When it comes to the rules of engagement on social media, a critical component that most brands or businesses overlook is interacting with followers.
In the digital age, social media has rapidly become the customer service centre for business. Whether you are a small, medium or large operator, customers use the platforms as a way to find and gather information, ask generic questions and to compliment (or complain) about your products or services.
On paper, you might be doing all of the right things – carefully crafting a content marketing strategy, using a scheduling calendar, building sales funnels and creating on brand posts – but why aren’t you seeing an increase in followers, or ultimately purchases?
In order to increase consumer engagement with your brand, well you have to be engaging. Are you giving something back to your fan base, or is it all take, take, take?
Why Is Interacting With Followers And Engagement Beneficial?
You might have created a bangin’ post, with over fifty comments. The question is, how many of those comments have you liked or replied to, or essentially rewarded the consumer for their time and attention?
Vanity metrics plays a huge role in measuring “success” on social media. However, instead of gloating over the number of followers you have, start measuring how many of those followers are liking, reacting and ultimately engaging with your content, as these are the key insights as to what is working (and what isn’t) for your brand’s social media presence.
Engagement levels are incredibly useful, but also chronically undervalued – so why should you be paying attention to it?
Getting Seen – An example is the Facebook algorithm, which controls the order and presentation of posts, so users see what is most relevant to them. Rather than publishing content chronologically, posts and ads are presented based on what Facebook sees as relevant to the user. If viewers engage with your content, they’ll see more of it.
Measure Your Efforts – Want to know what’s working, or what’s not? A relatively easy way to measure your efforts and ultimately success on social media is by digging around in the analytics on your chosen platform. This is a surefire way to see what styles of content are getting shared, commented on and of course, liked.
Higher Return On Investment – Building a prominent online presence takes time, and for most brands or businesses – this means wages too. While it relates to using the functions of analytics, it’s also paramount when tracking sales funnels and generating leads. What brand or business wouldn’t want a shortcut to getting more sales?
Ways Of Interacting With Followers And Boosting Engagement
Now that you know the importance of brand engagement, what are some ways to get you there? If you want to be a force to be reckoned with on social media, here are some ideas and tips to cement your success online.
Ask Questions – This applies to both the style of your content, and the ways in which you choose to interact with your fan base. It’s a great way to respond to their interest in your brand, test their knowledge, and to get a scope of their personality.
Invoke Expression – The average smartphone is now a portable expression device, so try to harness that power. Encourage hashtag challenges, contests, and interactive reviews to get your audience to participate in your brand’s story.
Provide Incentives – The ultimate goal of any marketer is to convert a stranger into a raving, loyal fan – but you’re going to have to give them a reason to want to advance. Loyalty programs and the occasional freebie can work wonders when it comes to rewarding your audiences.
Make Offers – While what goes up on the internet often lasts forever, the irony is that the moment doesn’t last – so try to strike while the iron is hot. By providing special offers within a window of time, you’re driving audiences to “act now”.
Deliver Utility – By definition, utility means “of practical use” – so what are you providing to your fan base that they can actually use? This doesn’t have to be a product, as it can be as simple as practical, useful information that they may not have otherwise found.
Is Your Social Media Game Performing At Its Best?
The problem that many businesses face when it comes to producing great content is that they may not have the time, energy or resources to do so – but avoiding content marketing may actually be doing their brand a disservice.
Thankfully here at Content Hive, producing top quality content (including video) is exactly what we do best – so why not book in a free discovery call today to discuss how we can get your business buzzing online.
