Save Time + Increase Your Following on Social Media

I’ll be honest…I was never really one to follow social media engagement or growth strategies. I just didn’t have the TIME. I mean, really, who does?! Who really has the time or energy to sit on social media day in and day out and engaging with 100s of people?!But, y’all, it’s called “social media” for a REASON. You have GOT to be SOCIAL!I’m an online business owner and the main way for me to grow my business (i.e. make money) is by engaging with people on social media. Many people who run an online business, whether it is their own personal business or they are partnered with an MLM or just consider themselves an influencer, know they have to be posting pretty consistently on social media.I’m the QUEEN of consistency. If someone tells me I need to be doing something every single day, chances are, I’m probably doing it. Wash my face to help with my acne breakouts? DONE. Follow a running program to get faster? Gotcha. Post on social media so people SEE you? Okie dokie.But, showing up consistently is only part of the story. Yes, posting is awesome, but what are you doing AFTER you post? What are you doing in addition to posting?If you’re not being SOCIAL on SOCIAL MEDIA, then you’re completely missing the point.I had consistency down. Heck, I was even engaging with everyone who was commenting on my posts, my stories, or my lives.But, I was making one huge mistake that was holding my business back.I wasn’t being SOCIAL outside of MY page. <womp womp>So, I wanted to share with you the social media “hack” (I have a love/hate relationship with that word) that has helped me not only increase my social media presence + expand my reach (hello more page views and followers!), but also has saved me a TON of TIME working on my business.SAY WHAT?! You can save TIME and still be SOCIAL?!YES! It’s called being INTENTIONAL with your time!So, here is my process for how I go about being “social” on social media. I will admit, it does take a little bit of upfront leg work at first, so set aside some extra time for that, but once you put the process in place, it becomes pretty simple really.And honestly, this is what I do on Instagram - I have not tested this strategy yet on Facebook, so if you try it on Facebook and it works, let me know!1. Follow your ideal client on social media.If you don’t know who your ideal client is, I encourage you to take some time to figure that out ASAP. That is KEY in growth in your online business. You want to be specific who your “person” is.

My ideal client’s name is Heather. She is in her 30s, a mom, a runner, and works full time. While she likes her job, she know that she’s made for more. She knows that her 9 to 5 is not her true purpose in life, but is still trying to figure out exactly the path she is supposed to be on. Ideally, she would LOVE more time at home with her kiddos and just really wants a lot more flexibility with her time to do the things she’s truly passionate about (family, fitness, etc.). She shops at Target, loves drinking Starbucks, and loves to splurge on mani/pedi’s from time to time, especially with her daughter. She is a really hard worker and coachable, so she loves finding mentors willing to help her, and she loves personal development.

(If that’s YOU… Hi, I’m Kristen and I would LOVE to chat with you more!)Yes, I gave my ideal client a name - Heather - because, honestly, Heather actually exists. As do many other people EXACTLY like Heather. Yes, there might be a few things that are different - maybe she likes massages more than pedicures, or maybe she doesn’t have a daughter, or maybe she’s not a runner but still loves fitness. But, for the most part, I know exactly who I am talking to.2. Figure out what hashtags your ideal client is following and start following those people similar to your “person.”OK, this is TOP SECRET info that I am giving away, but I promise you, it WORKS. I actually go to my ideal client’s profile, I click on “Followers” and I can follow the hashtags they follow. I also work VERY closely with my business coach and I know that I am her ideal client, so I actually go to HER profile and follow people who engage in HER posts. (SHHHHHHH… don’t give away my secrets…)3. Make a list.Soooooo, I might be a little obsessed with lists, but really, I’m obsessed with lists. Once I find my ideal client, I write her name down. You don’t need anything fancy for this. A simple notebook will work just fine. I have a spreadsheet setup and I also use People Map to keep my list organized and make it super duper easy to do. But, you NEED a list.4. Set a timer for 15 minutes + like/comment on as many people on your list as possible.THIS IS THE BIG ONE. This is the ONE THING you should be doing EVERY SINGLE DAY. Set a timer for 15 minutes and go through as many people on your list as possible in those 15 minutes and like + comment on their most recent post. THAT’S IT. Don’t get distracted by anything else. Don’t get caught scrolling. If you don’t have People Map or another way to comment on people’s posts, simply use the search feature in Instagram.5. Rinse + Repeat.About once per week I will go through my posts to see who is liking them or my IG stories to see who is watching them and look at their profile. If they seem to fit my ideal client, I will add them to my list.I can’t say that I went from 100 followers to 10,000 followers overnight, but I am slowly and steadily seeing my page views and follows increase. I used to be stuck on numbers for MONTHS at a time, but just 1 month in to this strategy and I finally feel like 10K followers seems within reach in the next year.How does it save me time, you ask? Because I set a timer and I’m INTENTIONAL about what I’m doing during that time. If you don’t have 15 minutes, set a timer for 5 or 10, or if you have more time, shoot, just GO FOR IT! But, be intentional and don’t get distracted!And let me know if you try it! I’d love to see how this works for other people as well!