This week, we had another community chat hour during #ContentWritingChat! We previously had our participants vote on topics they wanted to see for future chats and many voted for a chat on social media engagement strategies. It’s always a hot topic and we knew everyone would have some amazing advice to share!
If you’ve been wanting to step up your social media engagement, get ready to take some notes and keep reading for our recap!
#ContentWritingChat Recap: Social Media Engagement Strategies
Using social media as a way to engage your audience is crucial when you’re building a presence online. It’s a powerful tool to build relationships and establish trust. But if you’re struggling to make those connections, we’re here to help! The tips in this recap will help you boost your engagement on every platform you use.
Q1: What does social media engagement look like to you?
What are you tracking when it comes to social media engagement? There are a few things that are important to measure in order to see results. Here’s what our participants look out for:
A1 I DON’T measure #socialmedia success in followers, likes, etc. I measure real convos, clicks, engagement. ? #ContentWritingChat
It’s all about the replies! There’s no denying that it’s a good feeling when people respond to the content you share online. Make sure you give them the courtesy of replying and getting the conversation started.
When you track your ROI, it tells you what’s working and what’s resonating with your audience. As Lexie said, this is important when crafting your overall social media strategy.
When you’re part of a larger team, you’ll often have to give proof that your efforts are working to those who are higher up. Track ROI and record the results in a way that’s easy to read.
Javier knows you want to measure the productiveness of your time, efforts, and money when it comes to social media.
Q3: What are the right KPIs to track social media engagement?
Now that you know the importance of tracking your efforts on social media, which metrics should you be paying attention to? This is what you need to know:
Max likes using Facebook’s analytics to see what’s not working well for him and what is. This will help you create more content that resonates with your audience so you can see better results in the future.
A3: It varies depending on the social content. Some content, like photos, are for likes. Content is for clicks, etc. #contentwritingchat
Lexie knows that what you measure will also depend on the content you’re sharing. Your goal can differ, so know what you’re hoping to achieve.
Q4: What types of content track the most engagement in your experience?
So, what kind of content reigns supreme when it comes to encouraging social media engagement? That’s going to depend on your brand and your audience! However, here are some suggestions straight from our chat:
A4
-creative
-multimedia
-relevant/of value
-concise
-emotional (storytelling)
-consistent
Julia has seen great results from visuals we’ve shared, especially infographics. She even notices collaborative content that features others has gotten plenty of engagement.
Make sure your content solves problems your audience is facing to provide tremendous value. Martin also said content that engages asks questions. It’s a great way to get people talking.
A4: Content that address the customers NEEDS and PROBLEMS. If you’re not spending time identifying buyers, don’t bother. #ContentWritingChat
Q6: How do you manage engagement across multiple social media platforms?
Considering most of us are using numerous social media platforms in our daily lives, it can be a lot of work to manage them all. How can you get the job done with minimal stress? Take a look at this advice to help make your social media tasks a little easier:
Here at Express Writers, we rely on MeetEdgar to keep our social media queues filled with great content.
Q7: Where are brands going wrong on social media in terms of engagement?
Unfortunately, a lot of brands are still getting it wrong when it comes to social media engagement. Make sure you avoid making the same mistakes by reading this advice:
A7. Trying to be everywhere, instead of really being there for their customers on a couple of channels. #contentwritingchat
Jason feels brands need to share content that actually drives conversations and feedback. If you’re not, you’re missing out on value information! He also said to reply back when you receive responses to get the conversation going.
A7. Where to begin with this Q? ? No interaction or convo with their communities. Constant self-promotion/broadcasting. #ContentWritingChat
Ken knows that self-promotion is fine, but you can’t forget about engagement. Engagement should be something you do on a regular basis to build relationships with your audience.
A7
Be “human”
Show genuine interest
Follow up
Listen
Be appreciative
Empathize
Ask Qs
Be proactive
Be human and show genuine interest! Listen to what people are saying, ask questions, and take the time to respond. Gaby knows that being social is a must on social media, after all!
Q8: What are your favorite resources for learning about social media?
In order to step-up your social media engagement, you should stay updated on what’s going on in the field. There are plenty of resources you can turn to for this! Here are some great ideas:
A8. Twitter chats like this one! Seriously, I learn so much from other people’s experiences. #ContentWritingChat
Sarah knows being present on social media is really the best way to learn about social media. Be active on the platforms you use and don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things to see what works for you.
Join us for #ContentWritingChat every Tuesday at 10 AM Central Time! Be sure to follow @ExpWriters and @writingchat for the latest!
