Building a following is more than just building a database or followers on social media. Building a following is about creating community, community is what has the power to take your brand and business from humming along to drawing in new customers and converting them into sales. This is because if you change your mindset from only engaging with your audience for the sole purpose of letting them know about new products, sales and the link. You open yourself up to creating a dialogue that can generate more opportunities and drive business goals.

Communication Is A TWO Way Street

When your audience talks to you, you should always talk back. Creating a continuous dialogue is important as it creates rapport between not only you and them but the rest of your community as well. It further encourages others to join the conversation and extents your engagement network with will improve your content visibility to all.

Its Not Just About Your Pages & Websites

Commenting and liking is encouraged across your pages and platforms but you should cast a wider net. What this means is that extending your reach to others in your community can further increase your visibility and engagement to NEW WIDER networks of potential customers. i.e. if you are in the hospitality industry, consider connecting with the wider community connected to you. From your suppliers, to you regulars businesses, each gives the potential to engage a bigger community.

The Language You Use Is Important

Like your brand, the way you communicate, speak and write says volume about you as a business. The language you use directly effect how your community engages back with you. If you use one word or closed responses, it says to your community that you’re not interested a longer relationship – meaning repeat customers. But that doesn’t mean be something you’re not, you don’t have to be ‘LIT’, for your community to be strong. Rather being genuine in the way you speak and the language you use representing your brand and business will go further in strengthening and growing your community then dropping a bunch of emojis. 

So, like any good relationship, communication is key in creating solid relationships with those around you and the better you communicate the stronger the relationship can become which creates trust in the business, its products and services. And as research indicates consumers are more likely to buy from and return from a business they trust.