Like. Share. Comment. Click. Retweet. Repeat.
Social media engagement — just a few years ago most people wouldn’t have even heard of the word. Nowadays, there are entire fields of study dedicated to it. And for good reason, social media engagement has become a kind of currency — the more you have, the more successful your brand will be. This is because social platforms are designed to promote meaningful interactions, so that if a post has higher engagement, it will be prioritized and given greater reach. Greater reach means more eyes, and more eyes means more sales.
As it turns out, when it seemed like most of us became disconnected from each other, burying our face in our phones — the need for actual human connection stayed the same. Which is why so many people turn to their social networks seeking real interaction from friends, friends of friends, neighbors of friends of friends, strangers, and oh yes…brands. So yes, the long and short of it is that social media engagement is truly important, and we’ve come up with some tactics that can help you boost yours.
Respond…Quickly & Positively
No matter what size company you operate, responding quickly to every single comment is key. You want to build a sense of trust amongst your followers that they can depend on. And answering every comment as soon as possible is key to this. If people like your product or service, throw them a quick thank you. And if they don’t, respond as nicely as you can.
Keep It Consistent
Here at Ameba, when we’re building a brand from the ground up or even rebranding an already established company, we always start the same way: by identifying and solidifying the brand’s voice, tone, mission, vision and story. These may seem like flowery concepts to the outsider, but trust us — we take these identifiers very seriously. Because without cementing your brand’s character, you won’t create lasting connections with your customers. So come up with a distinguishable brand voice and tone, and keep all of your language consistent with this identity.
Be Authentic
It’s been long established that in recent years, customers are looking for nothing but authenticity above all else. The technological revolution has made us all smarter, quicker and more aware, and your customers can smell a rat a mile away. So stay honest, even if that means admitting to flaws, mistakes or general limitations within your brand.
Time It Right
Everytime you post on social media, you’ll want to make sure you reach the biggest number of eyes. That means timing your posts to when the platforms are busiest. The times per platform are extremely varying, and can change based on the day of the week. But a rough rule of thumb is 9am for Facebook and LinkedIn, between 10am–2pm for Instagram and 6am for TikTok.
Create Conversations
Don’t be afraid to state your opinion through your brand. You can be bold, a little controversy never hurt anyone (within reason, of course — maybe stay away from politics, religions, et al.) Your customers are tired of generic talking points. They want to know what you think, and they will respond in kind.
Think of it this way: your customers are waiting for a reason to have their voices heard. When you create engaging social media posts, you’re giving them the opportunity to express themselves. And that is worth all the marketing in the world.
