When I was in college, I received a notification on Instagram that something called “The Wash” had requested to follow me. My immediate thought was that a laundromat had taken interest in my life and I didn’t understand why. This confusion led me to click on their icon. When I arrived on their Instagram page, I was surprised by what I found. Instead of the laundromat I was expecting, I saw photos of ice cream and fizzy drinks – it was a new dessert and drink bar housed in what was once a car wash! At the time, they had perhaps 100 followers.
My intrigue (and surprise that they had requested to follow me) lead me to check out the restaurant the following evening, friends in tow. It quickly became our new favorite spot and we told more and more friends to check it out. Now, two years later, it’s a local hub for socializing and nightlife. At time of writing they have 10.9K followers on Instagram.
Looking back on this experience showed me why they had followed me: I was their target demographic. For organizations building out their social media presence, choosing who to follow can increase business, drive revenue, build reputation and develop brand recognition. A “following” list provides a snapshot into who matters to the company.
So, who should your business be following on social media? Keep reading to find out.
Customers
The lifeblood of a company is the customers. Even better than simply following your customers is engaging with them. Customers may air grievances (or offer praise) online, to which you can then respond. This can help bridge the gap between business and consumer, add personality to your brand, and increase brand loyalty and trust.
Employees
Employees can be your best advocates – they represent your company and they’re the ones doing the leg work. Connecting with them on social media platforms creates unity and expresses your interest in them.
Investors/board members
When you follow your investors or board members, you can engage with them more frequently. If they share personal or professional news you can congratulate them, providing an additional layer of relationship development.
Influencers
Influencers in any industry typically have large followings, sometimes with high engagement. A positive relationship with an influencer whose voice matches yours can lead to greater business development.
Industry peers
Following other participants in your industry has several benefits. It can foster camaraderie, inspire creativity within your organization, and keep you up to date on current trends in the space.
People who follow/interact with you
Did you just gain a new follower? Click over to their profile and determine if you should follow them back based on the previous criteria.
How to find people to follow
Now that we know who to follow, we need to determine how to find them.
Search hashtags. By doing this, you can find people having conversations in line with your company’s messaging, or about topics your company would like to start talking about. Pay mind to who’s leading these conversations – browse their past activity and see if it aligns with your brand. Making this effort could prove to be beneficial down the road.
Watch geographically based Instagram stories. Is there an industry event happening? Watch the public Instagram stories for that city, conference center or sponsor and consider connecting with the people posting.
Search your mentions on Twitter. See if there’s an existing conversation happening and determine if those doing the talking are worth following.
Look at who interacts with trending posts on LinkedIn. Are they contributing comments that align with your brand’s messaging? They may be worth a follow. If they’re an industry leader (or talent you’d like to hire), they may be worth a follow.
Always remember, no follow is final. If you see posts showing up on your feed that don’t align with your mission and vision, don’t be afraid to unfollow. Should your business forge a new path, it’s perfectly acceptable to refresh who you’re following on any platform.
As more businesses flock to social media to market their services, they shouldn’t forget to consider who they follow. These tips provide insight into making those decisions.