**Guest post written by Charles Berthoud, originally featured on the iStudios Blog.

"We all know that having a large, active social media following is essential to an artist's success. There are basic pre-requisites to building a large following - posting engaging content, posting regularly, using appropriate hashtags - which we basically all know and understand. So I'm going to skip to 5 quick, easily-implemented tips that will boost your social to levels you would never have expected, if you carry them out on a daily basis.

1. Comments are CRUCIAL!

Instagram's latest algorithm works as follows - every post that you create has a 24-hour period where its engagement level is evaluated. The more likes and comments you can get in the 24 hours after your post has been created, the higher it will rank on people's Home and Explore pages. This means more of your followers will see your posts, but also people who have similar interests to your followers. Comments count for more engagement than likes, so it is essential that you ask for your followers' feedback on your posts "What song should I cover next?", "Let me know what you think of this new song idea!". Then, reply to all the comments - your replies also count as engagement. Side note: comments under 4 words count for NOTHING in the Instagram algorithm.

+The Musician's Guide to Instagram

2. Invite People Who React To Your Posts

This may sound obvious, but most people I know are unaware of how many Facebook likes you can get simply by inviting every person who reacts to your Facebook posts to like your page. I've gained at least 1000 likes over three years from this daily habit. It's as simple as clicking on the list of reactions under your post, and then clicking all the invite buttons next to their name.

+9 Reasons Why You Have No Followers

3. Post At 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. On Weekdays

People are most likely to check their social media when they are bored and on their phone at work or school. Simply by posting at these times, you will be exposing your posts to the highest amount of traffic, increasing the chances of new followers.

4. Find Collaboration Opportunities

Try to collaborate with someone who has slightly more followers than you. This is great for a number of reasons. Firstly, you guys can tag each other and then all of their loving followers who trust their judgement will check out your page and hopefully follow you too. Secondly, most social media platforms give more exposure to artists who are mentioned or followed by larger accounts who are in the same category as them. So if you are a singer-songwriter with 1000 followers, and you are followed, tagged, liked, etc. by a singer-songwriter with 2000 followers, social media platforms will boost you more in suggested accounts, suggested videos, etc.

+The Benefits of Collaborating with Fellow Artists

5. Don't Be Afraid Of Sponsored Posts!

You can gain so many followers on a low budget if you just use great targeting. On my artist Facebook Page, I can get 500 likes in 5 days, if I sponsor a great post with a $25 budget. That's because I've got my targeting down to a science. Think very hard about what your future fans' interests might be. Start with artists who are similar to you - if your music sounds like Ed Sheeran, then target people who are fans of Ed, Jamie Lawson, Foy Vance, James Bay, etc. Then think about other interests they might have. What kind of TV shows might they watch? The Voice, American Idol, Nashville?

I can tell you from personal experience that these tips work. I took my Facebook page from 0 to 14000+ likes in a few years on a very low budget. Implement these tips on a daily basis, and you will be amazed at how much your following will grow!

Feel free to take a look at some of my social accounts here:

https://www.facebook.com/CharlesBerthoudBassist/

https://www.instagram.com/charles_berthoud/

https://www.youtube.com/user/CharlesBerthoud"

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+Facebook For Bands | Hacking the Promotion Machine

+New Ideas to Boost your Merch Sales, Tips, & Social Media Shares!

+The Bright Side of Social Media