Building an audience on social media is never easy. But some people nail it.
Masooma Memon is a freelance writer for SaaS and eCommerce brands, an avid reader, and rookie journalist. Some of the amazing folks she’s worked with include CoSchedule, Hotjar, and Shopify.
I started following Masooma last year. And since then, she’s attracted thousands of followers. Even since I sent her these questions, she’s gained 400 followers. Here’s how she does it.
What does a typical day look like for you?
My typical workday starts around 9am with deep work. I check my email for a quick overview of anything that requires urgent attention, then dive straight into my top priority task for the day.
I work on it and other tasks in time blocks until 1-1:30 pm (only getting up for short 15-min breaks in between). Most of these breaks are 5-min breaks that involve me getting up from my desk and getting a fresh glass of water.
Post 1pm, I take my lunch break and get back to my desk around 3 to work for another hour (or a little over that.) After that, I log onto social media to engage — add to conversations with my comments, and join Twitter chats occasionally.
I’m typically off work after that.
Why are you on Twitter? What’s your long-term aim?
For visibility. To get in front of my target audience and remind them that I can help them with long-form content.
My long-term aim is to continue using Twitter as a place to build meaningful relationships in my field (networking) and as a lead gen magnet that attracts prospective clients.
Did you have a strategy for growing followers when you first started?
Not really. When I started out, I was focused on finding the right people to connect with. This typically involved joining Twitter chats and engaging in back and forth conversations with marketers.
Was there a follower count you were stuck at for a while?
I can’t really recall. Mainly because I’ve never been obsessed with follower count. It just grew as a byproduct of my consistent presence on the platform.
Have you managed an online community before?
I haven’t managed one, but (apart from work) I’ve been part of a strong community of readers over at Goodreads and also managed my own Facebook page that grew to about 19k followers organically — I took the community approach to growing that page with my sister.
What was your biggest growth hack? How long ago was it?
Tweet good quality content consistently. It’s not a shortcut. It takes work — work to come up with ideas for good content and to create. Plus, to understand what resonates with your audience.
I still use it to date. Follower counts grow as a byproduct of consistently offering value to your network.
Who inspires you on Twitter?
Amanda Natividad. Mainly because her personality and voice shine through her Tweets. She creates thoughtful, original Twitter threads that are engaging. So her authenticity and content both inspire me on the platform. Not to mention, she actively engages with her followers which is key for Twitter growth.
Do you have an idea of the kind of people that follow you? Does your audience inform your content?
Mainly people in the content industry follow me. Other than that, I’m connected with marketers in other lines too – such as social media marketers.
What’s the most common mistake when trying to grow a social media presence?
Thinking of social media as a broadcast channel rather than an engagement platform. If you do that, you’re likely not going to put any effort into gaining your audience’s trust, which is why your growth slows.
Are you on any other social media platforms? Do they feed into each other?
I’m using LinkedIn and frequently repurpose content across both platforms. For example, by elaborating Tweets into LinkedIn posts.
If you could change one thing about Twitter, what would it be?
I’d make the Bookmark feature more organizable — the same as the Save feature on Instagram. Allowing you to create folders of your saved content.
What kind of content works best on Twitter?
Educational and behind-the-scenes content. The former because it offers value to your audience and the latter because it shows your personality/authentic self which helps build relationships further.
Do you ever curate content?
Not really. If I do, it’s mostly occasional, not a consistent process as of yet.
(Quuu could help with that!)
Do you use any free/paid social media tools? Or track any metrics?
I don’t.
Do you post at specific times? Do you schedule any content in advance?
I don’t schedule tweets. As I mostly ask things, I pay attention to when my audience is most active before I post.
Why did you decide to start your newsletter? How’s it going?
I wanted to create one for a long time but only came out of my procrastination/overplanning phase around the last quarter of 2021. It’s doing incredibly well. It’s growing organically, good open and engagement rates, and I love writing it.
Source: Substack
How much time do you spend on social media? Do you separate its use for business and your personal life? Or do they overlap?
I rarely use social media in my personal life — I only use Instagram for that. It’s separate with no overlap. I spend about 1-2 hours on social for work from Monday to Friday. Weekends are mostly social-free, detox days.
Has a bigger following led to any career opportunities?
Despite my follower count, I’ve been consistently attracting speaking opportunities and clients.
What’s one thing you always keep in mind while creating your content?
To make sure it’s relevant to what I talk about online. This is what helps me maintain consistency in my niche and create a targeted Twitter profile.
Source: Ink & Copy
What’s the best piece of advice you were ever given?
The best definitely depends on who needs the advice and when. Something worth sharing today: build processes around your aims and enjoy them.
Finally, what are your takeaway tips to get more followers?
Decide on 1-3 topics you want to talk about on Twitter. Create content around it consistently. Make sure you always take the time to engage with your target audience. Including responding to comments on your tweets.
Conclusion
So, that’s it guys. It really is that simple. Find your niche. Stick to it. And genuinely engage as much as you can.
Marketing yourself is a long game. And it takes a lot of work. But success is round the corner if you’re committed.
Is it easier to build a following on other social media sites? Have you had success doing it yourself? Let us know in the comments.
