This is a guest post by our friends at Plann

Ask any business owner, creative, or entrepreneur what their biggest social goal is and they’ll likely say ‘to grow!’ After all, more growth means more visibility, more credibility and more followers to potentially turn into paying customers or clients.

But unfortunately, growing on social media isn’t as easy as it once was in the early days. With the digital marketing space being so crowded, it’s no longer just a matter of posting pretty content and watching your follower count grow. It can be frustrating when you feel like you’re doing all the right things, but your growth has plateaued (or even more dishearteningly, you’re watching your follower count yo-yo up and down every day!)

The good news is, it is still possible to grow on socials — it’s all about pairing valuable content with the latest, proven strategies. Here, our friends at Instagram scheduler and social media suite Plann give us the inside scoop on how to do just that!

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Audio is officially the new video! First, we saw the exclusive audio-only platform Clubhouse burst onto the scene, showing promise to become the biggest app of 2021. Now, Twitter is rolling out a feature called Spaces, which is similar to Facebook Rooms but with an audio focus.

With more than 53% of the online population listening to podcasts, the appetite for audio is currently greater than ever. And, there’s no better time to get on the bandwagon. With the online space being quite oversaturated now, audio is an excellent way to stand out with high-quality, immersive content. Plus, there’s just something that feels a little more intimate about streaming your message straight into your audience’s earbuds!

You can start experimenting with audio in your business by getting onto Clubhouse or Spaces, starting or podcast, or even just using an app like Trinity Audio to turn your blog post into audio snippets.

2. Cross-post like a pro

If you’re only posting your content once on one platform, you’re likely missing out on major opportunities for visibility and reach! Cross-posting your content across multiple channels is a great way to work smarter not harder online and get more eyeballs on your amazing content.

This could mean sharing your short-form videos across both Reels and TikTok, turning your blog posts into LinkedIn articles, or even just pinning your Instagram posts on Pinterest.

Plus, if you have multiple accounts on Instagram, the platform is even making it easier to share your content across both with their new ‘share to other account’ feature. It’s just another of their strategies to keep us on the app for longer but hey, if it makes our lives easier, we’re all for it!

Plann makes it easy to cross-post with our ‘recreate’ feature. This allows you to instantly recreate your Instagram post across Facebook or LinkedIn (or vice versa) Just select the platform you want in the drop-down menu that says ‘recreate’ and that post will instantly appear in your drafts for that linked account.

3. Go live

No, we’re not about just ‘going live’ with face-to-camera videos on Instagram and Facebook. As much as this is still an excellent way to connect with your audience, it’s all about taking it a step further with BTS content in 2021!

Live streaming has exploded as a medium amidst COVID-19, with live streaming viewership doubling in 2021, and streamers broadcasting over 916 Million Hours across all platforms. This encompasses everything from video gaming screen sharing to people taking advantage of the new live streaming feature on TikTok to record themselves doing menial things like sleeping or eating!

The good news is, you don’t have to be a gamer on Twitch or a teenager on TikTok to take advantage of live streaming of your marketing. You can use live video to give your audience an inside glimpse into a project you’re working on. For example, if you’re creating a stop motion on Lifelapse, you could live stream your process — walking your audience step-by-step through what you’re doing!

If you don’t feel quite up to doing a live solo, you could even jump on the new Instagram Live Room feature. This allows you go to live with up to four different people at once, for a more collaborative feel.

4. Strive for saves

It’s no longer just about the likes and follows on Instagram! ‘Saves’ are actually one of the most important metrics in 2021, as it shows the platform that your content is valuable enough that your audience wants to revisit it later. Not only is this handy information for influencers to share with potential advertisers, but getting more saves can give you a nice little algorithm boost, too!

So, how do you get more saves on Instagram? Educational graphics like infographics and comparison charts always generate loads of saves, as do carousels that give informative and actionable tips. Clever and inspiring quotes often get saved for later, too.

Another great way to encourage your audience to save is by including a ‘save for later’ prompt on your graphic. After all, sometimes when you don’t ask, you don’t get!

You can use Plann’s handy Canva integration to make save-worthy graphics, without even leaving the app! They have thousands of beautiful grid and carousel templates that you can quickly customize with your own branding.

