11 simple ways for brands to build better following on social media

It's not difficult to get better following for brands on social – with good insight based strategy, quality content, and regularity.

1. Be frequent. Be there to be top of mind.

Brands often try and open up their presence on many social channels but fail to be there when it comes to regularity. Don't be absent for long periods. Share often with relevant messages.

2. Quality content matters. Provide information and education.

Today, more than ever, content that is informative and relevant is key. By providing useful content, your brand is seen as an authority, and that's what increases shares, comments, retweets.

3. Create a solid network.

Social is really about networking. Surround yourself with people who have common interests and are aligned with your purpose. When you provide value for them, you create a reliable network around your brand and become a point of influence.

4. Engage and entertain.

Be human. Be entertaining. You can use humor, you can post stuff that you like that you feel your followers may like and share that is entertaining – it doesn't have to be funny, but it should bring a smile.

5. Provide exclusivity to draw followers in and keep them.

Every one likes to feel part of a club, an inner circle. Remember to provide exclusive deals, first reveals, discounts and other forms of appreciation.

6. Go beyond every day. Inspire your audience.

Social media is often a source of a good quote, an inspiring thought, a great tip. Remember to always be a source of inspiration.

7. Respond.

Social media is a dialog. Respond quickly, courteously, relentlessly. Answer queries. You can even respond to queries someone has asked on a competitive post and gain followers by providing value.

8. Be beautiful. Be visual.

You can get a 150% increase in retweets just by including images. Make sure you have attractive, well crafted images. Social is increasingly visual, but you'll only benefit from it if you have quality.

9. Be in the here and now.

Successful social brands are always in the here and now. They are contextually relevant to what happens around them. Be aware of what's happening in the news, in your vertical, with your product category, with your competition. Ride current waves.

10. Be social at the right time

Make sure you know which time of day you get the best engagement and reach value. Post at the right time of day, and the right day of the week. Don't ignore weekends – that's when people have spare time.

11. Have a good call to action.

State your purpose. Ask and you shall receive. Ask for a retweet or a share. Encourage comments. Ask for opinions (that's insight for your brand). If you want them to go to your website, show them how.

There are so many other ways for brands to build better social following. But these are a handful of simple ones to keep doing.

Please add any points to this list in Comments.