How to Increase Social Media Engagement
Social media should be just that – SOCIAL. However, when it comes to authentic engagement and creating engaging content for social, many brands and businesses fall flat.
Some of the most frequent questions I’m asked about social media are, ‘how can we increase our engagement?’ and, ‘how can we be authentic and engaging on social media?’ These, of course, go hand-in-hand. While there isn’t one answer that fits all accounts, I’ll break down some strategies that will help get you on the right track with social media in this blog. Before too long, you’ll be engaging authentically and creating the types of content that your followers want to engage with!
How to be Engaging on Social Media
One of the biggest mistakes that brands and businesses make when it comes to social media is treating it like a one-way street and expecting traffic to flow both ways. If you’re posting infrequently or inconsistently, or posting too much of the same type of content, too many sales-focused captions, lame images, or content that doesn’t resonate with your audience, you won’t receive the engagement you want.
If you’ve start to see engagement plateau, I always recommend mixing it up and testing different post types to learn what kind of content performs best with your audience. Try organic photos, videos, graphics, staged/professional photos, occasional CTA captions, long-form story captions, and anything else you can think of! Testing different types of content might seem like a lot of work in the beginning (which it will be). Still, in the long run, it will ultimately help identify what resonates with your audience and drive the types of engagement that will help your business be successful on social media.
Once you find a content type that works, don’t wear your followers out by only posting that one type of content - you need multiple content pillars. Once you have their attention, you can try introducing other types of content that you think they might like, making sure to keep content fresh. Say something new with each post, so your audience doesn’t get bored.
Starting conversations on social is one of the best ways to increase engagement. Ask questions, ask for opinions, ask for participation. Don’t expect your followers to suddenly start posting thoughtful comments and engaging with your brand if you’re not doing anything different or training/asking them to do so.
Conversational Marketing on Social Media
Just like in real life, to be a part of conversations on social media, you’ll need to start some! You can’t expect people to post meaningful (or even any) comments on your posts if you’re not engaging them. Try testing out different questions or types of questions to see what gets the most engagement! It’s also essential to provide some context before asking questions – just a few sentences before the question can help your followers connect more to what you’re saying and asking.
A great way to practice conversational marketing on social media and bring more eyes to your page is to engage in conversations on other accounts. Not only does this give you practice learning how to be engaging on social media, but it also exposes you to everyone who is actively involved in the post, thus increasing your social visibility and reach.
Conversational marketing on social media is a great way to connect with followers and increase your brand engagement on social media. It’s also a great way to generate and nurture leads, establish trust between your brand and followers, and position your brand as reliable and trustworthy!
How to Increase Engagement on Social Media
Overall, increasing brand awareness and engagement on social media go hand-in-hand. Social media can be an excellent tool for building your brand, generating and nurturing leads, and communicating with clients. However, if your engagement is struggling on social media, then it’s going to be harder to do these things effectively. Some things I recommend to brands who are struggling with engagements and want quick results are:
Work with influencers and other local businesses
Host a giveaway
Cross-feature other accounts or companies that align with your niche and values
Create a dialed-in hashtag strategy
Remember, the most important thing about social media is to be SOCIAL! Don’t treat it like your personal diary, sales pitch, or infrequent interest. Social media should actively be part of your daily marketing strategy in order to take your brand or business to the next level. If you don’t have time to craft the social media strategy you’d like to see for your brand, that’s where social media managers come in! Book a discovery call to learn more about how Fireside can elevate your brand’s social presence today.
