If you’re a business owner, and you’ve ever been scrolling through your TikTok or Instagram feed at the hundreds of influencers who are so highly successful, and you think, “Why can’t my business get that kind of engagement…” you’re not alone. It almost seems like people have this secret to gaining millions of followers and likes that we just don’t know!

The truth is, most successful people/brands on social media don’t start with a business goal in mind and work backward—they begin with a human insight that could, yes, eventually, lead to accomplishing a business goal. A creator will share what they’re passionate about or what brings joy to their life, and their audience finds them. Once they begin to know their audience through engagement, they cultivate a unique understanding of what their newfound community loves. From there, they create content based on what people connect with and respond to. 

THEY FEED THEIR AUDIENCE.

One great example of this principle is a well-known influencer on Instagram and TikTok, @landontalks—southern culture enthusiast. Landon’s love for the South and its many quirks began as a simple conversation about his unique experiences growing up in Mississippi. Soon, there were thousands of folks viewing and commenting on his videos, “That’s EXACTLY how I grew up! Thanks for sharing! ❤️” 

Over the past few years, Landon has grown a social media following of 424,000 followers on Instagram and 101,800 followers on Tikok by simply sharing relatable insights about living in the South and cultivating an online community that brings people together through humor and truth. He’s also collaborated with renowned brands like Dollywood, Lingua Franca, and even Texas Pete!

So what makes Landon so successful? 

1. He created conversation around his passion. 
2. He took time to know his audience, building not only a following, but a community.
3. He figured out exactly what they loved to hear from him. 
4. He showed up consistently. 

It seems simple, right? That’s because it is! This strategy doesn’t only apply to aesthetic individuals and industries, either; there are plumbers, contractors, and exterminator influencers, too! Businesses fail to succeed on social media by believing the only way to meet their bottom line is to push sales-y, informational content out of the fear of their client not understanding the business. Posting on social media then becomes a box to tick off, too many meetings and wasted budgets—that’s what you get when you’re concerned with only feeding your feed. 

So find the human truth in your business. What makes your brand interesting? What problem does it solve? And how could you communicate that in a creative way? Oh, and don’t forget to have fun with it! 

Looking to develop your social media strategy? Let’s chat!