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A Small Business Guide to Winning Followers and Finding Fans

small business owners get social

Do you like Coca-Cola? According to its Facebook page, 102.7 million other people do, too. How about Disney? You’re now in the company of 50.6 million fellow fans. Katy Perry has the most Twitter followers with 95.6 million, while Justin Bieber runs a close second with nearly 91.5 million.

When it comes to small business social media, fans and followers are important. Without them, you’re essentially only talking to yourself. Obviously, the more followers you can get, the more potential customers you have! But how do you take your 60 Facebook likes or 18 Twitter followers to Coca-Cola and Katy Perry levels? We’ve got a few suggestions!

Bribery Works

Remember that kid in grade school who would give the “cool kids” his cookie at lunch so they’d be his friend? Social media is an adult version of that scenario. If you give them something (or even just the chance to win said something!), they will come.

Facebook has a whole page worth of rules and guidelines for promotions, which we suggest you read thoroughly before you begin, lest you get thrown in “Facebook jail.” As soon as you get the rules down pat, however, a quick contest or giveaway can earn you some new friends.

The downside? Just like the kid with the cookie, your new friends will expect the rewards to keep coming. If you go this route, make sure you have a plan for keeping them around after the treats run out!

Think Inside the Box

If you’re looking for Twitter or YouTube followers, Amazon has a deal for you. For the price of the prize, plus shipping and handling, their “Bouncy Box” giveaways will help you rack up your numbers.

Here’s how it works: You select a prize from the approximately 27 gazillion things Amazon has for sale, pay for the prize and the estimated shipping, and decide what the entrant needs to do to have a shot at winning. Currently, you can require them to follow you on Twitter, tweet a message you select, or watch a YouTube video. After they’ve done your bidding, they click on the bouncing box to see if they’ve won. Amazon ships the prize directly to the winner, and you now have new Twitter or YouTube followers!

Sharing Is Caring

Does the thought of bribery rub you the wrong way? No problem. All you need to do is share quality content: It could be a video, a post, a link or even a meme. If you offer value to your current followers, they’ll want to share it with their friends, who will share it with their friends, who will … well, you get the picture.

Are you friends with other small business owners? Offer to scratch each other’s backs by regularly sharing one another’s content on your own pages. They’ll get access to your fan base, and you’ll get access to theirs. Everyone wins!

You may never ascend to “The Bieb’s” level of fame, or have as many Facebook likes as Disney does — and that’s OK. You’re small, and a moderate following may actually be just what you need. But you will be building your fan base just like they did — one like, follow or tweet at a time!

Do you need someone to manage all your new friends? Mischa Communications is here! With a full range of social media services, we can help you be the company everyone “likes.” Call or email (or tweet or Facebook) us today!