Proven Social Media Best Practices for Growing a Highly Engaged Following

Written by Daisie Team

Published on 19 June 2023 8 min read

Building an engaged and growing following on social media can be a challenging task, but by following proven social media best practices, you can increase your chances of success. In this blog, we'll explore strategies and tips for building an engaged and growing following using social media best practices. Let's begin by understanding the importance of knowing your audience.

1. Know Your Audience

One of the most important social media best practices for building an engaged and growing following is to know your audience. By understanding who you're trying to reach, you can tailor your content and communication style to better resonate with them. This section will cover three key aspects of getting to know your audience: identifying target demographics, creating personas, and understanding audience needs.

Identifying Target Demographics

To build an engaged following, start by identifying your target demographics. These are the specific groups of people you want to reach with your social media content. Some factors to consider when defining your target demographics include:

Age
Gender
Location
Interests
Income level
Education level

By narrowing down your target demographics, you can create content that speaks directly to the people you want to engage with.

Creating Personas

Once you've identified your target demographics, it's helpful to create personas—a representation of your ideal follower. Personas can help you visualize the people you're trying to reach and make it easier to create content that appeals to them. To create a persona, consider:

Name: Give your persona a name to help humanize them.
Background: Describe their job, family, and hobbies.
Goals: What are their aspirations and what do they hope to achieve?
Challenges: What obstacles are they facing that your content can help them overcome?

With personas in hand, you can better tailor your content and communication style to resonate with your target audience.

Understanding Audience Needs

Another essential aspect of knowing your audience is understanding their needs. What are the problems they face, and how can your content help address those issues? To understand your audience's needs, you can:

Conduct surveys to ask your followers about their challenges and interests.
Monitor social media conversations to gain insights into what people are discussing.
Analyze your competitors' content to see what topics resonate with their audience.

By understanding your audience's needs, you can create content that not only entertains but also provides value—making it more likely that they'll engage with and share your content, helping you grow your following.

2. Choose the Right Platforms

After getting to know your audience, the next step is selecting the right social media platforms to reach them. Each platform has its unique features and user demographics, so it's essential to choose the ones that align best with your target audience and content strategy. In this section, we'll discuss four popular platforms—Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn—and how they can fit into your social media best practices for building an engaged and growing following.

Facebook

Facebook is a versatile platform with a diverse user base, making it a solid choice for reaching a wide range of audiences. Some key features and strategies for growing an engaged following on Facebook include:

Posting a mix of content, such as images, videos, and articles, to keep your audience engaged.
Using Facebook's targeting tools to reach specific demographics with your content.
Creating and participating in Facebook groups related to your niche, where you can share your content and interact with potential followers.

Instagram

Instagram is a highly visual platform, making it ideal for businesses and creators who can showcase their products or services through images and videos. To grow an engaged following on Instagram, consider the following tips:

Utilize Instagram Stories to give followers a behind-the-scenes look at your brand, share updates, and interact with your audience.
Collaborate with influencers or other creators in your niche to reach new audiences.
Make use of hashtags to increase the visibility of your content and attract users interested in your niche.

Twitter

Twitter is a fast-paced platform that can help you reach a wide audience and participate in real-time conversations. To build an engaged following on Twitter, try the following strategies:

Join trending conversations and engage with users by retweeting, liking, and replying to their tweets.
Share a mix of content, including articles, images, videos, and polls, to keep your followers interested.
Use relevant hashtags to make your content more discoverable and participate in popular Twitter chats related to your niche.

LinkedIn is a professional networking platform, making it an excellent choice for businesses and individuals looking to grow their network and reach a professional audience. To build an engaged following on LinkedIn, consider these tips:

Share industry-related articles, news, and insights to showcase your expertise and provide value to your audience.
Participate in LinkedIn groups to connect with like-minded professionals and share your content.
Post job openings, company updates, and employee highlights to showcase your company culture and attract potential followers.

By choosing the right platforms and tailoring your content and engagement strategies for each, you'll be well on your way to building an engaged and growing following using social media best practices.

3. Post Engaging Content

Once you've chosen the right platforms, it's time to focus on creating and sharing content that will grab your audience's attention and keep them coming back for more. Engaging content is a key aspect of social media best practices for building an engaged and growing following. In this section, we'll discuss three content strategies—using visuals, sharing stories, and asking questions—that can help you create compelling content that resonates with your audience.

Using Visuals

Visual content, such as images, videos, and infographics, is a powerful way to capture your audience's attention and communicate your message effectively. Consider the following tips when incorporating visuals into your content strategy:

Choose high-quality images and videos that are relevant to your content and appeal to your target audience.
Use a consistent visual style, such as colors and fonts, to establish your brand identity and make your content instantly recognizable.
Experiment with different formats, such as GIFs, memes, and short video clips, to add variety and humor to your content.

