Having a business on social media is a good business decision. However, posting on your social media profiles may be wasting your time. So stick with us, and we’ll help you understand and improve your social media engagement.
Social media remains the best way to reach potential customers online. Why? Because chances are, that’s where your customers hang out. The social network your customers use will depend on the demographics of the social network. To find out what social media platforms are the best for your business, read “Social Media Platforms for Business.”
Social networks have come a long way, but with the depth of their algorithms, it has become increasingly difficult to “fool” a social network.
“What does that even mean?” you ask.
There are plenty of apps and tools to help you manage your social media accounts. Apps that will create posts, schedule, repost, comment, like, share, follow, unfollow, direct message, and more… ALL on your behalf. Yes, a computer program can do this all for you, but the problem is that as complex as these programs are, they can still be detected by social media algorithms like computers.
Most social networks have policies and strict guidelines for using third-party software to manage your social media profiles. In fact, when you post through a third-party platform to Facebook, they know, and their algorithm restricts the percentage of people who see your posts even more than usual. Post directly to Facebook, and you will see greater engagement.
Why is Social Media Engagement Important
All this to say, organic is always best. Take time daily to comment, like, share, send messages, etc. When you are investing time in your social profiles, it shows. The average person can tell when a bot comments on their post versus a human. Human interaction and engagement can be the slowest way to grow, but the quality of fans and followers can never be matched by computer programs. Quality always trumps quantity when seeking new customers on social media.
If you are considering a social media posting app, read our article “Dos and Don’ts of Social Media Automation.”
The most helpful advice I can give any small business owner regarding social media posting is to never post for posting-sake. In other words, make your posts count. If you post just to fill space or be active on social media, forget it. It’s useless to post something that isn’t going to improve your social media engagement.
Engagement is the name of the game.
For example, when you post something to Facebook, their algorithm shows your post to about 2% of your fanbase. If there is engagement in the form of a like, comment, share, etc., in the first few minutes after posting, the algorithm determines, “Hey, this is an engaging post; let’s show it to a few more people and see what happens.” If the post receives more engagement, the ball starts rolling.
As a small business owner, you must find content that is engaging and enjoyed by your audience. This can be tough because you want to post content that matches your brand and message. Therefore, videos of cats and babies may not cut it. Finding the type of content that resonates with your fanbase takes time.
How to Increase Social Media Engagement
Ask for an Opinion
People love to give their opinion. So whether it’s a poll or a simple question, you will find this a great source to improve your social media engagement.
Post Memes About Your Industry
Tasteful humour makes people smile and share. So why not put a smile on their face and some joy in their hearts? Emotion always gets tremendous interaction.
Helpful Information
An obvious choice, but often difficult to gauge what will engage and what won’t.
News that affects your industry, hacks, tips, etc., can all entice interaction, comments, shares and likes. Well-done infographics are also a great way to get shares and likes.
Share Other Popular Posts
If you see a post going viral on a similar page, share it, but only share posts from companies that are not your direct competitors.
Use Visual Media
Use images, videos and gifs to grab the attention of the audience. Media tends to get more interaction than text and links.
User-Generated Media
Get your fanbase to send in pics using your products, assuming you sell a product. Post it and thank them. They will share it with all their friends.
Give Something Away
If you have a product, maybe encourage sharing, liking commenting in exchange for an entry to your giveaway. Depending on the product, this can be huge for engagement and page growth!
Most of all, BE YOU! People relate to “real” conversation and personality. You will draw people if you put forth the best version of yourself. Avoid weightier topics like religion and politics, and you’ll do alright.
Mix in some human interaction to get better engagement if you use a third-party plugin to manage your social media accounts. Digital marketing is always an option to improve your social media engagement.
Have a trick that you found works for your small business? Message us; we’d love to hear and even include it in a future edit.