5. Post and ghost (the smart way)

Conventional wisdom has always been that posting and ghosting (immediately exiting the app after your post goes live) is a no-no on Instagram. But, it looks like times are-a-changin’! Word on the street is, the newest Instagram algorithm is rewarding users who leave the app immediately after posting. Why? Because they want to bombard you with notifications to get you back on the app!

We know, it sounds a little far fetched, but some of the biggest creators like Chris Hau have witnessed it in action. Now, this doesn’t mean completely ditching your engagement duties. But, instead, try spending a little more time engaging and commenting before you post rather than immediately afterwards. And, be sure to keep an eye on the latest algorithm news, as things do change frequently!

Plann makes it easy to post and ghost the smart way with our new auto posting feature for Instagram! You have the flexibility to set and forget some of your posts, but manually post others that are a bit more important.

6. Stop, collaborate and listen

You don’t have to embark upon the journey of social media growth alone. In fact, in our modern digital era partnering with like-minded individuals and brands can help you grow much faster. After all, we’re always stronger together!

Now, what does this actually look like in 2021, exactly? These days, the traditional methods of collaboration like shoutouts, giveaways and Instagram pods (a definite no-no!) aren’t nearly as effective as they used to be.

Instead, try to think outside the box about how you can join forces with others in your space to share even more valuable information with your audience. Some potential options include holding a virtual summit with other experts, co-hosting a JV (joint venture) webinar, or even inviting someone to speak with you in a Clubhouse room.

7. Make it snappy

It’s no secret that short-form video is where it’s at right now. With TikTok leading the charge and Reels hot on its heels, bite-sized videos have never been bigger.

While this may feel like just another marketing task to add to your never ending to-do list, short-form video can actually be a breath of fresh air. Because of their more real and raw appeal, they allow you to quickly put relatable content out there without having to make it look ‘perfect.’

Just look at YouTube’s new short-form video tool, Shorts, which is currently rolling out worldwide. While previously, you would have had to spend hours shooting and editing a video to post on YouTube, Shorts gives beginners and busy people a far more accessible entry point for video!

8. Take a stories-first approach

With half a billion people watching Instagram stories every day (which has surpassed the amount of people checking out feeds) they should no longer be used as an afterthought. Instead, treat them like their own separate entity.

Instagram stories can be used to literally tell a story, taking your audience on a journey rather than just sharing static content. You can use multi-post stories to do everything from share a series of tips, to showing off your product in action and sharing some of your best testimonials. You can even export your Lifelapse videos in the perfect story dimensions and share it across a few frames.

The good news is, you don’t have to just use your stories once on just one platform, never for them to be seen again. Not only can you add them to your Instagram highlights to live on your profile, but LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now also support vertical stories too. So, there’s plenty of opportunities for repurposing!

9. Jump on trends (early)

Jumping on the bandwagon of every new trend may seem a little counterintuitive and cheesy. But, there’s a time and place for it in 2021!

If you’re able to quickly identify burgeoning new trends on TikTok or Reels, there’s a lot of potential to go viral. The operative word here is quickly though — you’ll want to jump on it when it’s at the sweet spot of say, a few thousand videos, rather than millions. You can also do this by using trending music in your videos,

Better yet? Create some new video trends of your own! A great example of this is videos that ask users to duet you sharing a story. Just look at TikTok user @jessthemess, whose video asking ‘tell me about a video that lives in your head rent free’ now, ironically, lives in everyone’s feed rent-free with hundreds of thousands of likes, comments and replies.

10. Think beyond the hashtag

In 2021, hashtags continue to be incredibly important for Instagram visibility and reach. But, they’re not the be-all to end all! Late last year, Instagram made an update that made keywords searchable on posts. This means that the words you include in your captions can now also be found by people searching for that phrase on Instagram — even if you don’t include it in the caption!

Currently, this doesn’t work for all phrases — for example, it works for popular search terms like ‘productivity’ and ‘self care’, but isn’t applicable for places, brands, and people’s names. However, it’s an important reminder to optimize your caption with searchable terms, as well as including relevant hashtags!

By experimenting with these 10 strategies, you can fast track your social media growth in 2021 and beyond! And Plann has the content creation, scheduling and analytic tools to help you get there!

Start with a fully-featured 7-day free trial of Plann to experience it for yourself.

10 new strategies to grow your social media in 2021

Talk it out