Are you wondering how you can see more Twitter engagement? If so, you aren’t alone! It’s a great platform for sharing content and connecting with your audience, but sometimes it’s hard to actually get noticed. In this week’s #ContentWritingChat, we asked everyone to share their best Twitter engagement strategies so we can all earn more retweets and replies.
#ContentWritingChat Recap: Twitter Engagement Strategies with Gabriela Cardoza
Our guest host this Tuesday was Gabriela Cardoza. She’s a personal and corporate brand consultant, which you can learn more about on her site. Gaby has been a participant of #ContentWritingChat for some time now and she sure knows how to stand out in all the chats she joins. She stepped in as our guest host to share Twitter engagement strategies that all of us can put to use! If that sounds like just what you need, keep reading for the recap!
Q1: What is your favorite thing about Twitter?
To kick off the chat, we posed a very simple question to our participants. We asked them to share their favorite thing about Twitter so we could learn why they love it so much. Wondering what our favorite thing about Twitter is? It’s definitely #ContentWritingChat! Here’s what some others had to say:
A1
Twitter
exposes you
to new:
opportunities
friendships
experiences
info
perspectives
Gaby likes Twitter because of the all the amazing things it exposes her to. She mentioned that it’s a great platform for finding opportunities, friendships, experiences, information, perspectives, and more chances to learn.
A1: The relationships! You can find like-minded people through hashtags. #contentwritingchat
Twitter really is one of the best social media platforms for anyone looking to build relationships. You can do a quick keyword or hashtag search to find like-minded people to connect with.
A1a: The ability to connect and have valuable convos with those in my industry across the world & share ideas/tips! #ContentWritingChat
— Rebecca Wegscheid (@MarketerRebecca) July 25, 2017
Rebecca likes that Twitter gives you the ability to connect with others and have valuable conversations. It’s allowed her to reach people in her industry, as well as those around the world.
Jason loves that Twitter makes it easy to connect with people and brands. People are certainly more open to starting a conversation on the platform, which makes it easier to grow your network.
A1 Twitter offers access to professional development in real time Twitter chats, and leads to offline relationships #contentwritingchat
Bill knows just how effective Twitter chats can be. He mentioned that they give you access to professional development in real-time. Being present on Twitter can even lead to building offline relationships as well.
As Sarah said, it’s instant! When you head to Twitter, you can get a variety of news before other platforms are picking up on it. So many people choose to head to Twitter for the latest in breaking news. Sarah also likes having the ability to connect with people across the globe through the platform.
A1: The global reach with the ability to build relationships and learn from others around the ? #ContentWritingChat
— Danielle Bullen Love (@daniellewriter) July 25, 2017
Danielle loves the learning opportunities Twitter has presented her with. She uses it as a tool to find articles on writing and social media that she wouldn’t have discovered otherwise.
A1 Twitter allows you to toggle between the personal and professional. Can’t do that on LinkedIn, and it’s tricky on FB. #ContentWritingChat
Ken feels Twitter allows you to toggle between personal and professional much more easily than other platforms. He said it doesn’t happen on LinkedIn and it’s tricky to do on Facebook.
Q2: What can you do to ensure you’re growing your Twitter account with quality followers?
When it comes down to it, a few quality followers will always beat a large following that isn’t engaging. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t put in the work to grow your audience! If you’re wondering how you can reach more people, take a look at these tips:
Gaby said you need to have a strategy in place if you want results. She encourages you to know your purpose, your message, and your goals. You also can’t forget to define who your audience is so you can reach the right people. Once you’ve found your people, make sure you’re engaging with them.
Sarah’s advice is to make sure you’re reaching out and interacting with the right audience. If you’re going to be on a social media platform, you need to be present by engaging with others.
This is advice everyone needs to remember! You have to be willing to put in the effort and engaging with your followers. Ask questions to get the conversation going. When they reply to you, take the time to respond.
Jason suggests joining Twitter chats that are of interest to you. They provide a great opportunity to meet new people. He also said to reach out to those who align with your own vision. But most importantly, you need to be yourself. That’s what people will be drawn to.
A2: Connect with people, stay involved. Participate in chats and follow. Provide excellent content. #ContentWritingChat
Brandie’s tips include: connecting with people, staying involved, participating in chats, and providing excellent content. Sounds like a winning formula to us!
A2: make sure you’re tweeting quality content! and take part in great twitter chats like this one 🙂 #ContentWritingChat
Cheval also knows that it’s important to provide your audience with valuable content. However, he also pointed out that you should show your audience that you care. They’re human just like you. Show that you’re listening and that you appreciate them. That’s key if you want them to stick around.
