Remember those painfully awkward teenage years? You know what I’m talking about. Ungraceful dates, weird physical changes, general mortification, and above all, simply stumbling around just trying to find your way? Social Media Engagement is kind of like that. Every business utilizes social media platforms (and if you don’t, what are you doing?), but only the cool kids have actual engagement.
Now, all cringe-worthy teenage memories aside, any good digital marketer understands the importance of social media engagement. Social media is an opportunity to flaunt your brand and culture to the world! Not only that, but social media is a space for consumers to converse and engage with your brand.
How do you go from the social media engagement virgin to the social media engagement babe?
Before you acquire the engagement you’re so #thirsty for, you need to know what it actually means. You see, having a social media business page is great, but (and this is a big but), social media is most effective when you reach out and interact. This interaction can occur between your brand and your followers, potential customers, and even other brands! This interaction comes in many shapes and sizes; page visits, likes, comments, shares, reactions, saves, etc. More interaction = more organic attention! Furthermore, you are building a community based around your brand and content. How dope is that? Forget the lame social media campaigns and keep reading to learn how to enhance your social media engagement!
Post Frequently
Practice makes perfect! So, like an overeager adolescent who just got their permit and a key to mom’s car, practice often! If you post quality content on a consistent basis, your followers have more chances to interact with said posts and engage with your brand on a consistent basis. The more you practice, the more you’ll learn about your audience. What do they like and dislike? What do they engage with most? If you look closely, you’ll discover certain audience trends based on what and when you post. Commit to your social media engagement success with the determination of a dateless cheerleader a week before prom, and dedicate time to creating quality content!
Entertain
Social media engagement is not a Netflix & chill session with your friend with benefits. It’s actually the total opposite! I’m talking luxurious five-star dinner reservation with your high school sweetheart and his dad’s Visa. Your audience isn’t looking for some lackluster experience that’ll be easily forgotten; They want to feel special, so entertain them! Create original and creative content specifically for your audience. That’s right, social media engagement is all about your followers. Tailor your posts to your audiences’ preferences. Soon you’ll start to see your target audience enjoying and interacting with your posts. Spoil your audience with entertaining content that they want to see.
Ask for It
Remember when that brainy freshman in high school started dating the homecoming queen and everyone was all like, “Wait, what? How?!” Chances are that happened because said freshman had the guts to ask the homecoming queen out (and maybe he had the leverage of becoming a future doctor or lawyer, but that’s beside the point). I want you to be that gawky freshman with the hot, popular significant other, and that’s totally achievable! You just have to ask the right questions at the right times. Basically, I want you to be bold. I want you to be fearless! Don’t hesitate to ask your followers to like, comment, and share. You’d be amazed how people act when they are encouraged to do so.
Photos and Videos
Words can only get you so far. Those late-night texts to your crush from Algebra class might generate immediate attention, but your behavior and personality will keep the attention coming. When it comes to social media engagement, think of photos and videos as the “behavior and personality” of the post. Consumers aren’t always going to notice your words, but they will notice your photos and videos. Put your best foot forward and ensure that your photos and videos are clear and relevant. They don’t have to be perfect, but do your best to make them as visually appealing and on-brand as possible. You don’t have to be a designer to create beautiful content. There are several resources you can utilize to add a little flair to your work! A few of my go-to’s are WordSwag, Clips, and Huji.
Ultimately, I want you to be the kid at the lunch table with something to brag about. Don’t you? Hopefully, the above tips will get you on the right track to popularizing your social media engagement and help your audience join your brand’s conversation! Do you have any social media engagement tips to add? Share them in the comments!