Social media is a wonderful way to expand your customer base, interact with followers, and show the world what your company is all about. But we all know how easy it is to mindlessly scroll through your feed, barely paying attention to anything you see (Facebook users spend an average of 1.7 seconds with any piece of mobile content).
So how do you capture your followers’ attention long enough for them to actually interact with your brand? Here are 10 ways to boost your engagement on social media.
- Answer Comments.This may sound like a given, but it needs to be said. Don’t just let comments sit out there without a reaction. It could be as simple as reacting with a “like,” but even better is to post an authentic response that might even inspire further interaction. Creating a rapport with followers will really help them connect to your company and keep coming back.
- Ask Questions. Whether it’s in a post or in the comments, asking followers a question is a great way to prompt interaction. For example, if your company sells clothes, you could post a picture of a few different shirts and ask people to post which one is their favorite in the comments. From there, you can further engage them by delving deeper into their fashion choices.
- Be Interactive.If BuzzFeed is any indication, we know that people love to take quizzes and answer polls. So who’s to say you can’t create your own? Use it as an opportunity to gain knowledge about your audience, make your company more memorable, and offer up a bit of fun.
- Entertain. Speaking of fun, people want to laugh and be entertained on social media. Lord knows we all love a good GIF. Brands that make us laugh are often remembered over those that don’t. So don’t be afraid to post some humorous videos, topical GIFs, and let some personality shine through — you’ll have those likes and shares rolling in no time.
- Be Authentic. Consumers these days are more advertising savvy than ever, and they know when a company isn’t being authentic — on social media and otherwise. So make sure your posts sound like they came from a human instead of a Big Advertising Machine. This will help people feel more compelled to comment and engage with you.
- Offer Exclusive Deals. Few things will spur interaction like giveaways, coupons, free shipping offers, and discounts. Consider holding contests and giving away prizes — like a popular product or service of yours — that will entice your audience to become faithful followers and customers.
- Go Live.Many companies are successfully using Facebook Live to grow their brand. You could go live with informational — yet entertaining — content about your company, feature a product or service, do a demonstration, or a myriad of other possibilities. But the most important part of going live on Facebook? Interacting with your live viewers. Monitor the comment section and answer questions live — creating an experience that almost makes it feel as if you’re in the room with your followers. From there, continue engaging with your audience about the video for days — or even weeks — to come.
- Offer Inside Information. Appeal to people’s natural curiosity by sharing tidbits of “inside” info, such as pictures of your staff and office, tricks of the trade, or compelling stats and data. This will show your followers that they can get exclusive knowledge about your company and industry just by following you.
- Ask for Feedback.As we’ve seen from sites like Yelp, people love to share their opinions about businesses — for better or worse. So if you want to boost engagement and receive honest feedback about your company, go ahead and ask. You can have people post their thoughts in the comments or send them to an outside site like Google or Yelp to post their reviews. And of course, make sure to respond to the reviews.
- Let Them In on the Ground Floor. People love to be the first to know about something. So take advantage of that and give your followers a sneak peek at a new product or service (maybe even using Facebook live). This will get them excited, provide value for being a follower, and motivate them to share what they’ve just learned.
The bottom line is to remember that social media isn’t a one-way street like a banner ad. It’s a place to build relationships and loyal customers by making it a two-way conversation. So get out there and start engaging with your followers — and even have a little fun doing it.
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