You follow some of your favourite brands if you have a personal Facebook account. Stay updated with the latest news, don't miss new blogs and products, or be part of their community. You can build a community of loyal customers by publishing your business on Facebook. It's also worth noting that up to 95% of Millennials expect brands to have a presence on Facebook. This applies to more than just young people.87% of 30-44 year olds and 70% of 45-60 year olds also believe that brands should have a Facebook page.

It's more than just that customers want to see you on social media. Your presence can have a direct impact on sales. 70% of social media users say they visit these sites to learn more about brands, 49% make purchases based on what they find, and 60% use social media to share information. What happens after you create your Facebook page? How do I start building a follower base? I will share with you seven easy ways to do the same thing, but first, let's look at why being followed on Facebook is so important.

The importance of Facebook followers

Having a presence on Facebook is one thing, but you need followers who see and interact with your content. The first and most obvious reason is that you talk to yourself without followers. There's no point in publishing quality content if no one is there to see it.

Once people start following your brand, they can see your posts and increase your facebook likes. This is a great way to inform your audience about all updates and promotions, interact with them, and show that you are an expert in your field. The goal, of course, is to encourage followers to like and share your content. Not only does it give you a warm and fuzzy feeling when people like your posts, but engagement is also crucial to the success of your Page.

In addition to offering your audience something interesting, it is a very effective way to expand your reach. Business pages on Facebook work differently than personal pages. Instead of sending friend requests, people follow your Page. You can search for your business directly or visit your Facebook page through your website or content.

How to get Facebook followers

If you still need to set up a Page, learn how to create a Facebook profile here. With your business page set up and ready, here are some tips to start growing your Facebook followers immediately.

Understand what your followers want from you.

If you want to attract people to your website, knowing what they want to see is essential. As you start publishing content, you likely notice a trend of more engagement on your posts. It can be helpful to start by looking at your competitors' social media pages. Since you're likely targeting the same audience, this gives you valuable insight into what type of content gets likes, comments, and shares.

If you're looking for a starting point, these statistics from Digital Information World can also help you shape your content:

  • 63% of people follow brands on social media to find out about offers and promotions

  • 60% follow to discover new products

  • 36% of consumers engage with content that offers discounts. 

  • 35% interact with the content simply because they like the post

  • 30% engage with funny or interesting content

  • 29% like to share positive words about the brand

Ask people to support your Page.

A great way to improve your Facebook business page is to ask all nearby people to like and share it. This can include friends, family, co-workers, and existing customers. An interesting feature of Facebook is the "Invite Friends" tab. Scroll down and look at the "Community" box on the right side of your Page. Here, you can invite anyone you are connected to on your Page to like your business page (you can also select specific people from your friends list).

Some ways to increase people to like your Page include:

  • Ask in person or by telephone.

  • Encourage your employees to like the Page and include a link to your company website in your email signature and on your website.

  • Remember to include the link in other digital communications, such as newsletters (can you also send the announcement to your database?)

  • Ask others to share your Page via their profile and tell your LinkedIn contacts that you now have a Facebook Page.

Join groups

A great strategy to grow your Facebook audience is to join the community. You can do this by joining the relevant industry groups. For example, assuming you run an accounting firm, you can search for and join appropriate groups. Here, you can participate in discussions and even start your conversations. The more you log in, the more likely people will notice you and visit your Page to learn more. However, make sure you post relevant and valuable information. If you post for fun, people might find it boring and downplay the value of your post. Only comment on topics you know about and can provide something valuable to other members.

Invest in some advertising.

Advertising is an excellent way to increase your Facebook audience. The good news is that it doesn't have to cost a fortune, and you can run promotions based on your goals. Scroll down the menu on the left side of the Page and click "Apply." Depending on your goal, you will be presented with different options. In this case, you are trying to promote your website.

Advertising is an excellent way to increase your Facebook audience. The good news is that it doesn't have to cost a fortune, and you can run promotions based on your goals. Scroll down the menu on the left side of the Page and click "Apply." Depending on your goal, you will be presented with different options. In this case, you are trying to promote your website.

Facebook also has a specific goal for page likes. Your ad will appear in news feeds to showcase your Page and encourage your audience to like it. If your target followers have one or more friends who already like your Page, they will see it, as shown in the example below. This helps build trust because if people they already know like your Page, they are more likely to follow you.

Why will ads help to grow my Facebook followers?

  • The targeting feature allows you to reach people interested in your website.

  • Likes are great social proof because people can see that their friends and family already like your Page.

  • Ads provide instant attention to new fans and create excellent brand awareness. With ads, you can reach a much larger number of recipients faster than with organic activities.

  • You can increase engagement. The more people interact with your content, the more likely new people are to see your posts. It also encourages people to like your Page when others interact with your brand.

Run a competition 

Another simple but effective way to gain followers on Facebook is to run a promotion or contest. Offer a reward like a free download, entry into a raffle, or a discount on your products or services, and people will like or want to share your Page. A good tip for these contests is to promote your entry to attract more attention. People are much more likely to pay attention to a new brand appearing in their feeds if they believe there is a chance of winning.

Ensure you're targeting the right audience, but it's better to have fewer engaged followers than many who might unfollow you after the contest ends. Also, remember to make sure your competitors follow Facebook guidelines.

Partner with an influencer or another business

If you want to know how to get followers on Facebook, one of the most effective methods is to ask an influencer or other company for a greeting. Influencers enjoy a large following and, as the name suggests, have significant influence. When fans see you using a product, they often rush to purchase it themselves.

In the example below, Jane's Bakery has over 300,000 likes. The Maltesers paid her to post one of their products for all her followers to see. As you can see, the post received a lot of interest, and many people said they had saved the recipe and wanted to try it.

Working with an influencer means that many people who otherwise wouldn't have heard of it will now try the product. Some may also follow the brand's Facebook page for product ideas and information. Again, follow all the proper processes when posting branded content on Facebook. 

There is a section on influencer marketing in this social media strategy track.

Update your Page regularly.

First, try to update your website regularly. If you only post once a month, it is doubtful that you will ever gain new followers. You also want to avoid causing people to visit your Page to see an old post or immediately decide to unfollow you because of your inactivity. Setting up a content calendar at the start of each week, fortnight, or month lets you know precisely what you'll post and when.

When fans interact with you, be sure to respond. If you ignore them, they are unlikely to comment again, and you may even unknowingly encourage them to unfollow you. I hope you have great ideas on how to grow your Facebook audience.