Q3: How can you make sure the posts you share on Twitter encourage engagement?
If you find that the content you post on Twitter isn’t sparking engagement, something needs to change. Luckily, you aren’t doomed forever if that’s been the case for you! Our chat participants shared some helpful Twitter engagement strategies specifically for creating amazing content. Check it out:
Gaby’s advice is to ensure your posts consistently offer value. You can do that by knowing your audience, your market, and your industry. Keep their wants, needs, and interests in mind to create the content that will resonate with them.
If you want engagement, you need to engage yourself. People don’t want to engage with someone who isn’t listening or responding. It’s a two-way street!
It really all goes back to knowing your audience and understanding what they want. As Jason said, you have to provide them with content they’d want to engage with. You can ask questions or share something that would pique their interests to get a conversation started.
A3) Don’t just post!
Add thoughts
Insights
Ask Q’s
Think of it as a IRL conversation.#ContentWritingChat
Jose knows you shouldn’t just post absentmindedly. He encourages you to add your thoughts and ask questions just like you would in a real life conversation.
Tony suggests asking a question, including a poll, stating an opinion, or including a link to outside content. He also said you can add a photo or GIF, which can be helpful in getting others talking.
Customer service and community management are both so important, especially on Twitter. Start a dialogue with people and show that you genuinely care when you’re connecting with them.
A3 ? You HAVE to be consistent on Twitter to earn engagement. If you drop off, the conversation moves on w/o you. #ContentWritingChat
And finally, make sure you’re consistent. As Julia said, the conversation will go on whether you’re there or not. Make sure you’re present if you want to make connections.
Q4: What’s your best advice for getting the conversation flowing with your audience?
Sometimes it’s hard to get the conversation started. Whether you’re feeling shy on social media or just don’t know where to begin, this can be an overwhelming experience. It doesn’t have to be though! Check out these tips to start the conversation and keep it going:
Gaby said you really have to be proactive when it comes to conversations. She encourages you to ask questions, follow-up with people, and just say hi. You have to be social and take a genuine interest in others if you want to build real relationships.
Sarah said you shouldn’t wait for someone to notice you. Put yourself out there and strike up a conversation with someone you want to connect with. All you have to do is say hello. As she pointed out, it’s just like starting a conversation in real life.
A4 Don’t wait for people to respond to you. Respond to them. Take the initiative. #ContentWritingChat
What’s a simple way to get the conversation started? Ask a question! Danielle’s advice is to figure out what they care about and ask a question they’ll feel called to answer.
You can also ask for their opinion on something. As Jason said, it’s important to communicate that you want to hear from people. They’ll feel valued and appreciated when you acknowledge their responses.
Varun even encourages building a Twitter list of people you’d like to keep up with. You can monitor that list and join any relevant conversations you come across.
A4. Participate in Twitter chats or host your own twitter chat. #contentwritingchat
Joining Twitter chats is another way to make starting conversations easier. Chats bring people together and everyone is more open to making connections there. You can even host your own!
Jenn said you shouldn’t talk AT your audience, but WITH them. Make sure you’re responding, engaging, and interacting. The whole point of social media is to be social, so don’t forget this crucial step.
Q5: How can Twitter chats help you grow your audience? Any tips for making the most of them?
If you haven’t participated in a Twitter chat before, you’re probably wondering what all the fuss is about. Fortunately, you don’t have to wonder any longer! We asked our chat participants to share how they can help you grow your audience, plus a few tips to really make them work for you. Check it out:
Gaby said Twitter chats allow you to meet others with similar interests and can help relationships flourish. Joining chats on a regular basis is one of our best Twitter engagement strategies.
As Sarah said, chats bring like-minded people together and allow them to share their insights and stories. They provide the perfect opportunity for networking.
A5: Chats help you start multiple conversations in a short period of time! It’s a great way to get a foot in the door. #contentwritingchat
Carla pointed out that by joining Twitter chats, you can gain visibility through the hashtag. You’re also able to engage with others who are participating and you can position yourself as an expert with the responses you share.
A5: Twitter chats allow you to share your opinion & expertise so others can get a feel for the person behind the handle! #ContentWritingChat
Once you find chats that are relevant to your industry, you can join them to start making connections. Make sure you’re prepared to answer questions and respond to others.
Q6: How do you know if the content you share is helping you reach your goals on Twitter?
