There are many different sets of audiences one tries to reach when gaining following towards themselves or their brand. Think of your following like a TinkerToy set (remember those?). Each wooden stick represents an audience niche and a specific group of the public that you are trying to reach and engage. Now think of your social media platforms as the circular, hole-bearing objects of the TinkerToy, designed to connect and attach to each stick/audience. Without the circular objects, the sticks can’t connect together, and vice versa. By integrating and proactively using each social media platform available to engage your audience, you and/or your organization can efficiently build a “structured” connection to the public.

Sounds easy enough, right? Here’s the kicker: staying memorable. Anyone can make a Facebook page, Twitter handle, LinkedIn profile, etc and accumulate followers. How can you remain present in users’ minds when millions of people frequent these platforms each day? Step one is to use a memorable and unique handle name. For instance, my blog is entitled “Sarah B Texas: City Girl Gone Country.” All my handles on each of the platforms I use are under “SarahBTexas”, or some variation of the sort (like SarahBTexasBlog), should the former not be available for whatever reason. By doing this, I can better ensure that if someone is randomly searching for my blog after catching a glimpse at whatever social media platform they stumble across, they are more likely to remember to search “Sarah B Texas” and find me in that way.

Step two is to encourage and increase engagement through linking up your platforms. This means adding “follow me/us” buttons on your website and blog for each social media platform, and sending out posts with links attached via Twitter and Facebook, encouraging users to go check out those other networking sites. Because of this, connecting not only means connecting to your audience online, but it also means connecting your social media platforms to one another through a common name and platform integration.

The last action necessary to get oneself better connected to the public is one that may seem like common sense but is often forgotten: exposure. You may think you and/or your company is important, but why should everyone else? Expose yourself to as many people/events/other companies that you can. Networking is a vital role in increasing awareness and following. Attend seminars and lectures to both learn and get your name out there. Soak up information from others like a sponge and continue to increase your learning while making connections with others around you. You never know, the person next to you in any given scenario could be a key role in the success of you or your company.

I wish you good luck on your pursuit for followers in the social media realm, and sincerely hope that these tips serve as good use on the matter.

Speaking of getting connected, get connected with me! Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and My Blog!