3 Powerful Advantages You Have (And Should Implement Today) Over Those With Thousands Of Followers

There's a very common misconception out there among business owners that you need thousands of followers in order to be successful. I often hear "When I have tons of followers like __________, then I'll be making sales left and right." It's like they're waiting for followers to "happen" to them. You think you know what's coming right, what I'm going to advise you to do? I'm not going to suggest the solution is to go out and make a bunch of followers happen, that "you're in control of your destiny" kinda thing. Nope.  

Here's the deal: a small targeted niche audience gives you an advantage over those with tons of followers. Why? Two words. Customer experience. Even if they're not your customers yet, you can give your followers more of a personalized experience that just isn't possible when you have thousands upon thousands of followers. Use this to your advantage! Here are some ideas you can implement into your follower experience when you're "small:"

1. Start genuinely thoughtful conversations in DMs with followers or your target audience. This isn't about selling, it's about building relationships. 

2. Every time you do get a new follower, send a friendly message welcoming them to your page or account and introducing yourself. 

3. Make a point to interact on your followers' pages, offering encouragement and support.

(Hint: You can do this with your email list too!)

Even though you're not actively selling in these exchanges, the algorithms will favor you for interacting with these people and your name will become familiar to these followers. Next time they do see something you're selling, you're a trusted asset instead of a slimy business trying to take their money. 

Now there's a caveat to this I want to mention. A small audience that isn't targeted, that is just a random mess of casual social media users, will not be helpful to you and the above won't apply. These followers must be comprised of your ICA. Keep this in mind when playing the "follow for a follow" game or using engagement pods (which I don't suggest by the way). 

Use this time when your following is comparatively small to set yourself apart from your competitors by engaging in unique ways and being authentically you. There will come a time when you can no longer do this due to growth so take advantage while you can. The above approach converts extremely well and you don't need to magically come up with thousands and thousands of followers to reap the benefits.