Let’s face it: social media is a very noisy world, and in order to be heard above the crowd, brands need to engage on social media. By engaging with your audience, and encouraging engagement in return, your brand will nurture a following that knows, likes, and trusts your message.
Putting the ‘Social’ in Social Media
You can think of social media sites like Twitter as a big party. If you want to reach out and make friends, the last thing you’re going to do is stand up on the coffee table, and talk loudly about yourself — but that’s exactly what so many businesses on social media do. They post frequent updates about their brand, but never react, share or comment on what others are doing. The result is a very disengaged following — the worst kind to have.
How to Engage on Social Media: Quick Tips
Getting engagement on social media is all about starting a conversation, and listening to what your audience is saying.
Engage with quality, related content. Sharing great content is part of what makes social media so great. By reposting, liking and commenting on content from other users, you show a sincere effort to contribute to the conversation and collaborate with others.
Follow back new followers. It’s simple: reciprocate new follows by following back, particularly if the user falls within your target market. Better yet — send them a quick message thanking them for the follow.
Ask questions. In both the physical world, the best way to start a conversation with someone is to ask thoughtful questions. The same absolutely applies to social media.
Always follow up. Nothing turns followers off faster than an unresponsive page. Never ignore messages or comments on your page. Even a simple “thanks for reaching out; have a nice day” is better than nothing at all.
Tag, tag, tag. Everyone enjoys recognition for what they do. Tagging other businesses or individuals who have helped you, engaged with you, or offered a tidbit of wisdom not only increases post reach, it also starts an engaging conversation.
Social media is so much more than a bulletin board for brands to advertise their ideas. It’s about starting conversations with your followers and developing relationships. Brands that engage on social media, therefore, will find greater success, both on- and offline.
