% of marketers do business on social media, growing their brand, generating leads and connecting with like-minded individuals. The business value of these platforms is undeniable, but as we know, networking on social media can be tricky. In this blog post, we’ll be offering some tips and tricks for growing your network online (without being annoying).
How to Network on Social Media
Over half the world’s population is now active on social media. That’s a percentage that can’t be ignored. That said, an equally astonishing percentage of people use terrible strategies for growing their network online. Pestering people, spamming inboxes with copy-and-pasted messages, etc.—these are strategies that simply don’t work.
Here are some strategies that do work if you’re wishing to increase your online following…
Post Engaging Content
If there’s one way to grow your network on social media, it’s by posting engaging content. By ‘engaging’, we mean content that’s both insightful and informative—the kind of content that people interact with. This is a strategy that takes time and effort to perfect. Start by looking to the people within your business niche who are posting interesting blogs and social media posts online. Whatever your business niche happens to be, establishing yourself as a thought leader in this area is a guaranteed way to grow your network on social media.
Focus on Quality Not Quantity
Quality is always better than quantity. Yes, we said it. If on the other hand your goal is quantity, make sure it has the quality to match. A small amount of great posts is better than a large amount of mediocre ones, so if you’re looking to really engage people online, make sure your content is on point.
Always strive for a consistent level of quality whenever you post. This also means knowing when not to post something. If you find yourself in the position of having nothing interesting to say, switch your focus toward sharing other people’s quality content instead.
Furthermore, don’t go making mountains out of molehills. If a given subject would make for a great short caption, post it! But don’t try to eke out a long-form post on the same subject. Quantity is bound to decrease audience engagement rates and dilute the message you’re trying to express.
Be Active
If your goal is to create a buzzing social media presence, you need to be active on these platforms, too. High engagement rates depend on you as well, so make sure to be interacting with lots of online communities. This means following people in your business niche, liking and commenting on the things they’re posting and messaging them to let them know they’re doing cool and interesting things. If people are commenting on your social media posts, make sure to comment back and say thanks!
Don’t Priorities Seniority
It’s tempting to focus on gaining the attention of high-influence figures on social media platforms. We don’t mean spamming Jeff Bezos’ twitter as such; more likely you’ll be looking to executives and thought leaders within your own business niche.
The fact is it’s more worthwhile focusing on gaining the attention of people in the same position as yourself. Bugging executives in the hope of finding a short-cut to success is likely to annoy the people in question and also make you seem shallow. The best thing to do is build your own network authentically and let high-ranking people come to you over time.
Create an Omnichannel Network
The best way to grow your online network is to make use of all available social media channels. Spreading your content across multiple social media platforms and creating an omnichannel network is a guaranteed way to speed up the growth of your online presence.
Not only does this make sure your content is being seen by as many people as possible, it also means different types of audiences will engage with your content. This is because different social media platforms have different purposes and values—the difference between Instagram and LinkedIn, for example. Make use of all available platforms at your disposal.
Conclusion
Growing your brand on social media is a numbers game—and all numbers games take time and effort. Not only are you vying for people’s attention on these platforms, you’re also vying for the attention of the algorithms that decide what gets seen on each one. Especially when it comes to Facebook and Instagram, knowing the ins and outs of these algorithms will help you out endlessly. For more information on Facebook’s algorithms, check out our marketing agency’s latest blog post on the subject by clicking here.
Nexus Networking
Here at Nexus Networking, we take managing and utilising business connections seriously. The benefits of professional networking are undeniable, and Nexus Networking makes every effort to ensure these benefits are had by all our members.
Our weekly meetings take place across three separate groups based in Brentwood, Chelmsford, and Colchester, respectively.
If you’re in need of a network, join us for a free meeting by clicking here and applying as a visitor through our website. Or, if you would like more information about Nexus, visit our website on www.nexusnetworking.co.uk, email any questions you may have to info@nexusnetworking.co.uk, or give us a call on 01206 588 000. We look forward to hearing from you!