When it comes to effectively reaching your audience, I think it’s safe to say that you are reading this because you understand the important role that social media plays in the growth of your business. You have already realized that your audience seem to live on social networks. You see them posting vacation selfies, family activities and checking into their favorite restaurants. However, what you might not realize, is that your audience is also relying on these social networks for information, entertainment and engagement.
What does that mean? It means that social media marketing has become a necessary tool for meeting your audience where they already are, and I can’t stress enough the importance of creating a connection with your audience; by encouraging them to engage with you and the quality, informative and entertaining content that you are sharing.
Sounds easy enough right? NOT SO FAST!! Inspiring consistent and meaningful engagement can be challenging at times, in fact, it’s downright difficult. Am I right?
For starters, you’re consistently competing for your audience’s attention. Everyone is on social media these days and if you don’t have a social strategy in place or are working with limited resources, this can hinder your ability to stay competitive and maintain a consistent social presence.
But don’t fret, I have good news. There are several things you can do to give your engagement a boost, and these hacks are attainable for everybody!
So, without further ado, I present my top five favorite hacks that can help you boost your audience engagement.
#1 – Give them something to talk about!
Get a conversation going by asking interesting and creative questions. One of my most used ways to engage an audience, is to give them a call to action. Ask your audience to engage with you by posing thought provoking, open-ended questions. To get the best reach and catch the most eyes, always include a video or image with your content!
#2 – Tag, you’re it!!
Be sure to tag and mention commenters, sharers or those you’ve collaborated with. Tagging or mentioning other people or brands in your posts can lend credibility to your post, as well as notify those that you’re tagging that they’re being talked about, compelling them to like, comment and engage with you, or share your content with their audience.
If you’re sharing content that could include multiple tags or mentions, don’t go too overboard and try to fit them all in. This doesn’t create a good user experience for your audience, nor does it give the people or brands you’re mentioning enough credit. Instead create multiple, unique posts that are more personal and schedule them out over a few days.
#3 – Our brains are made for looking!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: humans are visual creatures! Research shows that an estimated 90% of the information that comes to our brains is visual. Using captivating images and video as part of your social media marketing strategy is a no brainer! This is a must if you want to get people to stop and look or watch what you are sharing.
# 4 – In the world of social media, being trendy is extremely important.
Our everyday lives are consumed with interesting events and the latest news items. This type of content is never in short supply. Why is this important? Using trending topics in a relevant way is a great approach to sparking conversation and encouraging people to share their thoughts on the issue!
Be careful, not to create content that could be received in a negative manner. Always be conscious of your audience, your voice and how you phrase what you are sharing. I always recommend avoiding certain “hot buttons” when creating content for your business. (Ex. Religion and Politics)
Hint: Find trending news topics on Twitter, Facebook or Google News and tap into what people are talking about.
#5 – Grab your tool belt!
While the above four hacks are easy and effective, they can only reach their full potential if you’re consistently posting and engaged in what’s happening on your pages. Through my Social Media Coaching I work with my clients to help them develop a social media routine, because this plays a vital role in boosting your audience engagement. There are many social media management and engagement tools that can be easily integrated into your daily life. These tools allow you to schedule your posts and provide a quick and easy solution to help you respond quickly and keep conversations going.
There are a number of tools available, both free and for a fee. Some of my personal favorites include: Hootsuite, and the Pages App for Facebook. However I recommend researching different options and choosing the one that best fit your budget, goals and the social networks that you’re using.
In conclusion, there are dozens and dozens of things you can do to more effectively to engage your audience. I hope, these hacks have provided you with a good starting place to begin building your engagement efforts. Just remember, social media is all about building relationships. So, be consistent, be unique, be creative and be compelling.
