Organic social media growth guru, Rachel Pedersen, learned the ins and outs of social media through tough times. As an unexpected single mother in her early 20s, Rachel found herself trying to find direction. On welfare and food stamps, she gained resourcefulness in her surroundings.
“I eventually learned that after my daughter’s bedtime, the reality shows came on,” Rachel says, “I’d sit on the couch and use Twitter to tweet at reality stars and producers. Eventually, they started tweeting back.” This is when she realized that there may be something to social media.
Rachel didn’t know it, but this weekly routine would eventually lead to her becoming an organic growth wiz. As she learned the tactics of connecting on platforms such as Twitter and Instagram, she learned the importance of building an online brand. When she secured a job at one of the top hair salons in Minnesota, she started to use Instagram to attract clients. She was known for dramatic hair transformations through coloring and style, so building her Instagram following focused on specific audiences look for dramatic changes.
“A client came into my chair, who had seen my Instagram, and she explained that her and her husband had just bought a fast-food franchise,” Rachel says, “She asked me to be in charge of their social media and the rest is history.”
Now an organic growth social media consultant for companies such as Squarespace, Rachel specializes in growing online followings on social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok, Facebook Groups, and Snapchat.
The number one question Rachel gets is: what platform is the best start for a startup business? While she says most companies try and get their start on Instagram, the algorithm can be difficult for growth. It’s easiest for businesses to start on platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, Facebook Groups, and even LinkedIn.
“Mentally, it can be a tough game, but TikTok is one of the best for organic growth,” Rachel says, “You can post something, and not have a growth strategy, and still see results.” Rachel has helped companies monetize nearly $400,000 in return just by building a TikTok presence. While most stray away from the platform because they think it’s just goofy dance videos, that’s actually not the case. “The best performing videos are those with organic content,” She says, “Videos less than a minute with your face to the camera and your voice are more likely to gain traction. They can be educational and have a strong call to action like checking out a podcast or a product.”
For strong organic growth, Rachel makes it clear that you need to have a strong growth strategy. If you’re a business that has decided to start on Instagram, it’s important to be posting three to five times a day throughout the week. As you gain a following, you can strategically reach out to those in your industry through likes and comments, which will help you gain attention through peers. It’s important to utilize the Instagram Reels feature as well, but make sure that they are saved to your grid and not just your story. Once they are on your grid, the Instagram algorithm will help push them and reward Reels that have a lot of viewership. It’s critical for these reels to have 30 full, niche hashtags in the caption as well because the algorithm will push them even more.
Growth strategies like these are how Rachel Pedersen has been able to scale her business on social media in addition to her clients. Right now, she sits at just over 750,000 TikTok followers, and has done so through implementing aggressive strategies. Posting three to eleven times a day has allowed her to build nearly 27,000 followers a week. “I have higher goals for myself, so it’s definitely paying off,” Rachel says, “For those who may not want to do something so aggressive and just see small consistent growth, it might be better for them to only post one to three times a day.”
As she navigates the organic growth waters, Rachel has found that gaining followers and building an online brand has become her business card. Places like Instagram are where new customers and business partners may go before deciding to do business with you, so it’s important for those profiles to hold a strong presence. With social media now the defining factor of brand legitimacy, it’s important to continue to nail down the things that work for you and your business.
For more information about Rachel Pedersen, please visit her website.