Social Media Growth Strategies for Business

With 5.44 billion internet users and 63% actively using social media, implementing an effective social media growth strategy is crucial for business success. This comprehensive article draws from Twine’s journey to 1 million followers to show you exactly how to drive explosive social media marketing growth.

We started implementing our social media growth strategies back in 2018. It was an exciting time, full of potential and rapid growth. But let me take you back even further, to 2017, when the foundations of our social media marketing growth were first laid.

In 2017, we established our first Instagram channels: a general audience channel (JoinTwine) and community-focused channels Twine Logos, Twine Enterprise, and Twine UI Design. By year’s end, we had 16,000 followers across these channels – solid proof our social media growth strategy was working. But we were just getting started.

In 2018, we expanded our reach by launching three new community channels: Twine Illustrations, Twine Animation, and Twine Web Design. During those early days of 2017 and 2018, our social media marketing growth was impressive – between 5% to 10% week over week across our accounts.

By 2022, we hit 1 million followers across our accounts. This major milestone validated our social media growth strategies and showed the power of consistent execution.

One of the most rewarding aspects of this journey was watching our community grow. In the beginning, we didn’t have any community to speak of. But little by little, post by post, interaction by interaction, we built a vibrant, engaged community of design enthusiasts and professionals.

It’s not just about posting pretty pictures or witty tweets; it’s about building a brand, engaging with customers, and driving real business results through strategic social media marketing growth. And most importantly, it’s about fostering a community that believes in what you do.

In today’s digital age, having strong social media growth strategies isn’t just an option — it’s a necessity. Consider these statistics:

• As of 2024, over 5.07 billion people (62% of the world’s population) are social media users
• 71% of consumers are more likely to purchase products and services based on social media referrals
• Businesses that implement effective social media growth strategies see a 95% increase in brand exposure

These numbers, combined with our own experience, show the power of social media marketing growth in driving company success.

So, whether you’re a founder looking to make your mark or an established business aiming to boost your online presence, buckle up. We’re about to dive into social media growth strategies that could transform your company’s future, just as they did for us.

How Social Media Algorithms Work

Understanding how social media algorithms work is fundamental to any successful social media growth strategy. You might be familiar with Google’s search algorithm, but did you know that social media platforms use similar mechanisms to determine what content users see? Each platform’s algorithm is designed to maximise engagement and deliver the most relevant content to users. Let’s break down how social media algorithms work on each major platform to help optimise your social media growth strategy.

Instagram Algorithm

Instagram’s algorithm functions like a digital matchmaker, heavily weighting user interactions and engagement to rank posts. For effective social media marketing growth on Instagram, understand these key factors:

• Interest: The algorithm predicts how much users will care about a post based on past behaviour. If your followers regularly engage with travel content, similar content will get higher visibility.
• Timeliness: Fresh content gets priority in the feed. Timing your posts is crucial for any social media growth strategy.
• Relationship: The more users interact with an account, the more they’ll see its posts. This includes time spent viewing posts, not just likes and comments.

TikTok Algorithm

TikTok’s algorithm acts as a viral content catalyst, designed to rapidly amplify engaging content. Understanding how social media algorithms work on TikTok is essential for business growth:

• User Interactions: Every like, share, comment, and watch duration impacts visibility. Videos watched multiple times get an extra boost.
• Video Information: Strategic use of hashtags, captions, and trending sounds can dramatically increase reach.
• Device and Account Settings: The algorithm considers language, location, and device type for content distribution.

X (Twitter) Algorithm Mechanics

X’s algorithm prioritises relevancy and timeliness, making it ideal for real-time engagement in your social media growth strategy:

• Recency: New tweets typically get higher visibility, perfect for timely updates.
• Engagement: Tweets with high interaction rates get amplified across the platform.
• User Interests: Content is curated based on followed accounts and engagement patterns.

LinkedIn Algorithm for Professional Growth

LinkedIn’s algorithm is engineered for professional engagement, crucial for B2B social media growth strategies:

• Engagement Probability: Posts from users or pages you’ve interacted with before are more likely to appear. LinkedIn values meaningful interactions, not just surface-level engagement.
• Content Quality:  High-quality, professional content gets the spotlight. Think insightful articles, industry news, and thought leadership pieces.
• Personal Connections: LinkedIn prioritises content from your direct connections and their connections, making your professional network feel closer and more relevant.

Facebook Algorithm Strategy

Facebook’s algorithm, often called “EdgeRank,” is like a master curator, prioritising content based on engagement, relevance, and recency.