Stories have the power to connect with people on an emotional level, making them an invaluable tool for engaging your audience. To incorporate storytelling into your content, try the following:

Share personal stories or anecdotes that demonstrate your brand values and give your audience a glimpse into your company culture.
Highlight customer testimonials or success stories to showcase the impact of your products or services.
Create content that tells a larger narrative, such as a series of posts or videos, to keep your audience engaged and invested in your story.

Asking Questions

Encouraging your audience to participate in the conversation is an essential aspect of building an engaged following. Asking questions in your content can help spark discussions and create a sense of community. Consider these tips when incorporating questions into your content:

Ask open-ended questions that encourage your followers to share their thoughts, experiences, or opinions.
Use polls or quizzes to gather feedback and insights from your audience and create content that caters to their interests.
Include calls to action that prompt your followers to comment, share, or engage with your content in some way.

By combining visuals, storytelling, and audience engagement through questions, you can create engaging and dynamic content that will delight your followers and contribute to your social media best practices for building an engaged and growing following.

4. Interact with Your Followers

Actively engaging with your audience is crucial to building a strong and loyal following. By interacting with your followers, you demonstrate that you value their input and foster a sense of community. In this section, we'll discuss three ways to interact with your followers—responding to comments, encouraging discussions, and hosting live sessions—each of which contributes to social media best practices for building an engaged and growing following.

Respond to Comments

When your followers take the time to comment on your content, it's important to acknowledge their efforts and respond in a timely manner. Here are some tips for effectively responding to comments:

Express appreciation for your followers' input and address them by name, when possible, to create a personal connection.
Provide thoughtful and helpful responses that address their questions or concerns and add value to the conversation.
Use a conversational tone that reflects your brand's personality and encourages further engagement.

Encourage Discussions

Creating an environment where your followers feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and opinions can lead to dynamic discussions and a more engaged community. Consider these strategies for encouraging discussions among your followers:

Share content that sparks conversations, such as controversial topics, thought-provoking questions, or unique perspectives.
Invite guest contributors, industry experts, or influencers to share their insights and experiences on your platform.
Create a space for community members to connect, such as a Facebook group or forum, where they can discuss topics relevant to your niche.

Host Live Sessions

Hosting live sessions, such as Q&A sessions, webinars, or product demonstrations, can help you connect with your audience in real-time and create a sense of excitement around your brand. Keep these tips in mind when hosting live sessions:

Promote your live sessions in advance and provide clear instructions on how and when your followers can join.
Prepare an agenda or outline to ensure your session is well-structured and covers the topics your audience is interested in.
Encourage participation by asking for questions or feedback during the session and addressing them as they arise.

By actively engaging with your followers through comments, discussions, and live sessions, you can create a strong sense of community and establish lasting relationships with your audience, which is essential for social media best practices for building an engaged and growing following.

5. Use Analytics to Track Progress

One of the most important aspects of social media best practices for building an engaged and growing following is tracking your progress and making data-driven decisions. By using analytics tools, you can gain valuable insights into your audience's behavior, preferences, and engagement patterns. In this section, we'll explore three popular analytics tools—Google Analytics, Sprout Social, and Hootsuite—which can help you monitor and optimize your social media strategy.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a powerful tool that provides valuable data on your website's traffic, user behavior, and conversion rates. When integrated with your social media channels, it can help you track the effectiveness of your social media campaigns. Here's how Google Analytics can benefit your social media strategy:

Identify the social platforms driving the most traffic to your website and focus your efforts on those channels.
Track the performance of specific posts or campaigns to understand what types of content resonate with your audience.
Monitor conversion rates to see how effective your social media efforts are in driving leads, sales, or other desired actions.

Sprout Social is a comprehensive social media management platform that offers advanced analytics features specifically designed for social media. Here's how Sprout Social can help improve your social media efforts:

Get detailed reports on your audience demographics, engagement patterns, and content performance across multiple social platforms.
Identify the optimal posting times and content formats for each platform to maximize engagement.
Monitor the sentiment and mentions of your brand, allowing you to address any negative feedback and capitalize on positive feedback.

Hootsuite

Hootsuite is another popular social media management tool that offers robust analytics capabilities. Here are some ways Hootsuite can enhance your social media strategy:

Access customizable dashboards that display key metrics and performance indicators for each of your social media accounts.
Track the success of your social media campaigns by monitoring engagement, reach, and other relevant metrics.
Analyze the performance of your competitors to uncover trends, best practices, and potential opportunities for growth.

By utilizing analytics tools like Google Analytics, Sprout Social, and Hootsuite, you can make data-driven decisions to optimize your social media strategy and ensure that you're following social media best practices for building an engaged and growing following.

If you're looking to up your social media game and expand your creative reach, be sure to check out the workshop 'Effective Social Media Strategies For Creatives' by Shannon. This workshop will provide you with valuable insights, tips, and strategies to help you make the most of your online presence and showcase your creative work effectively.