Increasing the levels of engagement on your social media channels is a continuous task. To attain solid results with your strategy for social media, building up quality engagement is crucial. If you wish to get more from your efforts on social media, then make sure you are using these seven methods to transform your engagement with social media.
1. Begin A Discussion
Begin chatting with people in the same industry as you; connect in a genuine manner with your peer community; reach out to companies that you admire and, crucially, be inspiring and informative for your customers.
When you begin 1:1 discussions on social media and place an emphasis on the quality of these discussions, you will achieve greater engagement with your own posts, and you will have much more fun too. You should never unrelentingly blast your social media followers in the hope of building a quality channel or increasing engagement. As an example, research has shown that auto-posts to Facebook decreases likes and comments quite significantly.
2. Use Visuals
Photos and videos are the most engaging sort of content on social media, as they are rapidly viewed and they elicit an emotional connection with readers. In 2014, the majority of Facebook posts shared worldwide included an image. To increase engagement with your posts, ensure there is always a visual aspect accompanying the content.
3. Cross-Promote
Forming genuine relationships and making connections with key players in your industry is an excellent way to find new followers and increase credibility. Not only this, but it also allows you to gain access to a bigger network of people and strengthen your personal message. Begin following key influencers, and be sure to share the influencers’ writings and content, adding your own personal commentary.
4. Pay Wherever You Can
In most cases, paid options on social media networks are the most engaging and effective. Here you pay for access to a targeted audience that will tend to have a keen interest in your services or products. Exploration of these opportunities will boost your social engagement and can also ensure you get the best possible return from your online marketing budget.
5. Adhere To The 80:20 Rule
Value-adding and community development are less popular underlying intentions of a lot of social media campaigns, as the majority of people are just pushing for self-promotion, which does not of itself cultivate a good base for genuine engagement. Oftentimes, this kind of communication is lacking in personality or in value for those who the business wants to reach out to.
When a company fails to get involved in a cross-promotion community, people realise they are being “sold to” – instead of being “communicated with” – and they quickly lose interest. Rather, you should adhere to the 80:20 rule.
80% of your social media posts should have a social focus:
- Discuss news of the industry
- Share articles by key players you admire
- Interact with customers and with comments
- Raise the concerns and queries of your community
- Feature events you recently attended or will soon be attending
- Cross-promote with people of credibility and influence
- Share previous and current posts from your business blog
20% of your posts on social media should be promotional, showcasing your services and your products, with specific calls-to-action.
6. Provide A Good Call-to-Action, Always
At the conclusion of every post, make sure that you tell your readers what you want them to do next. Pose a question that they can then answer in the comments section. Instruct them to click on the link included in your post. When you advise your readers what you want from them, they will be likely to act on your guidance.
7. Proofread To Ensure Accuracy
When you have finished drafting your desired post, review it time and again. Look for grammar mistakes and spelling errors. Check the included link to be sure it works as it should. Ensure that images are of a high quality and are not stretched or pixilated. Analyse the wording and the tone you have used in the post to make sure it is in alignment with your brand personality and that it will not be read as negative or offensive. Once you are satisfied with your post, press send and start your engagement!
Just being active on social media with one-way broadcast posts is not sufficient any longer. Furthermore, unless you are newly setting up your social community, it is likely to be time wastefully spent. As an increasing number of small businesses set up their channels for social media, engagement needs to be front and centre. Spending time establishing brand relationships will prove to be the deciding factor in your message being seen and heard and in social media having a strong positive effect on your business.
This article was contributed by Magicdust, a web design company who provide business with the one of the most experienced web developers Sydney has to offer.