Social media occupies a somewhat controversial spot these days. However, despite this, nearly 70% of Americans admit to using at least one type of social media. Needless to say, businesses that don’t manage their social media accounts properly could miss a massive chunk of their intended audience.
How can you ensure that you reach the maximum amount of customers with your latest marketing strategy? Simply put, by tracking and increasing your social media engagement.
Not sure how to drive engagement on social media platforms? No worries! Our guide will provide you with 9 essential online engagement tips that you won’t believe you didn’t know sooner.
- Test the Waters With Microinfluencers
It used to be that brands and companies wouldn’t even consider accounts with less than 100,000 followers to their name. However, many business owners are wising up to the fact that follower counts can get artificially boosted and that consumers don’t trust the words coming from someone they perceive as “bought out”.
That’s why microinfluencers, or accounts with 10,000 followers or less, can help increase engagement with your brand more than the big accounts. Microinfluencers tend to have more engagement on their posts by default since they can respond to comments and interact more with their audience.
So, partner with these folks trying to break into the industry and see how it goes.
- Make Your Social Media Posts, Well, Sociable
Storytime! Have you ever made a post about an embarrassing mistake you made or a serious problem you faced, certain that you were screaming into the void? Then, when you thought the post was forgotten about, revisited it to find loads of comments from people who related to your story and shared their own in turn?
That’s one of the most beautiful things about the internet, and it drives engagement like crazy. People like to interact with people and learn their stories. Plus, this gives you a chance to humanize or show a vulnerable side to your brand.
- Get Compelling With Live Video
Live video holds an interesting place in the social media sphere. Even though many streamers and other live video users save recordings so they can be reviewed on-demand, livestreams are seen as more ephemeral than uploaded content. As such, when users see that little red “live” icon in the corner, they’re more likely to click on it.
Plus, live videos are seen as more genuine and candid than pre-scripted, pre-written ones. This can go a long way towards building connections with your consumer base and showing them that you aren’t so different from them.
- Avoid Cheap Engagement Bait
Remember when everyone and their mother made posts of random images or memes that said “tag your friends” or “comment this specific thing if you agree”? Well, brands got in on that action as much as regular people spammed those chain posts.
Why? It was simple, cheap social media engagement bait. However, it was just as likely to prompt a response of disgust from people sick of seeing those types of posts pop up on their feed. And now, Facebook has brought the banhammer down on this sort of cheap trick.
So, if you once relied on these tactics, now’s the time to change your tune. If you don’t, you may find your branded posts buried.
- Got a Lot of Accounts? Automate Your Posting
Let’s face it: Most businesses have accounts across all the major social media platforms as a key part of their digital marketing strategy. However, keeping every one of those accounts up to date and given well-crafted posts requires a lot of time and effort.
Finding ways to automate your posting can streamline this process, ultimately saving you dollars and hours. You can create all your marketing copy and posts for a set period, then automate the posts to go live at specific dates. On that note…
- Keep Your Posting Schedule Consistent
If you don’t post on social media on a consistent basis, your account is basically dead in the water. The importance of social media schedules cannot be understated.
Consumers either forget or don’t rely upon brands without a consistent social media presence. So, make sure you’re getting those daily or weekly posts in.
- People Still Love Contests and Free Stuff
Hey, did you know that people always like getting stuff without having to pay for it? We know, it’s a novel concept. Sweepstakes and giveaways might seem like a hallmark of the radio contests of yesteryear, but people still enjoy winning things. Giving away free products on a contest or sweepstakes can drive social media engagement even to people that don’t usually engage with your brand.
- Let Your Personality Shine
One need only examine the popularity and meme-worthy status of the Wendy’s Twitter account to see how much a sparkling (or snarky) personality can win over customers. People are sick and tired of corporate-speak suit-and-tie impersonal accounts. Be real with your posts and your audience.
- Choose Your Platforms Wisely
Lastly, if you want to drive your social media engagement to the next level, you must choose your platforms wisely. Tailor your marketing strategy to each platform that you’re on, rather than relying on one set of techniques to win the day.
What plays well with the kids on TikTok will not have the same effect on young professionals on LinkedIn. The same posts that drive user interest on Facebook or Instagram won’t go over as well on YouTube. So, choose your platforms and the messages you put on them with care.
Social Media Engagement: Let’s Review the Basics
Driving social media engagement in the modern age is simple. Ditch the impersonality and inauthenticity, and let your brands be vulnerable. Use narrative-driven content on a consistent schedule to draw people in.
If you do all of this while avoiding cheap bait and throwing a contest or two, you’re sure to see returns on your investment. Did you find this article helpful? If so, and if you’d like to read more educational digital marketing content, check out our blog today for more!
