3 Simple Ways to Drive Engagement Through Social Media
Some businesses may have discovered, quite quickly, that entering the world of social media is simple. Create an account, type in some information, and post. That’s it.
Succeeding in it, though, is much more complicated, and requires businesses to exert far more effort. But that doesn’t mean that it has to be difficult. Here are three simple ways to drive engagement through social media and turn a lifeless social media strategy into a successful one.
1. Provide Compelling Content
Easily the most important piece of any successful social media campaign (and, in turn, strategy) is the content. A page without unique, compelling or relevant content is just about dead as water as it comes.
In order to drive engagement through social media, every business must first develop a compelling content strategy and follow through with that strategy on a weekly (and even daily) basis. Content could consist of something as minor as a particular question to ask during the week, or event to comment on, or be as broad and sweeping as a series of YouTube videos or blog posts.
But most importantly, it should be something that social media users will feel compelled to comment on, retweet or share. If you’re considering posting something, but aren’t entirely sure that your users would be interested in it (or engage with it), chances are they probably won’t. Dig deeper, and think of something more compelling to share with them.
2. Keep Interactions Short, Sweet
Most businesses might have a lot to share through Facebook or Twitter, so they feel compelled to keep their messages as long (or detailed) as possible.
Unfortunately, as far as engagement is concerned, that isn’t necessarily the best way to go about things. Research surrounding engagement rates related to post length supports this argument, suggesting that the shorter, the better. As posts encroach 240 characters (and beyond), their engagement rates continue to fall. The reason for this is obvious: The shorter it is, the more likely somebody is to read it entirely. The more people that read it, the more people that will likely engage with it.
The solution? Try to keep posts as short, concise and interesting as you possibly can. If you’re posting about an event, link to it in a Facebook Note, or through an event link. Twitter, on the other hand, already forces businesses and individuals to think within the box, and it encourages (and rewards) wit.
Of course, occasional writing a longer, more detailed post isn’t necessarily a terrible thing. Just, in most cases, try to avoid it.
3. Respond to Everything
And finally, one of the easiest methods for garnering increased engagement through social media platforms is to simply be social. The concept of responding to messages and comments left by all individuals in a timely manner is something that businesses frequently neglect. Most might make an effort to share content, but many fail to respond to individuals that reach out to them via social media, both good and bad.
All messages need to be responded to in a timely manner, regardless of whether or not they are necessarily flattering of your particular business. The more engaged that your business is with individuals through social media, the more likely others will be willing to reach out. Simple, right?
Ultimately, the most successful social media strategies are ones that just emphasize having a presence. Maintaining a content schedule, keeping interactions short and being responsive are just products of that presence.
The more present you are, the more engaging your business will appear. The more engaging they appear, the more people will want to engage with it. Such is social media.
Source: MSM DesignZ, Inc. is a Westchester social media company based in NY specializing in advertising, web and graphic design, and SEO.