Social media has become an integral part of the commercial industry due to its massive impact on consumers’ lifestyle choices. Several big and small companies have discovered the benefits of promoting their products and services online and have thus integrated social media into their marketing strategies.
However, due to the growing competition online, businesses may find it challenging to stand out or even get noticed on these platforms. Hence, this article will discuss five proven ways brands and companies can boost social engagement and establish a solid online presence.
Table of Contents
Why is social media engagement important?
5 proven ways sellers can increase social media engagement
The bottom line
Why is social media engagement important?
According to Techjury, more than 4 billion people are active social media users, and an average user spends about 2 hours and 31 minutes daily on social media. This is good news for brands and business owners as their potential customers are among the billions of users on these social platforms.
Businesses that actively engage with their customers on social media build strong relationships, which can lead to increased customer loyalty. It can translate to higher conversion rates as consumers are more likely to purchase from a brand they are engaged with on social media.
Additionally, social media algorithms perceive content with high engagement as exciting and entertaining and suggest it to more users. Thus, brands with higher social media engagement have great chances of reaching a wider audience which can improve brand awareness.
Furthermore, social media engagement enables brands to get valuable consumer feedback, which will help them improve their products, services, and marketing strategies.
5 proven ways sellers can increase social media engagement
Don’t be sales-focused
While it is essential to market goods and services online, businesses must refrain from being sales-focused by posting too many advertisements. Instead, they should focus on providing valuable content that is beneficial for their audience, as this will keep customers returning for more.
An excellent way to ensure this is by following the 80/20 rule, where 80% of content published is audience-based content that offers direct value to consumers by being informative, educational, or entertaining. This can also be content that inspires user input and contributions, for example:
- How-to posts
- Industry insights and relevant news
- DIY projects, lifehacks, and tips
- Before and after contents
- Inspirational videos and photos
- Uplifting stories
- Media contests (where customers are encouraged to make and upload their videos relating to a product or service)
- Polls
On the other hand, the remaining 20% is promotional-based, which is content that directly promotes the business and often includes call-to-actions (CTAs). Examples of this type of content include:
- Big sales and coupons
- Good customer reviews/testimonials
- Seasonal/special offers
- Product spotlight
- Demos
- Third-party mentions
By being customer-focused, businesses show that they value their audience and are interested in building relationships with them. This helps to foster a sense of community among customers and boosts social media engagements.
Keep up with the trends
Trends are key in gaining traffic and boosting social media engagement. Keeping up with the latest trends enables businesses to tap into what most users currently search for. Customizing and relating a trend to their products and services can make it worth discussing. Such conversations can boost social media engagement.
Here are some ways businesses can keep track of the latest trends and stay updated:
- Follow industry leaders and influencers and watch the type of content they are sharing to stay updated with the latest trends.
- Track social media analytics regularly to know which content is doing well and which is not.
- Use social media listening tools to help identify upcoming trends, which will help brands adjust their strategy and focus on creating content that resonates with their audience.
- Experiment with new content formats like short video content. Statistics show that 89% of people were convinced to buy a product or service after watching a video. Brands can leverage this trend to boost traffic and increase social media engagement.
- Attend events and conferences and network with other professionals in the industry to know the current trends. This can keep businesses ahead of the competition and can drive social media engagement.
Take a more personal approach
A study discovered that 86% of people prefer brands with personality over distant brands with no human feelings or attachment. Customers feel more relaxed and connected to a company when they see a person attached to it.
There are a couple of ways in which brands can achieve this. These include:
- Showing more faces in social media posts, videos, and feed stories.
- Sharing stories about company missions, values, or how a product/service helped a customer.
- Showing behind-the-scenes content to give the audience a glimpse of the company’s culture and personality.
- Using a conversational tone and replying to comments with humor and warmth instead of in a robotic manner.
- Sharing user-generated content relating to a product or service.
- Offering exclusive content and contributing to their followers.
- Responding to customers’ queries and requests in a timely and helpful manner.
A more personal approach is a good way for businesses to connect deeply with their audience. It can build loyalty and trust among customers and ultimately lead to more social media engagement.
Stick to an optimal posting schedule
Posting consistently is crucial in maintaining social media engagement. Still, finding the optimal posting schedule guaranteed to reach the target audience when they’re most active online is even more essential.
For instance, brands aimed at working-class citizens will get more engagement if they post content during lunch breaks or after working hours when users are cooling down on their social media apps.
Brands can use social media analytics to determine when their audience is most active on each platform, and it will help them identify the optimal posting times for maximum engagement.
Furthermore, since it is impossible to be at the computer 24/7, brands can utilize social media marketing tools to plan and schedule their posts in advance. It saves time and ensures that content is being published without delay.
Sticking to an optimal posting schedule enables brands to reach their audience at the right time, thus increasing their chances of high social media engagement.
Always engage with the audience
This factor is a non-negotiable factor in boosting social media engagement. Statistics show that 73% of customers love a brand because of helpful customer service. Therefore, Businesses must regularly interact and engage with their audience, and businesses can do it through:
- Responding to comments and messages, both negative and positive. Brands can show appreciation for positive comments and suggest solutions for negative ones.
- Asking for feedback on products, services, or content, telling the audience that their opinions are valued.
- Hosting Q&A sessions to answer audiences’ questions and provide valuable information.
- Reposting user content such as demo videos, product reviews, product unboxing videos, etc
- Offering exclusive promotions and content to social media followers to encourage engagement and show appreciation for their loyalty.
- Include a clear call-to-action at the end of every content that tells your audience exactly what they can do.
Businesses that always engage with their audience create loyal communities that help to drive online presence growth.
The bottom line
Social media will continue to play an essential role in marketing. Hence, businesses must assess and improve their social media engagement strategies continually. Of course, these tactics take time and do not guarantee overnight success.
Nevertheless, brands that consistently apply these five tips will slowly but steadily improve their engagement rates, build loyalty, and establish a solid online presence.
