Social Media is essential to any business.
Period.
The power of social media isn’t much of a secret nowadays, but to HARNESS that power is something that still eludes many.
If your goal is to be taken seriously as a credible business in 2019 and beyond, having an online presence is imperative.
The ability to reach thousands of consumers in your community and instantly connect with them is at your fingertips.
So what’s the best way to go about it?
For starters, being part of your COMMUNITY is a great way for you be integrated into the culture of your audience. Also, being available to answer any questions or concerns someone may have in a timely manner can have a significant impact on how they view your brand and if they’ll consider doing business with you.
Interested in learning more?
Here are 5 methods that will exponentially increase the amount of engagement and interest your pages receive on a daily basis.
Keep the Content Organic
It’s important to keep your content fresh and original. You want your audience to be “on their toes” in terms of what to expect from your page. Some examples of this can be found in step 5. However, the BULK of your content should be focussed on YOU and YOUR business. Pictures and videos of anything pertaining to your business will see a great amount of success online. It’s because YOU are what your audience cares about. YOU’RE why they “like” or follow your page. YOU helped them when they needed assistance.
They don’t want to be bombarded with offerings to buy services all the time. They get enough of that logging online as it is. Most people log onto social media to get a glimpse into the life of those they care about. While other forms of content have their place and can certainly be effective, the MAJORITY of your content should be centered around the human aspects of your business.
Here’s a list with some examples of organic posts that see great success on Facebook:
– In-office events – Contests/giveaways
– Accomplishments
– Special Occasions – Birthdays/Work anniversaries/New babies being born
– Testimonials – Case studies
– Photos/videos of normal day-to-day activities at the office with everyone looking happy and excited. This is to create the perception that your place of work is a lively place of positivity.
These are just some of the things that will increase engagement and help build a sense of community on your page.
Pictures are Good, Videos are Better
Videos are king of the Facebook algorithm.
It’s easy to mindlessly speed-scroll through your Facebook feed and get the gist of an image and what it’s all about. Videos, however, may need more time to understand their full meaning and could be more inviting to engage with than an image.
Videos can have an array of different topics, all of which can be successful on social media. Whether educational or humorous, expect success with the implementation of videos in your social media strategy. With the help of videos, you have an opportunity to build the perception that your business is overflowing with positive energy.
Pay Attention to Trends
The internet loves trends. Many internet trends can come and go in the blink of a digital eye, but when they come, jump on it. Two dance crazes that swept the nation this year were the Keke Dance Challenge and the Floss Dance which was popularized by the video game Fortnite. Both of these are easy to learn and will DOMINATE almost all other types of posts. In general, trends like these are IDEAL to participate in if you’re looking to increase engagement level on your pages.
Your audience can relate to these trends and will appreciate the effort you put forward in creating something FOR THEM.
It’s also important to know your audience.
Not only know them but produce content that will APPEAL to them.
Your audience is following you because they’re a fan of what you do, so don’t post anything that’s too off-topic.
The demographics of your followers should be well known before creating posts.
Certain trends will appeal to an audience more than others, so be mindful of who you’re producing content for. Content that’s popular with teenage boys may not be as popular with middle aged mothers.
Don’t give them a reason to unfollow.
Have a Boosting Budget
This is a FANTASTIC tool that can give a serious charge to your brand’s awareness. Boosting your posts can force your content into the feed of potential consumers that may have never heard of your business. There are different methods at your disposal to target your most ideal audience for your posts.
Dr. Ogbara is a dentist in Chicago. His posts generally reach around 30-50 users with 2-6 clicks. After boosting a post that linked to his website, his post reached over 7,000 users, had 180 likes, and over 40 shares.
Having individuals outside of your regular audience see this type of positive feedback on your post is PRICELESS and it’s an opportunity that should not be taken lightly. While you’re free to boost any type of post of your choosing, the most ideal post to boost would be the one that links back to your website and turn a viewer into a potential lead.
Compared to most forms of paid advertising, this is one of the more affordable avenues. One that is completely customizable and completely in YOUR control.
Don’t skip out on this.
Diversify Your Content
There are a plethora of different options to post on social media. As stated earlier, while the bulk of your content should be focussed on you and your business, it’s important to keep your content FRESH so not to bore your audience. It’s sort of like having steak for dinner every night. You love steak. You’ll never really get TIRED of steak. It’s just good to have some variety every now and then, right? The variety will help you appreciate the steak more.
YOU and YOUR FOLLOWERS should never get complacent about the content that’s being produced. It should always keep the creator and the consumer stimulated or intrigued in some manner. Some examples of engagement-friendly, non-organic content would be:
- Infographics. These see the most success in terms of non-organic images.
- Links to relevant articles or blogs that relate to your brand.
- Images that entice engagement or friendly debate.
- Links to your website, namely service pages.
- Humorous images or memes related to your business.
Supplementary posts like these should help give the audience a wide range of posts that may appeal to them and potentially encourage them to engage with your content.
Every page is different. Every audience will have unique perspectives and interests.
The most important thing is to be REAL. Not to be someone who is constantly trying to sell a product. Connect with users, engage with them, and they’ll feel comfortable purchasing your services naturally.
The positive energy you emit from your content will translate to your audience.
The goal is for users to see your content, see your logo, and associate good feelings with both.
The landscape of social media will continue to change and evolve.
Evolve with it, or risk being left behind in a cloud of cyber dust.