Increase Your Followers by Thousands!

It seems in the last year I’ve received a ridiculous amount of emails in regards to how to market yourself or your company on Facebook & Instagram. So read to find out how to maximize your followers fast with these easy steps!

If you’re one of the many that has written me, please do not be offended that I haven’t responded. I’m a busy girl and I have three littles running around at home. So if I get around to messaging all my clients in a day & the marketing & work I need to get done in a day, I’m doing okay. I really hope this blog gives you all the answers you need and if it doesn’t, please comment below and i will do my best to answer your questions. I do want you to succeed and blossom and marketing isn’t hard. It does take time and effort and consistency, but it isn’t hard. So lets dive right in & let me tell you what you need to do to get your numbers up & followers interested!

We started our company in 2013, but I didn’t actively start marketing our company until early 2014. In those two years we’ve gained over 25,000 followers on Facebook & 17,500 followers on Instagram by following these simple tips & tricks. I’m not way a marketing pro, but this is what I’ve done to be seen & heard in the millions on social media.

1. Post Quality Content.
This is one of the biggest ones. When you’re scrolling through facebook or instagram, what pops out to you? Pictures that are bright, clear & sharp. Pictures that pop. If you post a blurry, dark photo, it won’t do well.

Years ago I used to own a Ebay Store. I found that it did so much better when I posted bright & professional quality photos. I almost made three times as much per item. It screams quality. I keep posting the word quality. But folks, this is the biggest thing, when people come to me saying they aren’t being seen, it’s because you need to post better photos. People are visual. This is the #1 seller prior to anything else.

Great Apps for Photo Editing:
-SnapSeed
-CameraMX
-Iphoto on Mac Desktops & Laptops

Great Photo Editing Websites:
-www.picmonkey.com
-www.pagemodo.com

Camera I use:
I have a basic DSLR Camera (Canon EOS Rebel T3I), It is a basic camera that I got on special a few years back at BestBuy.ca If you do not have a DSLR, it is not vital, but I highly recommend you invest in one for you business. It just makes pictures look a lot more crisp & professional but with such little work.

2. Post Daily
Once you gain followers by posting your pretty photos, post daily.
You don’t want to lose your hard earned followers by not posting, so make sure you post. If you can, post at the same time everyday. You can also google “Times to post on social media” and it will come up with exact times that posts do better on Facebook & Instagram and other social media platforms.
For instance, the best days to post on Facebook are: Thursday & Fridays. You probably thought it was the weekend, right? No! Most people are out spending time with their families or doing things on the weekends. The less people want to be at work, the more they’re on facebook. Shhh… don’t tell your boss!
Best time of day? 3 pm.
Instagram claims that you can post anytime of the day to get the same amount of likes, but I find that first thing in the morning gets the most comments & likes.

Apps & Websites that can help/remind you to do this:
-Buffer.Com
-Pagemodo.com

3. Post Giveaways & Contests
This is biiiiig folks! If you don’t have a giving heart, please try your hardest on this one. Not only will fans go crazy for anything free, but you will gain followers and love in return. I remember our first giveaway, we gave away a set of shutters & old barn window. We were so little back then at only 900 likes on facebook, but that little contest was shared over 1237 times & we gained almost 800 followers!
WOW! That almost doubled our followers. Back then we didn’t have IG, in fact we didn’t start our IG account until September of 2014. You will also generate sales through these contests. It is really a win - win for everyone!

4. Make ads for Facebook & IG
Boosting posts doesn’t do a whole lot these days as facebook has seemed to be putting the hault on how they allow people to see your posts. So stop wasting your money, and stop boosting posts!
Instead, make quality ads. Below is a ad I have had circulating for almost a year. It’s received a crazy amount of likes, posts and shares. Again, it’s a visually attractive ad, so it draws people in to click on it. Keep in mind, blue draws the eye. It’s why we use blue props in so many of our photos. You can pay as these little as you like, but I have the ad below running for 5/day and that’s circulated on Facebook & Instagram. Once you’re seen and once you start posting quality pictures and gain a following, you will be shared and the social media world is wonderful for that.

 

5. Be Current.
People also like to see what’s “in”. If you’re posting quality photos but the content is not of interest, you still will not gain a following.
For example, I used to sell quite a bit of refinished pieces. I have a major love for paint and vintage pieces. I made a killing and was booked quite steadily, but over a few years I found that the interest slowly started to fade, it was still there, but a lot less. Make sure you’re always evolving. Always.
You can still paint, just do it in a more trendy way. Always be researching. I find Pinterest is a great way to do this. Only the trendiest photos get shared and shared and shared. So you can pop on there from time to time to check out what the “in crowd” is evolving into.

6. Be Personable
Get to know your followers. Email or Comment back. Let them know that you appreciate the follow. People want to know that there’s a real & kind person behind that device or computer. Always change your “info section” If you evolve, change it.

Example, here’s my IG Info Section:
“↠Vancouver Island Builders of Rustic Furniture?
↠Mama Bear
↠Child of God
↠Blogger
↠Design Lover
↠[email protected]”

Also, post links! This is super important. Make it easy for people to visit your facebook, instagram & other social media platforms. If you’re a blogger, have your new blog post readily easy to find & click on. On your personal facebook have links to your website & always have a signature on your email with links to all platforms.

I hope this helps you on your social media journey. I know it’s fun to log onto my Instagram and Facebook every day to see the new comments and followers I have. It truly is a little world of its own. It seems to be one of the biggest ways to be heard right now and the times of going door-to-door and calling a person up on the phone are in the past.
Good luck and if you have any additional comments or questions feel free to post below and I’ll get back to you!