Social media engagement is a key catalyst for brand growth. If done right, it can strengthen customer relationships and increase conversions. It’s estimated that four out of 10 internet users are active on social media sites. Additionally, it is estimated that social media users will grow to 3.4 billion in 2019. This number is expected to exceed 3.5 billion by 2021. Logically, many people look to social media before they make their purchasing decisions. With social media being so important, this leads us to the important question of “how can you increase engagement on social media?” Here are some strategies you can use to boost your social media marketing effectiveness:
1. Know Your Audience
The first thing to do is understand who you’re trying to reach. When you understand your audience, you will be able to more accurately select the social media platforms you should use. For example, if your target audience is on Pinterest and they aren’t on Facebook, then it may not be the best use of your time or money to use Facebook for marketing. You should use Pinterest.
In additional to discovering the social media platforms to use, knowing your audience will help you figure out other information that can help with your posting strategy. Examples of how it could help include knowing what time of the day to post, what type of content to post, how often to post, etc.
2. Define Your Goals
When it comes to setting social media goals, you may want to think outside the box. Generally, social media educates people on why your brand shines. But, you can get more specific than “make my brand shine” with your goals.
Examples of social media goals include getting feedback about products or services, changing brand perception, and providing information to customers. If you want your goals to be useful, they should be realistic. Make sure you write them down and check the progress on a regular basis. But also keep in mind, it typically takes about 6-9 months before you start seeing good results from social media marketing. If you’re not seeing amazing results in just one or two months, don’t be surprised. It takes time.
3. Stay on Topic
One of the easiest ways to engage your audience is to strike a conversation on trending events. Breaking news, shared by you, can be a great way to get your audiences’ attention. Just make sure it’s timely and relevant to your marketing goals.
If you’re not well-versed on a particular topic, try to gather as much information as possible before you respond. But don’t just choose any topic. Find out what’s trending in your niche. You should ensure your posts are current and consistent.
Also, be authentic and a good listener. As you interact with your customers, and evaluate your competitors, you will get valuable inspiration on topics that make sense for you to post about.
4. Create Valuable Content
If you want to increase social media engagement, you need to create content that cuts through the social noise. This boils down to understanding the needs of your target audience.
Think of how you can fine-tune your content and share more frequently. According to a study by the New York Times, sharing valuable content on social media can increase ROI. However, don’t post “too frequently.” Every social media platform has a different best practice on posting frequency. Do a little research to make sure you post as often as you should, to get optimal results on the social media platforms you’re using.
Also, create content that evokes curiosity and is aesthetically pleasing. Break up blocks of text and use headers to make it readable. Don’t forget to engage with your followers. Ask questions on the content and invite people to engage with you.
5. Use Wit and Humor
If all your social media posts are about inviting people to buy, you could end up losing the attention of your audience. Why not bring out some humor? The idea is to appeal to your audience emotionally. When you don’t add humor to your brand, you could lose tons of unseen branding potential.
Although you should take customer posts and direct messages seriously, you may want to add a bit of levity to your general posting strategy. While there are countless tones you can use, you should determine how humor fits in brand voice. Keep in mind though, humor isn’t appropriate for every business. Don’t simply use humor because of this blog post. Really consider whether or not it makes sense for your specific business.
6. Create Engaging Visuals
If you want to increase social media engagement, consider using quality images. The idea is to create more appealing posts that people want to read. To make your business stand out in the busy social media news feeds, use simple but powerful images. Visual posts should bring the wow factor.
When you post content with images, it will usually be liked and commented on more often than posts that don’t have images. The images you use should be attractive, engaging, memorable and understandable.
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7. Produce More Video Content
Videos are an important component in social media engagement. It’s estimated that more than 90% of Facebook users rely on videos to make their purchase decision. Videos are memorable and more engaging than any other type of content.
If you want to win the hearts of your customers, create a case study video showing satisfied customers.
8. Schedule Your Post Timing
Staying on top of social media can be difficult. It requires a lot of hard work to stand out from all the other businesses and individuals using social media. What is the best time to post on social media? Well, the timing will depend on the industry and the target audience. A well-timed post will have more comments, shares, likes and click-throughs.
Whether you’re in a B2B or B2C brand, the best time to post on Facebook is typically Tuesday to Thursday from 9am to 5pm. This is a general rule you can follow. But remember, know your audience and select times that are best for them.
9. Use Trending Hashtags
Hashtags help to promote your brand on social media. Although they are widely used on Twitter, they have become common on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Pinterest too.
The number of hashtags will depend on the platform you use, but ultimately, they will uncover content related to your topic and help to increase your engagement on social media sites.
10. Host Giveaway Content
Giveaways are a good tactic for increasing follower growth. It’s also a remarkable way of building trust with potential customers.
Encourage those who participate in the content to share it in order to increase your following. While there are many social media platforms out there, not all of them can host giveaway contests.
Wrapping It Up
Social media engagement is a metric to use when evaluating your performance in the digital arena. Make a point to measure your shares, comments and likes and constantly look to improve your results.
Make the time to interact with your target audience, to get the best possible brand exposure and to reach your social media marketing goals.
About
Joshua Lyons Marketing, LLC was established in 2015. Since that time we have provided digital marketing services to business and professionals. We help our clients increase their online exposure as a means to increase sales and revenue. Our core services include search engine optimization (SEO), website development and content creation. We also provide other online marketing services, such as email marketing, marketing consultations and various types of advertising. Our team is based in the Milton, Pace and Pensacola, Florida area. However, we work with clients throughout the United States. Read More
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