No matter how you slice it, we live in a world of likes, followers and views. Because of this, we are often looking to be validated in all of our social media channels. One of the most common questions I receive via email is how to make content go “viral” and get a large social media following.

I decided to answer this FAQ with a blog post. :)

Social media is everywhere and it’s no longer something that is viewed as a waste of time. Quite the opposite. Social media is now a marketable job skill, it’s something you can put on your resume (or LinkedIn).

Whether you approach social media as an entrepreneur, employee or just for your personal life there seem to be so many strategies, complicated processes and filters that you need to be successful.

I think it’s a lot simpler than that.

There are foundational things that most people and brands with large and engaged followings are all doing.

1. Talk about something you care about.

This is key to creating an account you enjoy running. Why is that important? Because you are going to be talking about it a lot. More than that, if you are a real human talking about something real, this resonates with people.

This is what most of us are looking for.

It’s the “social” part of social media. We want to relate and connect with like-minded people. We want to see the world from someone else’s point of view.

Talking about something you care about guarantees you coming across as authentic.

Sharing what you care about and matters to you is what makes you human.

2. Create quality, consistent, targeted content.

Talking about something you care about is what leads to creating, quality, targeted, consistent content. These are the ingredients of dynamic and shareable social media page.

Quality content is thoughtful. It starts conversations and encourages engagement. It is helpful. It speaks directly to your audience. Posting something mindlessly without taking the time to make sure it’s worth sharing is a recipe for a lackluster post.

When you consistently deliver quality content, you will become a trusted resource that people seek out for advice on your subject matter.

The goal is to create a go-to spot where your followers, fans or customers know exactly what they can find when they visit you.

Targeted content is content that speaks directly to your specific audience, in a way that most resonates with them. It is not cookie-cutter content. It has heart and it has purpose.

Make sure you know exactly who your audience is and learn how to speak their language. This step was especially easy for me, because the TGP community reminds me so much of myself.

One last note when it comes to your audience:  above all, treat them like GOLD.

3. Resist the urge to compare yourself to others!

The internet has made the world seem like a very small place. Sometimes it seems to me that everyone on Instagram is sharing the same content and using the same apps.

Why does this happen?

We see so many different people and brands on social media and we might think, “Oh, they have a lot of followers. I should do what they’re doing.”

This is a slippery slope.

It’s one thing to be inspired by accounts and study their method of growth. It’s something else altogether to mimic accounts in hopes of achieving the same types of success.

This habit removes character from your account. A great way to avoid falling into this habit is to intentionally spend time away from social media.

Having real world experiences and getting out of the social media bubble is the best way to curate content for your account. More than that, your unique life experiences are what make your account/perspective unique and attractive.

One of my favorite ways to curate content for @ThinkGrowProsper is to read. Sharing quotes that inspired me is how my account started.