W
hether you live by it or loathe it, social media continues to grow by leaps and bounds. These digital platforms are no longer just the places to get all the neighborhood tea, but also to do business. And while it feels like there are a million metrics to track across a million platforms, there’s one question that always gets asked first: How many followers do you have?
To monetize on Instagram, you need at least 10,000 followers. On Facebook, it’s the same number, along with other qualifications you need to meet depending on your objectives. On TikTok, it’s 1,000 followers to drive sales through live-streaming, and 10,000 to become a part of the Creator Fund.
Creating the Right Content for Your Luxury Brand
If you aren’t even close to those numbers, how do you cross those necessary starting lines so that you can claim your piece of the social media pie? The first step is to have a clear understanding of your brand and how luxury brands play in the social space. Here are some goals to shoot for:
- Visual Excellence: As a luxury brand, your content should be visually stunning. It’s essential to invest in high-quality photography, videography, and graphic design that showcases your products in an elegant manner.
- Storytelling and Emotion: Craft compelling brand stories that evoke emotions and create a sense of desire and aspiration. Be sure to focus on the lifestyle and values associated with your brand, so that it’s not just a product – it’s a status symbol.
- Brand Heritage and Legacy: Many luxury brands have a long history and heritage, and social media is the perfect place for celebrating yours. Create content that showcases your legacy, craftsmanship, and enduring appeal. This, combined with the ideas above, all work together to reinforce your brand values.
- Behind-the-Scenes Content: Giving your followers little glimpses of #bts – aka behind the scenes – action, such as your craftsmanship process or exclusive events, adds an element of exclusivity and authenticity to the brand. This is also great content for livestreams.
- Sustainability and Ethical Practices: Luxury brands are increasingly incorporating sustainability and ethical practices into their brand stories. Consider content that highlights your efforts to be environmentally responsible – it resonates with socially conscious consumers, especially Gen Z.
- Consistency and Cohesion: This is an important one: While your tone may change depending on the social channel you’re using, it’s imperative to keep a consistent brand voice and identity across all of your social media platforms. It reinforces your luxury image and fosters recognition, even if you’re a bit more serious on Instagram than you are on TikTok.
- Cultural Relevance: Spend as much time being a social user as a creator so that you’re aware of current trends, pop culture, and social issues. When it’s appropriate and aligns with your brand values, these opportunities can be a good way to connect with your followers on a deeper level.
How to Double Your Social Media Followers
Once you’ve created your content, here are some social-posting strategies that can help you see your numbers rise quickly, no matter which channel(s) you choose to focus on. Regardless of the tactics you choose, however, the key to success is a well-thought-out, strategic approach that’s consistent and always connects back to your brand aesthetic. Here’s our step-by-step guide:
- Define Clear Objectives: What is your purpose for increasing your social media following? Are you seeking brand awareness, more engagement, lead generation, or an increase in sales? Answering these “why” questions first will help you focus and guide your strategies.
- Know Your Target Audience: Do some extensive research to identify your target demographic and understand their preferences, interests, and behavior on social media. Knowing the way they behave on social, as well as what kind of content they gravitate toward, will help you tailor content that you know will resonate.
- Use Hashtags Wisely: Hashtags are used to increase your post visibility and attract new followers by topic, and a smart hashtag strategy can mean the difference between success and failure. Each social channel operates differently when it comes to the number and type of hashtags that are ideal, so it’s important to stay on top of what’s trending to discover the right hashtags for your goals.
- Be Consistent: Every social media platform offers user analytics to help you find the ideal times/days to post. After you’ve made a few posts, take a look at your audience’s online activity to find out when they’re most likely to see your content. That doesn’t mean to only post when the timing feels right, however. The algorithms like consistency, so it’s important to maintain a consistent posting schedule so that your followers know when to expect you. (If they really like your content, they’ll be waiting for the next post to drop!)
- Engage and Interact: Many brands overlook this aspect of building a social strategy, but the ones who win take the time to respond to comments, messages, and mentions promptly. Start a conversation by asking questions, running polls, and encouraging user-generated content – it goes a long way toward fostering a real sense of community.
- Use Advertising to Boost: There are some creators who want every. single. follower. to be gained organically. But if you ask us, investing in targeted ad campaigns falls under the category of “work smarter, not harder.” All of the major platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter, offer powerful targeting options to reach your ideal audience.
- Partner With Influencers: The right social influencer can help you see a bigger ROI on your products or services than even the best targeted ad campaign. Your ideal influencer is at the intersection of current trends and has a similar aesthetic as your brand, mutual followers, and a shared human experience. If finding your perfect influencer seems like an overwhelming task, Hawthorn Creative has social media experts on staff who know that community inside and out.
- Curate Exclusivity: Reward your social media followers with exclusive offers, discounts, or early access to new products. This can incentivize people to follow your brand and stay engaged. Limited editions can also help create a sense of urgency and desire that appeal to longtime brand loyalists as well as newcomers.
- Give Stuff Away: Organize contests and giveaways that encourage people to follow your brand and engage with your content – but the offerings shouldn’t be just anything. Make sure the prizes you select – whether products, services, or tickets to a must-attend event – are attractive and relevant to your target audience. That said…
- Cross-Promote: Social media is a great space to partner with complementary brands or businesses to cross-promote each other’s content. Through joint livestreams, duets, stitches, or even co-created content, finding the right partner can expose you to an entirely new audience.
- Make Sure Your Shopping Experience Is Seamless: This one isn’t optional. As a luxury brand, it’s imperative that your social media profiles offer direct links to your websites or individual products, relevant CTA buttons, and a reliable destination page without broken links. Make it easier than expected to purchase your products or services.
- LOOK AT YOUR DATA: This one’s in ALL CAPS on purpose, because it’s the single most overlooked – and single most helpful – tool that you have in your social media marketing arsenal. Analytics dashboards tell you the times of day and days of the week that most of your followers are online, how many people viewed your content, how much engagement you got, how many new followers you’ve gained, and a lot more demographic information.
If this sounds like a lot of work, that’s because it is. Growing your social media following doesn’t happen overnight, but with consistency, patience, a smart strategy, and a willingness to shift based on what’s working, you’ll see your follower numbers start to rise.
If social media feels like something you don’t understand, or don’t have time to understand, Hawthorn Creative has an expert staff of digital strategists, creatives, and analysts who can work with you every step of the way.