How to Use Video to Grow Your Social Media Following
Your TikTok is fire. Your Insta is a work of art. Your YouTube channel makes Stanley Kubrick look like a chump.
The world NEEDS to see your amazing content. But first, you’ve got to get the ball rolling by attracting a few followers.
In this post, we’ll teach you how to use the content you already love creating to drive more likes, follows, subscribes, and shares.
Remember, every influencer who reached a million subs started with just 1. Are you ready to kickstart your social media following?
Let’s go.
Create LOTS of videos
Your fans can’t get enough content, and they prefer videos to text posts. So, if you don’t produce regular video content, they’ll find somewhere else to go.
Videos generate more organic traffic to your pages because they are favored by social media algorithms. For example, Instagram puts Reels before everything else on the homepage, so your videos will always have greater reach than your photos.
But how do you find the stamina (and the cash) to create a steady stream of video content?
You don’t have to dream up original ideas for every single video. Sure, you want some stand-alone evergreen content. But you can also do a web series, live videos, interviews, and even text-based videos (these are great for capturing attention during muted scrolling).
To save some cash, download stock videos and repurpose them for your content. A lot of stock video is free, including HD clips.
Promote yourself
Want to know a big mistake that content creators make? They expect other people to promote their videos with shares and links. If you really want your video to go viral, you need to self-promote.
You can start by posting your videos to all your social accounts—that’s the easy part. Next, ask (nay, DEMAND) your inner circle of fans, friends, and family to give you shout-outs and share your stuff.
Cross-promoting with other content creators is a great way to get more subs too. Make friends with other influencers in your niche and promote each other’s videos. Don’t be afraid of competition—being social is a necessity on social media!
Go live
Live videos allow you to build a connection with your fans in real-time. They also give you tons of bang for your buck. You can reuse and repurpose live videos after the stream, creating clips and highlights for your YouTube channel and other social pages.
If you’re shy about going live, it’s time to get over it. People spend about 3x more time watching live videos than they do pre-recorded videos. So, the more live video you produce, the more face time you get with your subs and potential new fans.
Track your data
You might have produced a few hit videos that got loads of engagement—and some that didn’t do so well. How do you produce more of the good stuff that people love?
You do that by tracking the success of your posts and videos using analytics tools. Some tools are accessible directly from your social media accounts, such as Instagram Insights. This feature measures how successful your posts are by tracking your engagement data, followers, and more.
TikTok has simple analytics that let you measure views, comments, and followers. YouTube also has an analytics tab in your Studio.
Tracking your social media analytics over time gives you insights into content that performs better. This tells you what your fans want more of. Use this info to tweak your strategy and give the people what they want.
Get the community involved
Once you have enough followers, you should involve them in your content to build a strong community. Here are a few ways to do it:
- Host contests and announce winners on live video
- Ask fans to submit videos and post the best ones (free content!)
- Invite fans to phone into your web series or podcast
- Make a video about your favorite fan posts/memes
How you get fans involved in your videos depends on the type of content you create. The important thing is that you keep your fans engaged. Building a community and cultivating a sense of belonging is one of the best ways to do that.
A Snowball Starts with a Single Flake…
It might seem like a massive effort to build the foundations of your social media empire. But, if you follow the tips above, you’ll be able to slowly roll a few snowflakes into a tiny snowball. And once that ball gets rolling, your followers will multiply faster and faster.
Remember to engage directly with your followers and to give them the type of content they want. And of course, produce as much quality video content as you can.
Bogdan Sandu, a seasoned designer with 15 years of diverse experience, has been designing websites since 2008.
Renowned for his expertise in logo design and visual branding, Bogdan has developed a multitude of logos for various clients.
His skills extend to creating posters, vector illustrations, business cards, and brochures. Additionally, Bogdan's UI kits were featured on marketplaces like Visual Hierarchy and UI8.
Renowned for his expertise in logo design and visual branding, Bogdan has developed a multitude of logos for various clients.
His skills extend to creating posters, vector illustrations, business cards, and brochures. Additionally, Bogdan's UI kits were featured on marketplaces like Visual Hierarchy and UI8.
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