• Engagement: High interaction posts (likes, comments, shares) are deemed more interesting and are shown to more users. It’s Facebook’s way of ensuring you see engaging content.
• Relevance: Facebook analyses your past behaviour to predict what you’ll find interesting. It’s like having a personal assistant who knows your preferences inside out.
• Recency: Newer posts are more likely to appear in your feed to keep things fresh. However, older posts with sustained engagement can still maintain visibility, ensuring you don’t miss out on important updates.

Creating a Social Media Growth Strategy

Now that we understand how social media algorithms work, let’s develop a comprehensive social media growth strategy. A well-crafted plan is crucial for social media marketing growth. Remember, your strategy should be dynamic – consistent in execution but flexible enough to adapt to changing trends and audience preferences.

Defining Your Growth Goals

When developing social media growth strategies, your goals should serve as a roadmap. They’ll guide your strategy, help allocate resources effectively, and provide benchmarks for measuring success.

Common Social Media Goals:

• Increasing Brand Awareness: Expanding your brand’s visibility and recognition
• Driving Website Traffic: Increasing visitors from social platforms
• Generating Leads: Attracting potential customers
• Boosting Sales: Converting followers into customers
• Improving Customer Service: Providing support through social channels
• Enhancing Brand Loyalty: Building an engaged community
• Establishing Thought Leadership: Positioning your brand as an industry authority

But here’s the key to effective social media growth strategies: your goals need to be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

Making SMART Goals for Social Media Marketing Growth

Let’s transform a basic goal into a SMART goal. Imagine you’re managing social media growth strategies for a SaaS company wanting to boost Instagram presence:

SMART Goal Example: “Increase our Instagram followers from 5,000 to 15,000 and achieve an average engagement rate of 5% on posts by the end of Q3 2024.”

This goal is SMART because it’s:

• Specific: It clearly targets Instagram followers and engagement rate, focusing on measurable aspects of brand awareness.
• Measurable: We have concrete numbers to aim for—an increase to 15,000 followers and a 5% engagement rate.
• Achievable: A 200% increase in followers over several months is ambitious but realistic, especially with a solid strategy in place.
• Relevant: More followers and higher engagement directly contribute to enhancing brand awareness and building a community around your SaaS product.
• Time-bound: There’s a clear deadline: the end of Q3 2024. This gives you a specific timeframe to achieve your goals and measure progress.

Understanding Your Audience for Social Media Growth

After setting goals, identifying and understanding your audience is crucial for social media growth strategies. You can’t create engaging content without knowing your target audience.

Start with existing customer data analysis. Study demographics like age, gender, location, and occupation. Then dive deeper into psychographics – interests, values, lifestyle, and pain points.

Using Twine as an example, we are a freelance marketplace offering services to both freelancers and clients. Here are some ways Twine has used to gather this information:

1. Analyse current customer data: We found that most of our users are between 25-60 years old, and work in tech or creative industries.
2. Use social media analytics tools: We discovered that our followers on Instagram are particularly engaged with posts about design inspiration, tips and remote work challenges.
3. Conduct surveys or interviews with customers: This revealed valuable insights from both sides of our marketplace. Freelancers expressed challenges in finding high-quality, well-paying gigs. On the client side, businesses reported struggles in hiring top-tier freelance talent for their projects, particularly for specialised or complex work. 
4. Use tools like Google Analytics to understand who’s visiting the website: This showed that a significant portion of website visitors come from small startups and agencies.

Selecting Social Media Platforms for Business Growth

Choosing the right social media platforms for business is crucial for your growth strategy. While it’s tempting to be everywhere, focusing on platforms that align with your audience and goals is more effective.

Consider these factors when selecting social media platforms for business:

1. Audience presence: Use demographic data to identify where your target audience spends time
2. Content type compatibility: Match your content style with platform strengths
3. Resource availability: Be realistic about management capacity
4. Business objectives: Different platforms serve different goals better
5. Competitor analysis: Study successful competitor platforms while innovating your approach

At Twine, we leverage different platforms for specific growth objectives:

• LinkedIn: Professional networking and thought leadership content
• Instagram: High-quality inspiration and lifestyle content
• Twitter: Real-time updates and industry conversations
• Facebook: Targeted ads and community building

💡Note: While maintaining presence across platforms, we focus primarily on Instagram and LinkedIn for maximum social media marketing growth. This focused approach came after testing multiple platforms and identifying which drove the best results.

