Tuesday, December 13, 2016

2 Tipsy For Tuesday: Engaging On Social Media

On Tuesdays, I will feature with two tips I've found to be particularly helpful and/or worthy of giving a try.  Tips may vary in their category and theme; some may be geared toward enhancing creativity, some will center on business or entrepreneurial topics, while others may be more generalized and fit under a "Life Hack-ish" umbrella.  In any case, my hope is these spark some thought and motivate you to try new things. :)

Today, its all about engagement in the social media world.

Tip #1: How To Improve Your Engagement

Whether you blog, post videos on YouTube, or run a Facebook page or group, don't simply throw up content for content's sake. I hear lots of complaints of lack of page views, too few email list subscribers, or stagnation in overall business growth. Its not enough to simply pump out content these days. You really need to engage your audience, regardless of your medium. Part of the process is honing in on what medium suits you best. You don't have to dominate every platform, but you do need to work with your strengths. Are you more skilled as a writer? Then blog, baby blog! Use Twitter to show off your wit and ability to communicate effectively with words. Or if the idea of staring at a blank page on your computer screen while trying to come up with just the right type of written content makes you get agita, share who you are and what you offer via video or Snapchat. But the work doesn't stop there either.  Use your medium to start a conversation. Explain how you've worked to solve a problem your target audience struggles with. Spend time participating in forums, groups, in other peoples blogs or channels and interact there too. Offer encouragement and share your experiences. People need to see you are a human being, just like they are, and they need to feel that you care about them.  This is how you build up your reputation and gain trust. This is how you form a community which will in turn, begin to see you as a go-to person. 


Tip #2: For Engagement Ideas That Get People Buzzing, Perv Top Brand Social Media Pages

Oh I feel your pain; sometimes its difficult to come up with creative, interesting and new post ideas for social media. You want material that will not only prompt "likes", but that also gets people talking and interacting with you/your brand. Have you ever spent some time perusing the Facebook pages of major brands? Check out what Coca Cola does to get their fans participating in one of their holiday campaigns:  



(Here is the full page view from their Facebook page)

What's important to note is the level of engagement prompted by a fun, creative and seasonally-appropriate contest. Contests are great ways to create a buzz and increase activity on a social media page. The tactic of encouraging fans to submit their photograph and tag about their gift-wrapping endeavors will likely keep the post relevant throughout the holiday season.  Also, look at how many views brought in by the Coca Cola video clip in the post! Videos shared on Facebook are excellent attention-getters. 

Understandably, most of us don't have the marketing budget that a major commercial brand name does, but don't let that steer you away from exploring different options and ideas.  Its not about copying the ideas of other companies, but rather to motivate your thought process on what might work for you. Poke around on some of the top brands Facebook pages and see what sparks your imagination for your own marketing campaigns and  use these as ways to come up with social media content boosters that work for you. 

Engagement is one of the most effective ways of promotion online. It may take time build confidence in the way you voice your brand, but in a sea of voices shouting and clamoring to be noticed, engagement will set you apart from the crowd. 

What are your thoughts on the engagement process? Are you having trouble coming up with the best voice for your brand? I'd love to hear about your experiences in the comments. 


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