How to Grow Your Following Naturally

Recently I've been hearing more and more stories of bloggers buying followers to gain quick fame. It sadly seems to be an ever-growing trend that some use to gain numbers quickly, meaning bigger brands are more likely to work with them due to their "following". Luckily, it's pretty easy to spot the real from the fake with a quick audit you can run on any account. This one is great for looking on Twitter, you simply type in the name of the person you want to check and it'll give you their percentage alongside how many real and fake followers they have. Usually if a person has a large number of fake followers, they've probably been spending their cash on buying numbers. 

Thankfully it's reasonably easy to grow your following quickly, provided you're willing to put in the time and effort. It does take a while, but it's much more worth it to have a loyal following of people you regularly interact with as opposed to a bunch of empty profiles. In just over a year I've gained around 800 followers on Twitter which isn't huge compared to some growth, but it's a growth I'm really happy with especially as I've taken a few breaks along the way. So before you consider buying followers to up your numbers, try a few of these tips out instead:

1. Start using hashtags.

Whilst we all originally saw hashtags as a bit of a joke, along with the words 'lol', 'bae' and 'fleek', they quickly became incorporated into our daily routine and we soon found ourselves being unable to imagine life without them. Hashtags are amazing for getting your blog seen by like minded people. If you're a beauty blog try adding #bbloggers onto your tweets with your posts linked in order to attract fellow makeup obsessives. Or, if you're a lifestyle blog go for #lbloggers. Some of my favourite hashtags to use are #thegirlgang, #bdib, #blogginggals and #fbloggers. I often find myself trawling through these tags looking for new content to read so it's definitely a winner. 

2. Join a Twitter chat.

The absolute ideal way to talk to new people is a twitter chat. If you're unfamiliar with the term, a twitter chat is a scheduled discussion where a chosen host asks people questions on a topic using a hashtag which others can then track and join in. They usually last an hour and can be joined from the comfort of your own home. There's loads to choose from to so whether you're into baking or beauty, there's something there for you. Becky Bedbug has got a really good list of what's going on and when which you can find here. However, two that aren't on that list that I really love are the #thegirlgang chat on at Monday's 6pm and #bbeautychat on at Sunday's 9pm. I've met so many lovely fellow bloggers through twitter chats, made some lasting friends and gained a lot more page views than I would have without them. 

3. Use multiple platforms. 

Feel like you're not making progress on Twitter? Try Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest. Everyone has their preferred social media site so try expanding your posts across a number of platforms to target different audiences. Whilst I find Twitter better for meeting fellow bloggers, I've found Instagram to be better for targeting new readers. Posting a picture of your latest post with a link included means you're opening your audience up to a whole new world of readers. Don't forget the hashtags though, they're super helpful to allow people to find your content. 

4. Keep an active profile.

This doesn't mean posting every second of the day, nobody wants to see that, but making sure you do post a few times a day allows people to see you're still there and not an inactive profile. Interacting with other people's tweets is a great way to grow your following too as if people can see you're friendly, they're much more likely to follow you. I've often tweeted bloggers I love and admire and have always been amazed when some follow back! Telling someone how much you loved their latest post, how much you admire their witty tweets or asking where their shirt is from is a sure-fire way to make friends. A little ice-breaker never hurt anyone. 

What are your top tips for growing your following?