Let’s be honest, it’s a question we all ask ourselves – is my social media working? Organic posting on social media can often seem like a one way conversation. No comments, no likes, no reposts. Why and how do I improve engagement on social media?
We all know that people are on social media so why are they scrolling past your content? And even more worrying what impact is this lack of engagement having on who your posts are being shown to?
Building an organic presence and reach can be challenging, and increasingly so given the amount of content out there but by building engagement this can be done. There’s a symbiotic relationship between the two. The most important thing to remember is your audience. Who are they and how can you make your content appeal to them. That is the key to improve engagement on social media.
1. STOP ADVERTISING, START CHATTING
Too many brands treat social media like an advertising platform, But if you’re only talking at your audience and not with them, you’re doing it wrong. Think about how you use social media. Do you scroll through Instagram looking for a lecture or do you go to be entertained, informed and inspired? Start asking questions in your captions, respond to comments, like and share other content. There is a quid-pro-quo aspect to social media. Most importantly be human, have a conversation with your audience the way you would engage with them in real life.
2. IT’S REAL LIFE, BE AUTHENTIC
That leads me nicely on to my second point, it’s real life so be real. Your audience isn’t interested in corporate news and perfectly crafted posts peppered with buzzwords. That’s not how to hold a conversation. Organic content needs to feel just that, organic and authentic. My golden rule here is follow an 80/20 split. 80% of your content should entertain, inform and inspire and just 20% be about product and sales. Think about how to show the human face of your company, perhaps it’s behind-the-scenes peeks, inject humour or tell a story.
3. ADD VALUE BY GIVING
Provide value to your audience by giving content that helps them. Make your posts educational and informative. Use headlines like How To and Quick Tips. Provide checklists and templates to help them in the area you specialise. When your audience feels that they are getting something from you, rather than being sold to, they will more readily engage. Even better the chances of them returning are higher too.
4. USE TOOLS AND MIX UP FORMATS
Social media provides lots of tools to help you make your posts more interesting. Try polls, stickers, question boxes, reels, videos, infographics. The platforms have provided these to be used for engaging with your audience. They can also help create further content that appeals to your audience. In addition, try different formats rather than static posts. Video, infographics, even PDFs can all be shared as easily as photos and can give a different perspective to your post.
5. CONSISTENCY IS QUEEN
I dedicated a full blog to this one previously! Last but very much not least, keep showing up. If you ghost your own social media presence why would you expect others not to do the same? By only posting when you have time or get around to it means your audience won’t know when to expect you and they’ll stop watching out for you. Create a routine, whether that’s daily or weekly and stick to it. The algorithms all love consistency and so do your followers.
Growing your social media presence organically is still the best way to gain followers. They follow you because they are genuinely interested in what you have to say. But you have to earn their following and engagement by being authentic, adding value and showing up. Your audience is out there, you just need to give them a compelling reason to care about you.
If you’re struggling with your social media and content marketing just get in touch with us at Shortbytes Marketing Solutions.
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