I’m going to give it to you straight here friends. Are you prepared for this?

It does not matter how many TOTAL followers you have; it matters how many TARGETED followers you have.

Anyone in the social media marketing field knows this (and preaches it loudly from mountain tops) but outside of our bubble, many business owners haven’t realized this important fact. Targeted followers are the type of people who are most likely to engage with and buy from your company.

So how do you gain targeted followers? The principles are simple, but like anything worth having, it takes time and effort and doesn’t happen over night.

Here are my three favorite hacks to gain targeted followers:

1) Post Relevant Content

You can call me Captain Obvious on this one, but it bears repeating. I see too many businesses that COULD be making waves within their markets posting all the wrong content.

If you can’t determine what is relevant and what is not, look at your proposed options as if you were a consumer. In the words of the amazing influencer Brian Fanzo, think like a fan!

What would you want to see if you had no vested interest in your company yet? Go from there.

2) Get Your Hashtags Down

If you aren’t familiar with how Hashtags work, it’s very simple! Potential followers are using them to find your business. You read that right. Hashtagging your content properly means you show up where your potential followers can find you.

Research other businesses like yours to see which hashtags work for them and use analytics like hashtracker.com to determine the best ones for you. General rule of thumb: Facebook and Twitter – 3-ish hashtags; Instagram allows up to 30 and I recommend using them all up.

3) Engage Authentically

Every company, no matter how large, is run by people. Your consumers buy from you because somewhere along the way, they made an emotional connection to your brand or product. How does one make an emotional connection to paper towels you ask? I buy the same brand my mom always had around, don’t you?

Humanize your brand by engaging regularly with your followers. Respond to comments; thank people who take the time to appreciate what you’re doing; answer questions thoughtfully for everyone to see; reward them for their loyalty.

Last but not least, share! Share relevant content created by others in your industry. I cannot overstate this! Sharing is caring, and when you engage with purpose, the good karma comes back to you.

I have a fourth hack for those of you who want to gain targeted followers and have a budget to spend…

4) Utilize Facebook Advertising

Facebook has the most robust advertising platform of all the networks, and while many argue that the demographics are skewing too “old” nowadays, it’s the “old people” who have all the money.

If you are trying to gain targeted followers in the 25+ demo, you should be using Facebook Ads. They recently redesigned the Ads Manager UI, so bypass that enticing “boost” button and dig into their seemingly endless targeting options. Stretch your dollars by targeted location, age, gender, interests, purchase behavior and so much more.

That’s it! Just remember: There is no quick fix. And don’t even ask me about buying followers, just get outta here with that!

If my tips helped you, feel free to share them. Also, you can find me on Periscope @bellestrategies streaming all about this and other social media topics; find me there if you have questions – it’s always fun to engage live.  It’s my new addition!

Belle Strategies is a boutique Social Media Marketing company based in South Florida. Our team mixes innovative strategies with attention to detail for an online presence that produces tangible results. For assistance growing your brand on social media, contact us!