28-07-2025
How To Organically Grow A Brand's Social Media Following
Brands don't need gimmicks to grow a robust following on social media—they need relevance, consistency and a clear sense of purpose. But figuring out how to turn those principles into actual results can be challenging.
From building trust to encouraging engagement, there's no one-size-fits-all approach to organic social media growth. Below, 17 members of Forbes Agency Council share their preferred methods of helping brands reach the right audience and authentically grow their follower base.
1. Solve Problems
Know your audience. Solve their problems. If your brand can't do that, it needs to take some time looking in the mirror. The rest is simple: Offer attractive content that's interesting and compelling. You can burn through the repeated tactics of other brands, but if you don't know your audience and solve their problems, you are just posting to post. Don't just show up; show out. - Ben Fant, Farmhouse Branding
2. Provide Value
Focus on creating content that solves real problems or answers specific questions your target audience cares about. When you consistently provide value in a relatable voice and engage with your audience through comments and direct messages, you build trust, which naturally leads to organic follower growth. Authenticity and relevance always outperform quick growth hacks. - Ajay Prasad, GMR Web Team
3. Be Consistent
Consistency is king. Show up with value-driven content that reflects your brand's values, tone and expertise. The moment you start chasing trends or bouncing between hacks to please the algorithm, you lose the trust you're trying to build. - George Arabian, NVISION
4. Use Short Videos
Post short videos that speak directly to your audience, and do it consistently. Then, engage, respond back, reply to comments, ask questions and join conversations. - David Ispiryan, Effeect
Forbes Agency Council is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Do I qualify?
5. Build From The Inside Out
The best way to grow real followers is to start by activating your internal champions: employees, partners, customers and people who already believe in what you do. They are your most credible advocates. Then, consistently share content that adds value, not noise. Make your brand feel human, and growth becomes a byproduct of resonance. - Jacquelyn LaMar Berney, VI Marketing and Branding
6. Stay Consistent And Fresh
Growing a social media following can be accelerated initially, but maintaining and expanding that audience over time relies on consistent engagement and the regular posting of fresh, relevant content. Prioritizing authentic, organic strategies helps reach the brand's target audience effectively and fosters genuine connections. - Jessica Hawthorne-Castro, Hawthorne Advertising
7. Focus On Community
The first part is community, which, on any platform, means engaging more and contributing to others' content to create real connections, not just followers. Then, you have collaborations, which on Instagram is a specific feature that allows you to collaborate with up to five other accounts and cross-pollinate all the accounts' reach. - Tony Pec, Y Not You Media
8. Partner Up On Giveaways
The preferred way to grow your following organically? Show up consistently with a strong brand voice and content your audience actually cares about. A smart add-on would be to implement giveaways with like-minded, non-competing brands to expand your reach among your target audience. There's no overnight fix to grow your following—just consistency, value and staying true to your voice. - Marilyn Cowley, PREM - PR & Social
9. Talk Like A Human, Not A Brand
Talk to your followers like actual humans. That's the secret. Post helpful stuff, sure—but also reply to comments, ask questions in stories and show your face. Real connection beats perfect content. Most brands forget: People follow people, not logos. - Jimi Gibson, Thrive Agency
10. Collaborate With Niche Creators
Grow real followers by sharing consistent, audience-focused content, collaborating with niche creators, engaging actively in comments and direct messages and encouraging user-generated content. Use short-form videos, trends and storytelling. Optimize for each platform and track what drives organic growth to repeat success. - Elijah Schneider, Modifly
11. Create Content Worth Sharing In A Group Chat
Stop chasing trends and start publishing content your audience would share in a group text. People follow brands that inform, challenge or entertain them, not brands that talk about themselves. Prioritize relevance and resonance over reach. Attention is earned, not gamed. - Jason Mudd, Axia Public Relations
12. Be Where The Eyes Are
Think: YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels and TikTok videos. When it comes to YouTube Shorts, even the biggest content creators have been investing far more time in snackable short-form content to attract and grow their audiences. If you find specific 'shorts' content attracting more views, create more of this type of content and push it on other platforms. - Bernard May, National Positions
13. Cater To Your Niche
Foster engaged micro-communities around your niche using interactive content like polls, Q&As and challenges. Host relevant giveaways that genuinely matter to your audience. Keep followers engaged by spotlighting their stories and inviting them to co-create content. This authentic, dialogue-driven model fosters sustainable, targeted growth. - Lars Voedisch, PRecious Communications
14. Craft Episodic Narratives
Anchor growth in a storytelling cadence. Craft episodic narratives that mirror your audience's journey, then seed fragments via niche advocates with aligned networks. Layer authentic Q&A livestreams to surface user voices, spark peer advocacy and amplify reach. Continuously monitor key metrics and iterate rapidly. - Vaibhav Kakkar, Digital Web Solutions
15. Build Recall Through Originality
Don't chase followers; build memory. The most sustainable way to grow a genuine audience is to convey a distinct point of view in various formats across multiple platforms and post original thinking on Substack or your site. Turn that into native social media content, short-form clips, podcast episodes and quote cards. Systems beat stunts. Visibility compounds. - Kyle Arteaga, The Bulleit Group
16. Amplify Executive Thought Leadership
Organic social growth demands high-value content, executive thought leadership and strategic amplification. Share insights that educate or solve problems, engage consistently, co-create with aligned voices and repurpose smartly. Use platform-native formats, SEO-driven captions and consistent posting to build trust and visibility. - Amy Packard Berry, Sparkpr
17. Boost Value-Aligned Content
My preferred method is boosting content that's relevant to the target audience. While content creation has mathematical rules regarding timing, format and frequency, the real key is understanding your audience's values. Tailoring content to specific interests and strategically boosting it to reach aligned communities drives organic growth and meaningful engagement. - Cagan Sean Yuksel, Dreamspace
