Followers and supporters are a huge part of a social media presence. We often use the terms interchangeably, but they’re very different. Both in how you connect with them and how you need to think of them. And understanding the differences in the audiences and how to attract them can really boost your social media skills and make creating your content easier. In this new article series, we’ll be breaking down how to turn followers into supporters.

In our last article, we covered followers, why you want them, and how to get them. As a refresher, let’s talk about the differences between followers and supporters.

Followers 🫶

Followers are people who like your content and follow your account. They may not even like all of it, but they’ll like you enough to want more. They’ll occasionally comment on videos or share them, but they’ll mostly drop a like and move on. They’re still an important piece of your audience; in fact, they’ll likely be the bulk of your audience. And if you play your cards right, they’ll become supporters.

Supporters 🫂

Supporters are the ones who engage the most with your content. They will like most (if not all) of what you post and see out ways to engage with you. They’re the ones gifting in your Lives and Radios, DMing you, and following you on other platforms. It’s likely they also comment frequently and subscribe to your Clapper Fam Tiers. In very simple terms, supporters are the ones dropping money on your content, whether that’s paying extra or just sending a gift.

And, like we said above, they were just followers at one point! It’s always important to nurture and grow that relationship, and there’s a variety of ways to do it. That’s what we’ll be diving into today.

How Can They Support Me? 🤔

There’s a variety of ways that people can support you and your content. The main one people tend to think of is content subscriptions like Patreon, Clapper Fam Tiers, or even subscribing to YouTube channels. But supporters can also purchase merch, follow you on other platforms, read newsletters – anything that goes beyond just liking and following. We’ll be referring to content subscriptions for the most part, as that’s definitely the goal for a lot of content creators.

Turning Followers Into Supporters 🤝

You don’t have to wait until you’ve got a lot of followers to start converting them to supporters. There are some things you can have in place when you start building your platform to drive them to. But for this article, we’ll operate under the assumption that you’ve got a good follower base already. For a few tactics on how to grow your following count, check out part one.

Step One: It’s a Business ✅

You’ll have to start thinking of your content like a business. Yes, you love it, yes, it’s fun, but you need to step back and look at it as a business person might. What makes you unique? Why do people like your content? In other words, why would people want to “buy” what you’re “selling”? Keep in mind that your content doesn’t have to be totally different, super unique, never-been-seen-before. There’s so many loaves of bread at the grocery store, but we still love all of them. Just identify why people would like your brand of bread best.

Strategy 📈

If you have the time and patience, you can look at business strategies to see how they can be used for social media! A lot of businesses use a funnel for new customers, going from when they first hear about the brand to full-blown brand loyalty. In this strategy, you list all of the interaction points they’ll hit along the way and how they’ll be converted from one level to the other.

You don’t have to look at business strategy or use any that you don’t think will help. But if you’re all about planning and research, this may be a useful stop for you!

Consistency 📈

This can mean two things. One is that develop a consistent posting schedule and stick to it. Followers will see your content more often and know when to expect it. Another is to stay consistent with the content you create. If you notice they like a certain style or type, stick with it!

Step Two: Free Opportunities ✅

Most of us don’t like an immediate hard-sell: we like for companies and salespeople to lead in a little more gently. The same applies on social media – usually even more so! People are scrolling for a good time, they’re trying to relax, and they don’t want to be sold to. You’ll need to slowly lead them to spending money and offer some fun ways to connect that are free.

Go Live 👍

Whether you go Live and do something in your niche, or just go Live and have fun, engaging with followers is the key. Schedule some time each week to go Live and share when you’ll be Live. The goal is to start interacting with your community outside of your videos and comment section. Going Live shows off a whole new side of your personality, and it brings them into your real life. Suddenly you (and your content) feel a lot more personal, and your followers feel like they’re connecting with you.

This is especially true if you’re actively reading and responding to the chat. Ask them questions, talk with them, and just spend time with your followers. It makes them think you care about them and want to get to know them. They’re more than just likes, which means you’re more than just a random creator they follow.

Start a Group Chat 👍

A Group chat is a great way to connect with your followers! You can share whatever you want with all of them in one go – and they’ll all be able to talk with each other. This strengthens their connection and investment in your community.

And, just like with Lives, it helps make you more human. Your followers will see a new side of you and your content – and you’ll be engaging with them in a new format. Plus, this platform is a much easier way to connect with followers. You can take a few seconds to type a message and send a video, but going Live takes some time. This is a great tool for any creator looking to build a community.

Respond to DMs 👍

You don’t have to DM every single one of your followers. But try to respond to DMs from your followers as you can. This helps you build a relationship with your followers and shows them that you care about them. A little trust can go a long way!

Extra Engagement Opportunities 👍

Throw up a few other ways they can engage with you and your content. Another platform with a different content style is a very popular option: some will choose YouTube, others Instagram, whatever you want. The more opportunities you have, the better.

You can also start posting specific content that you intend to have behind a paywall. This could be behind the scenes content, fun bonus episodes, or exclusive advice. Content like this is another great way to engage with your followers and get them to enjoy more of your content.

Next Time…

Even though we only planned for this to be a two-part series…we have a lot more we want to share with you! In the next part, we’ll be covering what to offer your subscribers.