How to Build a Social Media Following with Integrity

Comments Off on How to Build a Social Media Following with Integrity, 25/04/2013, by , in Marketing

Build Social MediaBeginning a new project with social media can seem like a hefty challenge when you have no assistance. It can be overwhelming to consider just how you are going to grow from virtually nothing into a successful entity when you have no friends or followers. These sorts of concerns can lead to many putting off the development of their social media marketing efforts as it just seems like too much effort. The reality is that social media is not as difficult as you might think. In this article, we will summarize some of the best ways you can build a social media empire while retaining your sense of integrity and projecting that to you readers.

Avoid Temptations to Purchase Power

There are dozens of sites out there offering you the chance to purchase friends, followers and subscribers, which will give your website an overinflated presence. The notion behind this is that many people will be more likely to like your page if they see that many others have done the same thing. This tactic is mediocre at best, and can end up with you having your social media account banned if the social network in question figures out what you are doing. In many cases, these people are not even real but instead fake accounts, which makes your efforts in this regard virtually meaningless and potentially risky.

Care About People, Not Numbers

When you begin, of course your social media following will be small. This is not an excuse for being underwhelmed and disillusioned, but rather an opportunity to personally network and produce content for your current audience. With just a few people to inform or entertain at first, there is no valid reason why you cannot spend the extra time pinging online to figure out what it is that your followers find most interesting. After you take this into account, you can build a basic content strategy that will help you attract a similar mentality in the future – just make sure that those who are following you in the beginning are in fact the demographic you are seeking.

Produce Great Content

This may sound simplified, but it is a key element in growing your social media presence from the start. Nobody will want to share your content if it is boring or otherwise paltry. By giving it your all via your blog or website and then sharing those creations via social media, you can boost exposure for your website while also increasing the chances that more people will follow you on Facebook, Twitter and other hubs.

Use Your Real Life Skills

Think about how you would interact with someone in real life. If you expect them to be your friend and otherwise keep in touch with you, then that is going to require some personal interaction. When you are pinging online blog posts to your readers, be sure to personally comment on the post, as well. Reach out to fellow subscribers via instant message to see what they thought of your latest post. By encouraging dialogue, you give readers more reasons to come back to your page time and time again.