10 Ways to Increase Your Company’s Engagement on Social Media
By Erin Sless - eGuide Operations Coordinator
Lights! Camera! Comments! Let’s go over 10 of the most engaging tactics to bump up any social media game.
1. Utilize hashtags, follow up comments, and/or pinned comments.
In perusing the many social media platforms around these days, it is easy to see how many accounts build certain styles around their posts. Accounts often post hashtags or follow-up questions in the first comment of a new post.Using relevant hashtags can get posts added to the explored options of certain categories. Also, most platforms allow the option of “pinning” a comment to the top of a post’s comment section. Creating and pinning a comment can be used creatively, depending on the content of course. Ask a silly related question or an on-topic one. If viewers are interested, it will increase chances of engaging.
2. Actually encourage people to engage, don’t use your voice to talk “at” people.
Many mistake the entire meaning of engagement and boil it down purely to the numbers aspect of it all. We all know how it feels to be in a conversation withsomeone who talks AT you instead of WITH you. Informing an audience is one thing, but building a community or sparking a public conversation is another. These elements do not come by default when a platform is only used to inform. So, if community and conversation is a goal, then be sure to include viewers into the conversation. Ask questions, host a giveaway, or encourage a question and answer session. See what interests your audience and build from there!
3. Acknowledge and respond to any engagement that does take place.
On par with the previous section, it says something about an organization when it seems like there’s an actual human being behind the posts. Humanizing a brand or small business will often encourage audience support. We often say things out loud because we want to be heard, so virtually this is hardly different. If you receive comments, “like” or react to them at the bare minimum, but comment back to keep the dialogue going. Also, this will up your comment count and will increase the probability of an algorithm placing the post among similar content.
But…what if the comments are negative or hateful?
Some might say to just delete or filter the comment(s), but I recommend open and sincere feedback for the sake of transparency. Nothing can be 100% perfect all the time, and that’s okay. Apologizing for a negative experience and encouraging a private message for discussion can make the commenter feel heard and redirect the conversation somewhere private where it can be addressed fully. If a commenter is just being rude or hateful with no wish to reconcile, then, depending on the level of abuse, report the comment for removal from the social media platform.
4. Create a content calendar or schedule posts at the best times for your audience.
Platforms like Hootsuite or ContentCal can both schedule and track your post engagements. Then, they can individually analyze and/or tailor a plan of best times to post. A typical business day may be 9-5 in any given time zone, but confining posts to these time frames could be hindering the growth and reach of a business if they don’t align with your followers. Everything varies depending on the type of organization and the content being posted, so make sure to shape an approach to something that truly syncs with your business or brand.
5. Speaking of audience: know your audience and make sure to speak towards their needs.
The tone towards the audience of a government page may not be the same as that of a local ice cream parlor. However, this does not mean that any audience on whichever end of the target spectrum cannot benefit from thought-provoking or exciting posts. Humor is a universal language, but there is often a line between what is appropriate or professional between certain businesses or organizations.
If you’re running a college campus organization’s page and it's finals week, nodding to that and offering support, coffee, or study resources can speak towards a relevant need instead of just being wasted energy towards another post scrolled by without thought. Be aware of what might be going on in the world of your audience, and don’t be afraid to add something relevant or helpful (again, where appropriate) to the noise.
6. Develop your brand voice and be consistent.
Leaning into our brand voice helps shape the overall feel of what we have to offer an audience. It sets an expectation that, for some, will make them want to keep following for more. We come to expect an elegant, dramatic ad from Tiffany jewelry, an uplifting family-oriented post from Coca-Cola, or a silly roast by Wendy’s on Twitter. While we can vary the impact of each, that “feel” should be mostly consistent.
7. Not all social media platforms are created equal. Play towards each you use differently.
Even if you see them there, LinkedIn is not really the place for memes you might see on your Facebook newsfeed. Pinterest users of a certain niche will have a different dynamic than those on YouTube. Research your platforms of choice and remember quality over quantity.
A couple examples:
When you post to Instagram, it gives you an option to share to Facebook. Try to resist the urge to do this, or at least edit the post once you bring it over into Facebook to tailor it for that platform. Take the time to tag people, places, and businesses on each site to expand the reach of your post in that location.
Facebook may allow for posting a whole album of pictures at once, and that’s okay. However, posting 5+ pictures on a businesses’ Instagram post almost guarantees that the last image will remain unseen. Individually posting many pictures back to back on Instagram is a huge faux pas, too. I even unfollowed Beyonce for being a culprit of that!
Don’t be overwhelmed trying to reach everyone on every platform. Quality over quantity, remember?
8. Track your metrics and analyze trends.
We live in a data-driven world. Numbers can be quite advantageous if proper trend tracking methods are used. We recommend using Google Analytics and Hootsuite; both of which have great guides to getting started for free. Don’t go it alone, and use technology that’s out there to help you reach your goals.
Interested in what’s trending in the world today? Google has you covered again- check out Google Trends.
9. Cross-promote where possible to tap into other audiences of interest.
Although briefly mentioned in Step 7, this one is worth another emphasis. Part of sparking the social conversation includes involving other like-minded people and businesses. Stream live with another business owner to talk shop, sponsor or support an up-and-coming voice in your community, or showcase a satisfied customer. Again, the possibilities are endless, but they will continue to connect, grow, and strengthen the audience you are building.
10. When in doubt- dogs!
It’s a proven statistic that animals attract more views and engagement. Enough said!
Conclusion
Social media is a fascinating creature that many in this day and age have a love/hate relationship with. By working on the aforementioned steps, you and your business can work towards being a positive, driving force out in the virtual space.
Looking for more, personalized advice or structure? Reach out to eGuide any time for more information!
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