How to Engage Your Social Media Followers

Just about every business can use social media to sell and compete today. Without social media, your business is less likely to flourish.

But how do you get your social media followers engaged and interested? Start with these tactics:

Have a Brand Defining Visual Identification System

You know instantly if you are looking at a Microsoft, Google or Apple post or ad, regardless of whether it’s on a website, in a magazine or on social media. That’s because they’ve established visual identities through their logos, fonts, colors and so forth.

Your images, logo and colors set the tone. Stay consistent and use these whenever and wherever possible.

Highlight Your Top Fans

People love to compete, even when it comes to being one of your top followers. You can gamify your audience by having a leaderboard showing the top 10 or 25 active community members.

Facebook has a Top Fan badge which will show up next to a page follower’s name. You can read about managing this Facebook feature here:

https://www.facebook.com/help/340991076472172/.

Create Authentic, Original Content

You’ve heard over and over again how important content is, so let me just say the following:

Be different and never be boring.

And make your content as interesting and entertaining as it is useful.

Ignoring is Not an Option

People might come to your social media page to praise you or fuss at you, to ask a question or just out of boredom.

Regardless of what they ask you, the rule is simple – answer them.

Sending a personal message helps too.

What if you don’t have time to answer everyone on social media? Get a virtual assistant to help you with this. Make sure they know your business and understand what you expect of them. Teach them how to sound like you, or at least sound like your brand.

And most of all, instruct your virtual assistant to always, always, always be respectful, even when someone on social media is being a complete jerk. In fact, they should be nice ESPECIALLY when someone on social media is being a complete jerk, because others are listening in on the conversation.

Drip Feed Your Audience

Drip marketing is especially useful for building anticipation when you’re about to make a major announcement or launch a new product.

And even when you’re not, providing useful or entertaining bits of social media content is a good way to stay on your customer’s minds and in their hearts.

If the only time you show up on social media is when you want to SELL something, people will notice. But if you’re there to help or offer a ray of sunshine with no agenda, they’ll notice that, too.

Build Your Authority

Never be boring, but always be giving away good stuff. By good stuff, I mean anything helpful, interesting or entertaining. YOU are the expert. YOU are the authority. Show it by showing up daily and having something to say.

Especially good – offering news or even your comments on the news, as it pertains to your niche.

Own Your Voice

Inject your personality into your social media. The worst thing you can do is sound like everyone else, or even try to please everyone else.

Decide what you stand for and who your tribe is, and then speak directly to them. Your goal isn’t to win the hearts of those who might not like you, but rather to find those people who LOVE you for who you are and what you stand for.

And if you don’t have a personality, create one. Decide who you are going to be, and then BE that person.