5 Ways to Get In Front of New Audiences Today
I recently presented a workshop to a nonprofit organization called Social Media 101 - Best Practices for Team Content Creation. This is a workshop I created specifically to deliver to organizations that have the workforce to create their own content but need some serious guidance on best practices and strategies to help them grow on social media.
Before delivering these workshops, I like to schedule a consultation with the team to get down to the nitty-gritty of what they are struggling with individually and as an organization. While my processes and procedures are always the same, this consultation allows me to tailor each workshop to meet the organization's unique needs. Would it surprise you that - while each organization has different goals - most of their questions and struggles are the same? The most common are:
How do we get more eyes on our content?
How to reach new audiences?
How do we break this plateau?
Hey, I’m about to give you a great content creation tip, so get ready to copy and paste this or write this down somewhere. When I receive the same questions repeatedly, this is a great indication of something my audience is dying to learn about.
Pay attention to what your audience is asking you. They indirectly tell you what they want to see on your page.
So, as requested by my audience this month, here are five of my favorite strategies that will help you to expand your reach into new audiences today. The last one might surprise you.
Video content
Let’s just get this one out of the way because I know that many business owners have mixed feelings about “being forced” to create video content. Whether we like it or not, video is KING, and since the creation [and obsession] of TikTok, all other social media platforms have been trying to figure out how to compete. This means treating video like the golden goose. Instagram recently rolled out their version of the full-screen feed view, and - though the Zuck claims images are still an important part of Instagram - 20% of all time spent on Instagram is spent in the Reels feed.
It’s easy to explain why you should use Reels to expand into new audiences. When you post a photo on Instagram or Facebook [without hashtags], the only people that see it are people that already follow you. When you post a Reel on Instagram or Facebook, it gets pushed into other people’s feeds that currently do not follow you based on their Instagram activity and the type of content you’re creating. So, the lesson here is that the more reels you post, the more chances you have of getting into other people’s feeds and growing their audience.
Hashtags
Other than Reels, hashtags are the only organic way to get in front of new audience members without paying for ads. Regardless of the platform, hashtags work like keywords in a Google search, so when someone researches a hashtag, it will come up in the search if you’ve used it on a photo. Sounds simple, right but not all hashtags are created equal.
There are three kinds of hashtags [like goldie locks and the three bears]: too big, banned, and good-for-growth [just right]. Hashtags that are too big [600K+] will not be as helpful to your growth because they’re being used too frequently. Open up your Instagram to recent posts using #dog. As I type this post, 348M posts are using this hashtag. Wait 5 seconds and refresh that feed. There are already different photos! Crazy right?! That’s how many people post about dogs on Instagram at any time. If you are a dog groomer looking to grow your account, you most likely wouldn’t see any growth using the #dog. Better hashtags to grow your account could be #doggroomers [380K] or #doggroomersofinstagram [558K]. I would identify a good-for-growth hashtag as anything between 60K and 600K] Anything smaller than that and it’s likely not being searched, and anything bigger than that, you're likely getting lost in the sea of people using that hashtag daily [or even momentarily]. The only exception to this is if you’re tagging a location. The last type of hashtag we have is banned hashtags. These hashtags have been taken over by bots, spam, or porn. If you try to search recent posts with #snapchat, Instagram will display the text “No results found for “#snapchat.” This is obviously a # you do not want to use if you’re trying to grow your account.
The last thing I will share about hashtags specific to Instagram is to play around with the number of hashtags you use on each post. Instagram allows us to use up to 30, but if they’re too broad, they will diminish and dilute your reach. I like to pick 5-10 really niche hashtags and stick with those to target my ideal audience members.
Location tagging
Location tagging is an easy way to get your content in front of new audiences. When you check in or tag a location, anyone who clicks on that location will see all of the posts tagged there. This is a great way to get your content in front of new similar, and like-minded audiences. If you’re opening a vegan bakery, check in at other vegan restaurants that sell similar foods. This way, your content pops up when Instagram users view posts from that restaurant. They can see your photos, click on them and say, “oh wow, I have to check out this new place!”
Partnerships
Businesses and influencers aren’t the only ones that should be taking advantage of the paid partnerships feature on Instagram. *Note - if you are getting paid to work with another business or brand, you must use this feature to be FTC compliant. However, nothing says you can’t utilize this feature if you’re not getting paid. Maybe you’re a couple of business owners or freelancers that are:
Collaborating on your time off
Doing an equal trade
Hosting an event together
Coordinating a pop-up
These situations could yield more eyes on your content by using the paid partnerships feature. Tagging the other partners will push your posts into their feeds, allowing your content to be seen by other audience members. This is one of my favorite strategies as their audience is likely your ideal audience. This can also create new business opportunities as it indicates your willingness and openness to collaborating with other like-minded business owners.
Consistent branding
This first one might surprise you. We all know [if you don’t, now you do - yay for learning new things!] branding is important in building a strong foundation for your business but did you know that the consistency of your branding can help you when trying to expand into new audiences? Let’s think about this in terms of a real-life example - do you think the marketing executives at Nike ever get sick of finding different ways to say “Just Do It?” Probably. So, why continue to say it? Why stick with the black and white swoosh campaigns when a pop of color can draw just as much attention? I will tell you why - it’s called brand recognition. Nike has positioned itself as the expert in knowing how to get shit done no matter the situation. They are a reputable brand because they have repeatedly proven they know how to “just do it.” When I see Nike on the rack at Marshall’s or T.J. Maxx, I’m trying it on. People buy Nike because of its reputation. Their posts get millions of likes and shares because of their reputation. They wouldn’t have that reputation if they constantly changed their slogan or the look of their marketing. If you want to gain brand recognition and position yourself as the expert in your industry, you need to “just do it” like Nike and create a consistent brand presence.
Now, if you’re thinking - “geez, Mal, I do not have the money to hire a branding expert” - don’t worry! You can easily hack your own branding to get started using Canva. It doesn't have to be perfect to get started. Just start somewhere. Commit to a few colors and font pairings today and stick with it. You can even create a brand kit in Canva Pro [try it free for 30 days with that link]. Your designs will ebb and flow, but as long as you create consistently, people will begin to recognize your brand on social media. They will begin to see you as the expert in your field. They will value your information and share it with others. This is how your branding can get you in front of new audiences and expand your reach.
I hope you found these tips helpful in your quest to expand into new audiences. Struggling with content creation? Download my FREE workbook called How to Create Consistent Content Again and Again - my tried-and-true system that yields 30+ original social media posts every single week.
*Mallory K Social engages in affiliate marketing whereby we receive funds through clicks to our affiliate program or through the sale of goods or services on or through this website. We may also accept advertising and sponsorships from commercial businesses or receive other forms of advertising compensation. This disclosure is intended to comply with the US Federal Trade Commission Rules on marketing and advertising and any other legal requirements that may apply.
