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Maybe you dream of Kardashian-esque levels of success, or maybe you just really want to share the fact that you’re amazing at nail art. No matter your goals, every viral social media account starts somewhere. If you’re looking for an instruction manual on how to get started, you’ve come to the right place.
On this week’s episode of The Everygirl Podcast, Alaina Kaz, CEO of The Everygirl Media Group, is answering all your questions about social media and influencing: how to become an influencer, grow your following on social media platforms, and make money doing it. This episode covers a wide range of the most important parts of starting your online brand, from figuring out your niche to working with brands and receiving ad revenue. Here, we’re sharing five of Alaina’s biggest tips for growing your social media following, so you can kick off your social media journey in any niche.
1. Post consistently
It may feel overwhelming at first, but if you’re really committing to growing your social media presence, try to post at least once per day in order to get your content circulating to a wide audience. To make it easier and less overwhelming, use a content calendar to get a broad overview of the content you’re creating. For example, if you want to start a cooking account, plan out three new recipes to post each week and put them on your content calendar to maintain consistency and get your content circulating.
Another crucial part of using consistent posting to boost your social media presence is to ensure that the content you’re putting out there is either save-able or shareable. As Alaina says, “You are not just going after likes….of course engagement, but you really want your content to circulate and get people to come back to it.” Keeping a consistent posting schedule makes you a reliable account, which will help broaden your reach.
2. Share in real time
The most important part of carving your niche in the social media landscape is authenticity. The people who naturally gravitate toward your energy will end up being loyal followers, so it is super important to come across as your true self. One of the ways to build authenticity is posting in real time, without excessive editing. Stories are a great way to keep your followers up to date with what you’re doing. Consistent, daily, real-time posting through stories keeps your audience interested in your day-to-day life, and can be a huge part of creating your personal brand.
3. Engage with followers in DMs and comments
While growing your social media may be your goal, it’s just as (if not more) important to value the followers that you do have. Creating a sense of community among your Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, or Twitter following starts with engaging with the audience in DMs and comments. The people who follow you are ideally going to like you, so communicating with them as a real, friendly person instead of just a face on the other side of the screen will make a big difference.
4. Get comfortable with changes
The landscape of the internet and social media is constantly changing; one day your followers might want to see quote graphics, and the next you might need to start creating reels. Being open to the constant shift of the algorithm ultimately gives you an advantage for getting and keeping an audience’s attention. “If you are in this industry, know that everything is going to change,” Alaina said. Lean into the exciting element of the constant change, and you’ll be much better equipped to grow your platform with each new development in the social media world.
5. Collaborate with others who have similar audiences
Do you want to write a blog all about traveling? Connect with other travel bloggers and swap blog posts or share each other’s Instagram. Are you posting recipes on TikTok? Try out another creator’s recipe and tag them in your video. Reach out to other influencers in your same space or niche who are in a similar stage of their social media journey relative to where you are. Whether you’re starting a full-on brand or you want to grow on a single social media app, collaborating with others is an amazing way to grow your audience and find new audience members who will be engaged with your content. Plus, you might even make a friend while you’re at it.