Content Strategy for Social Media Growth

Now that you’ve chosen your platforms, let’s focus on what truly drives social media success: content. It’s the real boss here. A well-planned content calendar is the backbone of any winning social media strategy.

Step 1: Competitive Analysis and Topic Selection

Start by spying on your competitors. Yep, you heard me. Take a close look at what they’re up to and ask yourself:

• Which types of posts get the most engagement?
• What hot topics are they covering?
• How often are they posting?
• Are there any content gaps you can swoop in and fill?

Step 2: Who is the content coming from?

Influencer content consistently outperforms traditional branded content in terms of results. Why? It all comes down to authenticity and a style that fits perfectly with the platform. Studies show that influencer content can drive over 8 times the engagement compared to brand-created content. It’s that genuine connection and platform-savvy approach that really makes a difference.

So, is the content coming from your CEO / a team member or your business brand? The data shows it coming from an actual person is much much better.

Step 3: Brainstorming Winning Topics

Next, it’s time to brainstorm topics that align with your brand and resonate with your audience. Consider these content gold mines:

• Your Products or Services: Showcase what you offer in creative and engaging ways. Airbnb’s “Live There” campaign is a great example, they focused on solving the problem of feeling like a tourist by helping people “live like a local”
• Industry Trends and News: Position yourself as a thought leader by staying on top of what’s trending.
• Behind-the-Scenes Content: Give your audience a sneak peek into your world, building a deeper connection. For example, Patagonia’s “Footprint Chronicles” initiative gives customers an inside look at their supply chain, showing the journey of their products from start to finish demonstrating transparency and commitment to ethical practices.
• Customer Stories and Testimonials: Nothing beats the power of social proof. Let your satisfied customers do the talking.
• Educational Content: Share your expertise with how-tos, tips, and tricks related to your field.
• Seasonal or Trending Topics: Tap into what’s happening now to stay relevant and engaging. Remember Oreo’s “Dunk in the Dark” tweet during the 2013 Super Bowl blackout ? When the lights went out during the game, Oreo quickly tweeted “You can still dunk in the dark,” showcasing their ability to react swiftly to current events.

Content Formats that Drive Social Media Growth

Social media landscape, short-form videos dominate social media growth strategies. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts have revolutionised engagement. With 66% of consumers finding these videos most engaging and attention spans averaging 8.5 seconds, short-form video is crucial for social media marketing growth.

This trend’s significance is evident in Instagram’s recent decision to stop supporting long-form video content. Following videos, images remain powerful for social media growth, especially on Instagram and Pinterest. Live videos offer unique engagement opportunities through real-time interaction.

User-generated content (UGC) enhances authenticity and trust. While visual content leads social media growth strategies, well-crafted text posts maintain importance, particularly on LinkedIn and Twitter. Instagram’s shift toward keyword-based search makes captions increasingly vital for growth.

Let’s look at a successful example from a well-known brand:

Every December, social media explodes with “It’s Wrapped time!” and you know it’s none other than Spotify’s annual Wrapped campaign. But what makes Wrapped shareable?

• Hyper-Personalisation: Wrapped turns your listening habits into a personal music movie trailer. It reminds you of those hidden gems you discovered, the workout songs that got you pumped, and the songs that uplifted your mood. It’s like Spotify whispering, “We know you, and we get your vibe.”
• Shareable Brag-Worthy Stats: The eye-catching infographics spark conversations and friendly competition.  Friends compare their top artists, genres, and the total minutes they spent lost in music. 
• The FOMO is Real (But Fun!): We’ve all felt it – the fear of missing out. Spotify plays this like a pro. As Wrapped flooded your feed, you might feel a little nudge to join the party and see your own music story. A gentle push is all you need right?
• Right Place, Right Time: Wrapped hits the scene just as the holiday season sets in. It’s a time for reflection and looking back, making everyone extra curious about their musical year. This perfect timing makes the whole Wrapped experience even more emotional and impactful.

