Nine Ways to Get More Social Media Engagement
Social media engagement relies on the interests and attitudes of audience members. Audience members need to feel engaged to be engaged. People share content that is helpful, thoughtful, constructive, popular, creative, or reliable (among other things). They want to share and engage with valuable content created by trustworthy sources. Listed below are nine ways to get more social media engagement:
1. Make Visual Posts
Visuals like images and infographics can inform, entertain, and inspire audiences enough to share or engage in other ways. Video content is often more engaging than words or images alone. When visual content is shared, it should be original and interesting to audiences. Above all else, visual content should be valuable.
2. Post Often
Bringing valuable content to audiences is a top priority, and being consistent is almost as important. Influencers are seen as reliable when they post frequently. For some, planning with a content calendar is simple and efficient. Every post should:
- Have a clear message. Don’t confuse readers with too much information. You should focus on the topic at hand and really nail those talking points.
- Reveal personality. Audiences like personalization. They appreciate any humor you can bring to the table, and don’t think you’ll scare away an audience by switching things up. You may find your audience grows when you let yourself be more creative.
- Include a call-to-action (CTA). Have a clear CTA, one that opens the doors for discussion.
- Use relevant (sometimes trending) hashtags. Hashtags can help classify posts and make them easier to find. Be relevant.
- Post at the right time. You can use technology to help you schedule posts so that scheduled social media posts will post at times of your choosing. You may have to review engagement rates to find the most optimal times to post, but staying current and posting often makes engagement more likely.
3. Post Other People’s Content
Sharing value is sometimes about sharing other people’s content. You should engage with trends and issues, be a part of what other people are already talking about. Use other people’s content to enrich your own and spark conversation.
4. Engage with the Audience
Audiences feel more engaged when they find someone responds to their questions and comments. You should recognize fans and maybe even feature them in a post. If you have satisfied customers who want to share their appreciation, consider featuring them in a post. You may also consider joining Question and Answer circles to engage in a helpful way.
5. Go Live
Consider engaging live viewers by going live from time to time.
6. Take Polls and Surveys
People want to express their opinions. Offering polls and surveys gives people a chance to express those opinions in a fun way.
7. Have Contests and Giveaways
Hosting a contest is a great way to spark engagement. The audience is given a chance to win something and recognized for it.
8. Look at Engagement
Don’t be afraid to ask questions and for feedback and reviews. Make use of Analytics tools so you can review how and when people are engaging.
9. Repurpose Good Content
Good content can take many forms. Once a project is complete, ask yourself if you can reuse it in a different medium or express it in some different way.