Engagement is a Two Way Street

Everyone is talking about engagement. But, is it really that important? The answer is 100% yes! Without engagement, your social media could be in serious trouble. While the official definition of engagement is actually a measurement of likes, shares, re-tweets, and comments, it really encompasses much more.

Engagement is a two way street. You can’t expect people to engage with your business page right off the bat if you don’t give them the content they are looking for AND engage with their posts, too.

Here are some simple things you can do to increase engagement:

• Join groups that match your business interests. (Search for them on each of your social platforms like you would for a person.)
• Post with purpose (tag article) and not for the sake of posting content.
• Comment on relevant content with:
  • Your opinion;
  • Asking questions;
  • Starting a discussion;
  • Tagging someone who may be interested in the subject.
• Share content with your own commentary from valuable and reputable sources (This helps build your brand and the brand of the person/business who created the original content.)
• Connect! Always ask the people you meet if they are on social media, then follow through with a follow, like, or connection and a quick note.
• Ask your audience what they would like to see with polls, questionnaires, or simple status updates.

Spice it Up

Another way to capture an audience and increase engagement is by spicing up your posts. In other words, what makes them interesting? Repeatedly it has been proven that people use social media to be entertained. Even when posting about topics that can seem less than exciting, you can still make them pop! Here’s a few tips on what to include in your posts:

• Images
• Videos
• Gifs
• Links
• Other articles or blogs
• Surveys
• Polls
• Questions

If you are creating a post and it doesn’t have any of the above content included, consider the purpose of the post and come up with creative ways to make it stand out to your audience.

Make it a Priority

Remember, engagement is an ongoing task. You cannot do this list once and call it quits, it needs to be something that you incorporate in your social media strategy and your day. If social media isn’t the biggest priority for your business (even though it should), set aside 30 minutes a few times a week on your calendar that is dedicated to social media just like you would with a project or meeting.

Questions on how to build engagement on your agency’s page? Let me know, I would be happy to assist.