Tools and techniques for content creation:

Creating high-quality content consistently can be challenging, but there are many tools available to help you in the process:

1. Graphic Design:
   • Canva: User-friendly design tool with templates for various social media posts
   • Adobe Creative Suite: Professional-grade tools for more advanced design needs
2. Video Editing:
   • Adobe Premiere Pro: Professional video editing software
   • iMovie (for Mac users): Free, user-friendly video editing tool
   • Kapwing: Online video editor great for creating short-form content
3. Content Management and Scheduling:
   • Hootsuite: Allows you to manage multiple social media accounts and schedule posts
   • Buffer: Similar to Hootsuite, with a user-friendly interface
   • Later: Particularly good for visual planning on Instagram
4. Content Curation:
   • Feedly: RSS reader to keep up with industry news and content
   • Pinterest: Great for visual inspiration
5. Analytics:
   • Google Analytics: For tracking website traffic from social media
   • Native analytics tools on each platform (e.g., Facebook Insights, Instagram Insights)

Explore more tools with our Startup Toolkit. From content creation to business management, you’ll find everything you need to get started. 

When creating content, keep these techniques in mind:

1. Stay on brand: Maintain a consistent visual style and tone of voice across all content.
2. Use high-quality visuals: Whether it’s photos, graphics, or videos, quality matters.
3. Keep it concise: Attention spans are short on social media. Get your message across quickly.
4. Include a call-to-action: Always give your audience the next step, whether it’s to like, share, comment, or click a link.
5. Optimise for each platform: Resize images and adjust your message for each specific platform.
6. Test and learn: Pay attention to what performs well and adjust your strategy accordingly. This is super important!
7. Use scheduling tools: Trust me, these are lifesavers. They’ll help you manage multiple social media platforms, stay organised, save time, and post when your audience is most likely to engage. 

Building Community Through Social Media Marketing

In the early days of social media, brands like Nike, Glossier, and Peloton didn’t just create customers—they built passionate communities. 

Take the Nike Run Club, for example. What started as a simple app to track runs has evolved into a global movement. By offering challenges, personalised coaching, and local meetups, Nike has turned casual joggers into a connected community of runners who motivate each other, share their progress, and embody the brand’s ethos of perseverance.

At Twine, freelancers are the heart of our business. Our mission to empower them inspired us to create a community where they feel truly supported. It wasn’t just about increasing our following; we wanted to build a space where freelancers feel valued, inspired, and connected. Here’s how we did it, 

Targeted Audience Focus: Rather than targeting everyone, we focused on niche segments. For instance, instead of “Twine Designs” for all freelance designers, we focused on verticals like “Twine Web Design” and “Twine UI Design.” This precision not only adds value but also attracts the right audience to our platforms.

Dynamic Content Strategy: We always post content that our target audience is interested in. Sounds simple, but over the years the type of content our audiences are interested in has evolved, so you need to watch what’s happening on social media, be aware of current trends and also be aware of what is happening in your audience’s industry.

One of the most powerful aspects of social media is its ability to build communities around brands. Here are some strategies to foster a sense of community among your followers:

1. Encourage conversations: Ask questions, run polls, and prompt discussions in your posts.
2. Respond to comments and messages: Show that there are real people behind your brand by engaging with your audience regularly.
3. Create exclusive groups: While Facebook and LinkedIn Groups can be effective, consider other platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, Reddit, or Discord which are gaining popularity. But again, things change quickly online. Keep an eye on what your customers like and change your plans to fit them.
4. Host live events: Q&A sessions, product launches, or behind-the-scenes tours can make your audience feel more connected to your brand. 
5. Share user-generated content: Can you get a video review from a customer? This not only provides social proof but also makes your customers feel valued.
6. Be authentic: Share your company’s values, mission, and even challenges. Transparency builds trust. Here are ours.

Customer Engagement Strategies

Engaging with your audience should be one of the main tactics of your social media strategy. You want to in the forefront of your customer’s mind. We’ve found that running contests and giveaways, along with hosting live videos and events, are particularly effective methods. 

Running Contests and Giveaways

Remember the GoPro “Million Dollar Challenge.” This wasn’t just a hefty cash prize; it was a call to action for adrenaline junkies and everyday explorers alike. The challenge? Capture the most mind-blowing footage using your GoPro. It resonated with GoPro’s core value of pushing boundaries and celebrating the thrill of life. The contest generated a wave of user-generated content, showcasing the versatility and durability of GoPro cameras in a way no traditional ad could ever match.

Contests and giveaways are powerful tools for increasing engagement and brand visibility. These contests often lead to a significant increase in followers and engagement rates. The impact? Statistics show that Instagram accounts that hold contests grow 70% faster than those that do not. 

Hosting Live Videos and Events

Consider Apple’s product launches, each event is more than a presentation; it’s an immersive experience that makes viewers feel directly involved in their product. This trend isn’t just limited to tech giants. From product launches to live shopping, customers love being involved in the products that they love. 

