Are You Engaging?

You’ve been working hard on a social media strategy. You’re doing live videos, posting at different times on different platforms, doing reels and other short-form videos, and graphics, making sure your posts are educating, entertaining, and not too salesy, and then some, but as great as it is to have a clear social media presence, are you just posting and hoping to grow your following or are you also engaging with your audience? If posting on social media is the heart of your strategy, then engaging with others is the blood that keeps the heart pumping. But how do you effectively engage and what should you do to engage with others? We’re going to give you some tips and tricks that will increase your brand loyalty and followers.

Follow and be followed- In the digital world of social media you can’t use the “If you build it they will come” thought process. Social media is a two-way street, so you want to spread the love and attract people to your page by following other people and pages. You can start by following people you know, including other businesses that you work with. You also want to follow pages that complement your page. If you’re a marketing company follow other marketing professionals, or pages, if you’re in the construction business make sure you follow your vendors. You’ll see your page start growing, and keep that momentum going by commenting and liking other accounts’ content too!

Smash the like button and comment- You want people to like your content, which means they want people to like their content too. Don’t be stingy when it comes to the like button! Like and share away. This will help your account be visible to your followers, and they will start engaging with you as well. Commenting is also a great way to get the engagement flowing. You don’t have to write a novel when you comment. Sometimes a 🔥, series of 👏👏👏, or a gif is just what you need. The great thing about commenting on social posts is that you don’t always have to be uber-professional. A little witty banter is ok when you’re commenting, just make sure it’s relevant and appropriate. 

Don’t forget the reply- As you engage with other accounts, you’ll see more likes and comments coming your way! Turn comments into conversations with your replies. You don’t have to reply the second someone comments on your post, but you do want to try and reply daily. Set aside some time each day to reply and like comments on your content. If anyone has asked a question about your post (after you answer) you can take the questions and turn it into content as a bonus! This also goes for messages. You want to reply to messages as soon as you can. People can see how responsive you are when they send you a message. If they don’t think you’re going to respond to them they might be less likely to send you a message. Make your replies to comments and messages memorable with some gratitude, humor, and signature sass. Just make sure your replies are in line with your brand standards.

You won’t always go viral- Everyone wants all of their content to go viral, but not all content will, and viral doesn’t always mean the right audience is seeing your content. Don’t focus on reaching a million people, focus on reaching the right people on your social media. You will have a viral post every now and then and you should celebrate it! Re-share it to your story, send it in a newsletter asking if people saw it, and make it fun and easy for your follower to engage with it. But don’t focus on going viral, focus on putting out content that is relatable, relevant, and on brand.

In the crazy digital world of social media, every action has a reaction, and when you engage with your audience it sets off a chain reaction of gaining new followers that turn into loyal fans. Those loyal fans turn into brand ambassadors, and then the process starts all over again. It doesn’t happen overnight, and engaging also takes a strategy. If you need help coming up with a strategic plan for your social media presence and engagement reach out to us today. We’re here to help you make your brand’s personality shine on the digital stage.