Oct 17, 2014 | 2 minute read

You’ve Got Social Media Followers…Now What?

There’s something really satisfying about logging on to Twitter or Facebook and seeing the number of people following your business reach new heights. 500…1,000…10,000! It’s great to a have a large number of people following your social media pages, but what does it mean exactly?

It doesn’t mean anything unless you are actively engaging your target market. Engagement via social media spurs interest in your products or services which leads to a lasting relationship with your target market. So, how do you go about engaging via social media?

First, start with targeting. Who do you want to reach? Are you targeting a specific industry, demographic or other group? You can use Twitter to find today’s thought leaders. Search profiles by keywords to link to these influential individuals.

Then before you jump in with a boat load of comments, listen. Listening to the tone of the groups you want to approach is essential. You will find groups on social media that are fun and irreverent and others that are serious and thought driven. Make sure your engagement matches the tone of the group you are speaking to.

Once you have a feel for how the group interacts, introduce yourself. Explain who you are and what you do. Provide genuine and meaningful contributions. Avoid a lot of self-promotion. Your goal is to provide value to the market not to push your products or services. Check back often to contribute or respond to discussion points.

As your profile grows and others in the social media space see you as a valuable contributor, your list of followers should increase. More importantly you will come to be viewed as an industry leading resource.