Take Zoom, for example. Their annual “Zoomtopia” conference isn’t just a meeting – it’s an event. Thousands tune in, chatting in real time. The best part? Attendees can ask questions directly to Zoom’s leaders, making everyone feel like a part of their brand.

Zoom doesn’t stop there. They turn the event into on-demand content, creating bite-sized videos for later use.

Adding live events to your social media mix does two things: it engages your current followers and attracts new ones. It’s a simple way to grow your community and boost your brand online.

Live videos and events are powerful tools. They bring you closer to your audience and keep your brand in the spotlight. So, why not give it a try?

Leveraging hashtags and trends

Apple’s #ShotOniPhone campaign is a brilliant example of leveraging user-generated content and hashtags. By encouraging users to share their best iPhone photos with this hashtag, Apple:

• Showcases the quality of their product
• Engages their community
• Generates a constant stream of fresh content
• Creates social proof for their product’s capabilities

The campaign has been running for years and has generated 30 million posts, demonstrating the power of a well-executed hashtag strategy. Here’s how to use them effectively:

1. Use tools like Hashtagify or RiteTag to find popular hashtags in your industry.
2. Develop unique hashtags for your brand or specific campaigns. We use hashtags such as #jointwine, #twineanimation
3. When appropriate, join conversations around trending hashtags or topics.
4. Use a mix of popular and niche hashtags: This helps you reach both a broad audience and a targeted one.
5. Don’t overdo it: Use hashtags sparingly on platforms like X (Twitter) and LinkedIn, but you can use more on Instagram (up to 30).
6. Place hashtags strategically: On platforms like Instagram, you can place hashtags in the first comment to keep your caption clean.

Paid Social Media Strategies

While organic reach is important, at Twine, we’ve found that paid social media advertising significantly boosts our efforts and helps us reach specific goals. Here’s why we incorporate paid strategies into our social media mix:

1. Ads allow us to reach people beyond our current followers, introducing Twine to potential freelancers and clients who might not have discovered us otherwise. It can also help a post get momentum it wouldn’t have got otherwise.
   
2. We can target users based on demographics, interests, behaviours, and more. This is particularly useful for reaching specific types of freelancers or businesses that might need our services. On Meta, you can create a “lookalike audience”, which uses AI to find people with similar traits to your existing customers.
   
3. You can “retarget” people who’ve visited your site already. You know how when you go to a website, then for the next 30 days you see ads from them everywhere? Yep, that’s retargeting. We could do a whole topic on this one, especially when paired with lookalike audiences.
   
4. Ad platforms provide detailed analytics, allowing us to track our cost per conversion and ROI and continuously refine our strategies.
   
5. We started with a small budget and scaled up as we saw results, allowing us to test and learn without significant risk.
   
6. Influencer partnerships:  For B2C markets, partnering with influencers can significantly amplify the brand’s credibility. When an influencer endorses your product, their followers see it as a trusted recommendation. While this strategy can be costly, especially with high-profile influencers, the increased brand awareness and potential sales often justify the investment. Start with smaller collaborations and test what works best for your business.

Measuring and Analysing Your Success

Social media analytics are important for understanding how our strategies are performing and making informed decisions to enhance our social media impact. 

Tools for Tracking Performance

Selecting the right tools for social media analytics is crucial. These tools automate the process of data analysis using advanced technologies like data mining and data analytics. 

For instance, platforms like Onlypult, Hootsuite and Sprinklr offer intuitive dashboards and real-time brand monitoring capabilities. These tools also provide customised reporting options, making it easier for you to focus on metrics that matter the most, such as reach, engagement rates, and sentiment analysis.

Integrating these tools with your social media profiles allows for a holistic view of your performance across multiple platforms. Moreover, advanced analytics tools can predict trends and behaviours, providing deeper insights into audience interactions and content performance.

Check out other 20+ social media tools that can help you get started.

Adjusting Strategies Based on Metrics

By 2019, our growth rate had slowed to around 1% per week. Did this discourage us? Not at all. Slow and steady progress is still progress. This slowdown reflected a broader shift in the social media landscape, as the ‘golden era’ of rapid organic growth on Instagram came to an end. 

Changes to the platform’s algorithm during this period caused many marketers and content creators to experience similar stalls in growth. We recognised that the landscape was evolving and that we needed to adapt to new social media realities.

