So you’ve got your company’s social media profiles all set up, have created a content strategy with regular posts and have grown a following – but, despite your best efforts, there’s hardly any engagement from your followers. There can be a range of different reasons as to why you’re not seeing the engagement you’d like, so keep reading for some tips for more engaging social media. 8 powerful tips to get more engagement with your posts

 

But first, why is social media engagement important for businesses?

It is a fact that your business needs a social media presence, and it is an essential part of your marketing strategy no matter the size of your business.

Not only does It help you get your business of the ground, but it also creates a buzz by growing your brand image. Every time an individual interacts with you on social media, overall awareness of your brand increases; therefore, increasing loyalty and word of mouth.

It can seem like a bit of a task when you don’t know the ins and outs of the game, but here are a few fundamental tips to get you started.

 

1- Include Calls to action (CTA)

A ‘call to action’ is a marketing term designed to encourage an immediate response from the audience. Using this in your social media content is a great tactic to increase engagement as it is telling the user what action to take and exactly how to take it. This can be as simple as using the two words ‘click here’ or ‘buy now’ with a hyperlink or clickable button. However, it is not just the CTA alone that will convert users – pairing it with a compelling sentence to motivate the audience is important.

 

2- Post useful content for your target audience

This may seem like a no-brainer, but research is essential! It can save you a lot of trial and error if you invest your efforts into properly taking the time to understand your target audience and what is valuable to them. Additionally, once you have built up a regular posting schedule, re-sharing and re-cycling the content you know your audience loves is a great tactic for engagement. Make sure to tailor your content to the viewers and what they want from the brand – ‘ask me anything’ posts work especially well for this.

 

3- Use appealing visual content

Did you know image-based posts generate a 650% higher engagement rate than posts that only include text? Additionally, people are 85 percent more likely to convert (buying a product or service) after viewing a video. As imagery is often the thing that draws attention to your post, it is worthwhile making it gripping and relevant to your audience to receive engagement and attract potential customers.

 

4- Research the best times to schedule posts for

Like with many aspects in the world, in social media there is no ‘one size fits all’ – especially when it comes to the various platforms and even audience demographics. It is beneficial to do your research on posting times for different social media platforms to receive the maximum engagement and reach. Data does not lie – so use what is available to your advantage!

 

5- Use hashtags to double your engagement rate

Hashtags are a nifty tool that essentially broaden your reach by helping to facilitate filtering and discovery of relevant content. It has been proven that posts containing hashtags get over 12% more interaction. Businesses can use hashtags grow their online presence from attracting new followers and potential customers who are searching for that subject. Hashtags are a must to ensure you are reaching as many users as possible.

A hashtag strategy is not one-size-fits-all when it comes to the different social media networks. Research the hashtags you want to target or identify with, and generally, you should use: 1-2 hashtags for Facebook, 1-2 hashtags for Twitter, up to 30 hashtags for Instagram, and 2-3 hashtags for LinkedIn.

The important hashtag metrics to track are:

  1. Popularity – Hashtags that are used often tend to also be searched for often.
  2. Reach – How many people actually tend to see the hashtags you’re using?
  3. Interactions – Use hashtags people are seeing and interacting with to expand the reach of your campaign.
  4. Users – Make sure your target audience is using and searching for the same hashtags.

Use tools like Hashtagify to check the popularity of your key hashtags.

6- Initiate conversation with your social media followers

The tone of voice and language you use within your posts reflects your business and what you are trying to say. Additionally, a two-way conversation directly connects brands and consumers therefore increasing engagement with the content. This also adds a personal level of interaction as you are asking the audience their thoughts and opinions on the subject matter.

 

7- Connect content with current events

Using current events to plan your social media content is a great method to increase reach and maintain relevancy. This can also increase your reach as individuals who are searching for that particular event will find your post that may have not otherwise. It is also a good opportunity to switch your content up and be current with trends.

 

8- Share personal and real content

It is proven that posts with emotional value get higher shares and engagement on social media networks. Anyone can post information about their brand, but it is worthwhile showing a personal side to the business that individuals can relate to or empathise with. It also reflects a real depiction of the brand that will attract a wider range of people.

In summary, social media engagement is much more than just building a structure of followers. It is the whole process of knowing your audience and how to engage them with relevant content that is valuable. Focusing on developing your social media engagement can influence long-term benefits such as greater marketing reach, brand awareness, and customer loyalty.

How can we help you?

Consortium Business Solutions specialise in providing marketing and business development solutions to professional services firms. We offer LinkedIn training and can help your develop an effective LinkedIn strategy.

If you require bespoke advice tailored to your professional service business’ needs and requirements, please get in touch.

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Content MarketingDigital MarketingMarketing for small businessesSocial Media