The Road to One Million Followers

What does it take to get to one million followers?

Recently, a client of mine gave me the task of creating a plan to help them reach one million followers on social media by the end of the year.

While this may seem like a lofty aspiration for some clients, this particular client has the goal of becoming an influencer or thought leader in their area of expertise, so their desired follower count isn't as unattainable as it may initially sound.

Of course, this got me asking the million-dollar question (pun intended) of what it would take to achieve this milestone for them.

So, I dug in. After a deep exploration and analysis of the current state of social media, I created a step-by-step strategy for this client on how to reach the coveted 1M follower mark.

Now that I've done the planning, I want to share with you what this framework looks like and give you some actionable takeaways that you can apply to your own client accounts.

If you have a client who's aspiring to be an influencer or a thought leader, this roadmap can help you get them there!

Video-Centric Content Strategy

So, your client wants to get to 1 million followers this year?

In this age of video content, you're going to need a video-centric approach with short form content being the primary driver.

Short form content isn't just prioritized by social media algorithms, it's also the favored method of consumption by users, with 73% of consumers preferring to learn about a product or service through a short video.

With this in mind, it's important to prioritize short form video in your client content strategies. For significant growth, clients need to have a consistent content schedule and a dedicated budget for video production, including scripting, filming, editing, and publishing.

For this client's plan, I recommended using Repurpose.io to distribute each piece of short-form content across all of the available channels: TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

I have a detailed short form content distribution guide that outlines how to prepare your clients to record, scripting your client's content, the editing process, and streamlining the short form distribution process with Repurpose.io. You can find that guide right here.

7 Key Steps to One Million Followers

Now that we've prioritized video content as the driving force for follower growth, there are 7 key steps to take to expand your clients' following.

1. Develop a Unique Content Strategy: The first step is creating a unique content strategy. This should include creating content that is engaging, entertaining, and relevant to your client's target audience. Additionally, you should focus on creating content that is visually appealing and that stands out from the competition.
2. Search-Optimized: Social media is the new search engine, with more and more users getting information and doing research directly on social media platforms. Using trending keywords is a smart way to expand your client's reach and visibility. Utilize trending hashtags that are popular with your client's target audience in posts. This will help you reach more people and increase your client's discoverability.
3. Posting Consistently: Consistency is key to gaining followers. Aim to post at least once a day and make sure to post content that is relevant to the client's desired target audience. This will help your clients' accounts stay top of mind and help to attract a loyal, engaged following.
4. Engage with Other Users: Engaging with other users is an excellent way to increase visibility and gain followers. Comment on other like-minded users’ posts, like their content, and follow them. This will help your client build relationships with other users and gain new followers in the process.
5. Utilize Influencers: Influencers are another great way to grow an account's following. Connect and network with influencers in your client's niche and collaborate with them on content. This will help your client reach a larger audience and increase their chances of gaining followers that are relevant to their target audience.
6. Promote Your Client's Content: Promoting content and creating ad campaigns is another strategic way to expand visibility and gain followers. Speak with your client about creating a designated budget for social media ads and utilize the various social media platforms' advertising services to promote your client's content and reach a wider amount of users in your client's target audience.
7. Analyze Account Performance: Analyzing your clients' performance across their social media accounts is key to growing their followers. Tap into each platform's analytics tools to track your client's performance and identify which content is performing well (and which content isn't). This will help you optimize the content, attracting new followers that are interested in your client's content and brand.

In-Depth Training in Our Connect Community

If this strategy interests you and you'd like to get my full step-by-step framework, I invite you to join our Connect Community where I recently presented my Road to One Million Followers plan for our members, breaking down everything you need to know to personalize this roadmap for your clients.

Connect is our thriving, members-only community full of social media pros where you can stay sharp with “What’s Working Right Now” in Social Media.

Group perks include a supportive community where every question is answered, live weekly training and Q&A sessions, and access to our library of 270+ past video trainings.