If your business is on social media, you might have found out the hard way that creating an account and posting pictures doesn’t really work if you want great engagement. Not anymore, anyway. Nowadays, simply being on a social media platform just isn’t enough. There are many business accounts to follow, so how can you make yours special?
To truly benefit, you need to engage your audience. Engagement means likes, comments, shares, and interactions that show people are interested in what you’re sharing.
So, if you’re looking to improve your social media engagement – here are some effective strategies to consider.
Get Personal With Your Audience
The first step in improving social media engagement is understanding your audience. Who are they? What are their interests, needs, and preferences?
Basically, the more you know about your audience, the easier it is to create and tailor your content to appeal to them.
We recommend using your social media analytics tools and engagement metrics (e.g., Sprout Social and built-in analytics on specific platforms) to gather information about your followers.
Also, pay attention to which types of posts get the most engagement. This information will help you create content that your audience wants to engage with.
Create High-Quality, Authentic Content
If you want to capture (and maintain!) your audience’s attention, creating high-quality, authentic content is essential. No exceptions.
Focus on making your posts visually appealing. This means using clear, high-resolution images, reels and videos. Blurry or low-quality visuals can turn people away, while sharp, professional-looking content draws them in.
Share useful information that your particular audience will find valuable. This could be tips, how-to guides, interesting facts, customer photos (we’ll get into that later) or updates about your products or services. When your posts provide real value, people are more likely to engage with them by liking, commenting, and sharing.
Captions are another important aspect when creating great content, but they’re quite often forgotten about. A good caption can enhance your social media post either by providing needed context or sparking social media engagement. You don’t (and shouldn’t) have to write an essay under your posts because the very nature of socials means that captions should be to the point and digestible. So, take time to create captions that complement your visuals and encourage interaction.
Authenticity is also key when it comes to creating high-quality social media content. All this means is – be genuine!
Don’t Underestimate the Power of Consistency
Social media is very fast-paced, so make sure you’re consistent with creating social media posts. Posting regularly boosts the chances of keeping your followers engaged and staying on their radar.
To help with this, creating a social content calendar can be a game-changer. This way, you’ll have a well-thought-out plan for your social media posts – and there won’t be any scrambling to think of something to say at the last minute.
Having a calendar and scheduling posts doesn’t mean you can’t share spontaneous, in-the-moment updates. It just means you’ll always have a steady stream of thoughtful content ready to go.
It’s also worth mentioning that consistency isn’t just about how often you post. It’s also about the voice and style of your content. Whether it’s the way you write, the type of images you use, or the topics you cover, maintaining a consistent style helps build an online identity for your business.
Don’t Be Afraid to Use GIFs
GIFs are fantastic for catching attention. They quickly convey a lot of information, making it easy for people to understand a message without reading through written content.
Incorporating GIFs can also make a business’s social media content more enjoyable, encouraging more serious social media interactions and engagement from the audience. Plus, people love sharing GIFs because they’re entertaining, and when they share your GIFs, it broadens your reach to potential new customers.
GIFs also let a business showcase its personality, reinforcing the very important idea of creating authentic content. They help make the business feel more relatable and approachable to its audience.
Share User-Generated Content
User-generated content (UGC) is a great way to engage your audience. It is also seen as more authentic and trustworthy, which can increase social media engagement. In fact, 86% of people are more likely to trust, interact with, and convert from UGC than content posted by influencer partnerships.
Encourage your followers to share their photos, videos, and stories related to your business. Then, share this content across your social media platforms to boost your chances of having your social media channels shared with their wider audiences.
Use Hashtags (Relevant Ones)
Hashtags are a powerful tool to increase the visibility of your posts. They can help you reach a broader audience and make your content discoverable to people who aren’t following you yet, as the algorithm will show posts to people they think are relevant.
However, don’t overdo it. Using too many hashtags can make your posts look a little spammy. A few well-chosen, relevant hashtags included at the bottom of your social media posts can be much more effective than a long list when it comes to social media engagement.
If It Makes Sense for Your Business, Collaborate with Influencers
If it’s something that makes sense for your business, influencers can significantly boost your social media engagement.
Collaborating with influencers allows you to tap into their established (and loyal) audience, who trust what they endorse.
Choose influencers who align with your brand and have a genuine connection with their followers. An authentic partnership can lead to higher engagement and new followers who are interested in your products or services.
This doesn’t mean that your only options are influencers with an extensive social media presence. Micro-influencers can actually have higher social media engagement rates, so don’t rule them out!
Analyse and Adjust Accordingly
Always analyse your posts’ performance. Use tools to track key metrics like impressions, likes, comments, shares, and reach. Look for patterns and trends to understand what types of content perform best.
Based on your analysis, adjust your strategy as needed. Social media is constantly evolving, and staying flexible and open to change will help you stay ahead.
In other words, if something’s not working – switch your strategy!
Have a Go at Paid Social Campaigns
Although organic reach is important, running paid social media campaigns is also a great way to boost social media engagement across your platforms.
Paid ads can increase your visibility and reach a larger audience. Use targeted ads to reach people who are likely to be interested in your content.
Experiment with different types of ads. For example, you might consider carousel ads (where you can include multiple visuals in one ad) or sponsored posts (your post will be labelled as sponsored and shown to target users).
Need Help With Your Social Media Engagement Strategy? Get In Touch!
We hope you’ve found this article on how to boost engagement on social media useful. If you’re finding it difficult on your own or simply don’t have the time to dedicate, get in touch with us today. From content creation and paid campaigns to analytics, full social media management and beyond, we offer comprehensive services tailored to your unique needs.
Don’t let your social media potential go untapped! Contact our team today on 0151 652 4777.
Posted on Wednesday, May 29th, 2024 in Social Media.