The real value of social media analytics lies in leveraging insights to refine your content. By regularly monitoring key metrics you can get a clear understanding of what content your customers like.

Key metrics to track include:

• Reach: How many people see your content
• Impressions: The total number of times your content is viewed
• Engagements: Likes, comments, shares and saves
• Shares: How often your content is shared by users
• Saves: How often users save your content for later
• Clicks: The number of times users click on your content or links
• Conversions: Actions taken as a result of your content, like purchases or sign-ups

Using these insights, you can refine your content strategy, adjust posting schedules, and optimise your advertising budgets.

Learning from Failed Social Media Campaigns

While it’s important to study successes, we can often learn more from failures. Let’s look at some social media missteps and the lessons we can draw from them:

1. Pepsi’s Kendall Jenner Ad (2017)

Pepsi released an ad featuring Kendall Jenner joining a protest and offering a Pepsi to a police officer, seemingly solving complex social issues with a soft drink.

What went wrong: The ad was seen as downplaying serious social justice movements and appropriating protest imagery for commercial gain. It even became the victim of a parody on Amazon’s hit TV show The Boys.

Lessons learned:

• Be sensitive to social and political issues.
• Understand your brand’s place in larger conversations.
• Test potentially controversial content with diverse focus groups before release.

2. United Airlines’ Response to Passenger Incident (2017)

After a video of a passenger being forcibly removed from an overbooked flight on United Airlines’ was immediately uploaded to several social media platforms where it was shared 87,000 times and viewed 6.8 million times in less than a day. United’s initial responses on social media were seen as tone-deaf and insensitive. 

What went wrong: The company’s first statements appeared to blame the passenger and didn’t acknowledge the severity of the situation.

Lessons learned:

• Respond quickly but thoughtfully to crises.
• Show genuine empathy and take responsibility when mistakes are made.
• Ensure all team members, including executives, are prepared for crisis communication.

3. Snapchat’s “Slap Rihanna” Ad (2018)

Snapchat approved an ad for a game that asked users if they’d rather “slap Rihanna” or “punch Chris Brown,” referencing Brown’s 2009 assault on Rihanna.

What went wrong: The ad made light of domestic violence and was approved despite violating Snapchat’s advertising policies.

Lessons learned:

• Have robust approval processes for ads, especially for sensitive topics.
• Take accountability quickly when mistakes are made. Customers are more forgiving than you think 
• Understand that even third-party content can significantly impact your brand.

On the flip side, consider the positive example of HBO Max. When an intern accidentally sent an email to a massive list, HBO Max’s supportive response went viral. “Dear Intern,” quickly trended on Twitter, prompting people to share their own work blunders and how they overcame them. This response not only showcased HBO Max’s commitment to backing their team but also won significant praise for their employer branding. 

Wrapping up

One of the most powerful aspects of social media growth is its ability to build communities around brands. We experienced this personally.

It’s worth noting that social media growth isn’t always about having a presence on every platform. Sometimes, mastering one or two platforms that align perfectly with your audience and brand voice can be more effective than spreading yourself thin across all available channels. And when it’s working, be consistent and hammer that channel.

Our journey to a million followers wasn’t straightforward. We experimented with several social media accounts that garnered a decent following but ultimately didn’t align with our core audience. Despite their impressive numbers (10k+ and 40k+ followers respectively), these accounts lacked engagement. Their followers didn’t connect or collaborate with our content – a clear sign they weren’t the right fit.

Making the tough call, we decided to wind down these accounts. Converting the audience would require significant time and investment, and frankly, some were too niche to achieve significant growth. This experience underscores the importance of letting go – even of projects you’ve poured time and effort into – if they don’t serve your larger strategy.

Another key lesson that often goes overlooked is the importance of authenticity. In an age where consumers are increasingly savvy and sceptical, being genuine in your interactions can set you apart. This might mean showing the human side of your brand, admitting mistakes, or even sharing behind-the-scenes content that isn’t perfectly polished.

Next aspect is the power of listening. Social media isn’t just a broadcasting platform; it’s a two-way street. Regularly monitoring conversations about your brand, industry trends, and competitor activities can provide invaluable insights. This active listening can inform your content strategy, product development, and even crisis management approaches.

Remember, social media is an ever-evolving landscape. What works today might not work tomorrow. The key is to stay curious, remain open to new ideas, and never stop learning from both your successes and your setbacks.

We know getting all of this right is hard, you can chat with our social media experts on Twine or browse our diverse pool of marketing experts to help you get your 1M followers.