Are those tweets helping you reach your end goal? If you aren’t sure, we’ve got some advice to help you figure it out! Check out these responses from the chat:
Gaby suggests referring back to your social media strategy. Set objectives for yourself and track the data you receive. You can use Twitter analytics to do this, which is totally free.
As Lori said, it all starts with knowing your goals. You can then track the appropriate metrics and make any tweaks if needed. Keep an eye on your metrics to see how you’re progressing.
Julia recommends tracking profile reach and site analytics to see if you’re driving high engagement rates. She uses Twitonomy to do this.
Q7: Do you rely on any tools to help you connect with your Twitter followers?
There are tons of tools out there we can use for Twitter. Do you use any? If you’re in search of some new ones to check out, take a look at these recommendations from our chat:
Sabjan relies on Buffer for scheduling content, but when it comes to automation, it’s all him. He keeps it real when communicating with others.
Q8: Which brands do an amazing job at engaging their audience on Twitter? Tag them!
We can learn a lot from what other brands are doing online. Are there any that are killing it when it comes to Twitter engagement strategies? Check out these brands:
Although social media continues to change, one thing that hasn’t is how important it is for online brands to be present there. If you’re not actively using social media and engaging with your audience on those platforms, you’re missing out on an incredible opportunity to grow your business. Despite how popular it is, there are still many brands who just aren’t sure how to do social media the right way. In our latest #ContentWritingChat, we talked about engaging your audience on social media and learned some really great tips!
#ContentWritingChat Recap: The Best Strategies for Engaging Your Audience on Social Media with Meera Sapra
Our guest host for this week’s chat was Meera Sapra. Meera is the Product Manager over at Zoho Social and she plays a large role in the brand’s social media presence. She shared a lot of helpful advice on engaging your audience during Tuesday’s chat, so let’s dive into the recap!
Q1: What does engagement on social media look like for your brand? Which metrics do you typically measure?
When it comes to success on social media, brands all have different goals they’re aiming to reach. To kick off the chat, we asked everyone to share what kind of engagement their brand looks for online and which metrics are most important to them.
As Meera said, it’s so important to measure what matters. The metrics that are most important to you might not matter so much to other brands. You may even set different goals based on the campaigns you produce. This is why it’s key to set goals for your content and create and measure with them in mind.
A1: The metrics vary based on the goal of the post. It might be likes, shares, or link clicks, etc. #contentwritingchat
Again, metrics can vary based on the goal of your social media post. You might be aiming for likes, shares, link clicks, or something else. It all depends!
A1. Engagement = clicks, conversions from our social presence! We measure for highest-performing posts using @buffer. #ContentWritingChat
As Julia said, clicks and conversions are two things we always measure here at Express Writers. We want to see that social media followers are taking action by heading over to our website and making conversions (whether that be email sign-ups or sales). Buffer has been a helpful tool when it comes to measure the success of our content.
Jenn knows the goals for his brand and he intends to monitor engagement from his audience as well as referral traffic she receives from social media.
A1: Comments / Replies are the highest form of complement for engagement. Apart from that, we always like to those RTs! #ContentWritingChat
— Digital Natives Cast (@DgtlNativesCast) May 16, 2017
Comments and replies are always great to measure on social media because it’s nice to see that your content gets your audience talking. Use it as an opportunity to engage with them in return and start building a relationship.
For Sara, she has a few different metrics she likes to keep an eye on. They include engagement rate, video views, lead generation, and she monitors what people are saying.
Q2: To reach your audience, you have to be present on social media. How do you choose the platforms that are right for you?
With so many social media platforms out there, it can sometimes feel a little overwhelming. It can even leave you wondering which platforms you should really be investing your time in. Here’s some advice to help you choose the ones that are worthwhile for your brand:
@ExpWriters A2. Instead of spreading yourself too thin, focus your efforts on the networks that matter the most. #ContentWritingChat
Meera is spot-on with her answer for this question. As she said, you don’t want to spread yourself too thin. Focus on the social media platforms that matter the most for your brand. That’s going to be different from what other brands are doing, so determine what’s best for you.
A2: To know the demo of your audience is incredibly important. That then determines the platforms you should be using. #ContentWritingChat
— Roslyn Wertheimer ? (@RE_Wertheimer) May 16, 2017
As Roslyn said, you need to know the demographics of your target audience. This will guide you in the right direction because you can figure out which platforms they’re using the most.
Varun agrees that you need to be where your target audience is hanging out online. Once you figure that out, you can begin building a community there and be part of their conversation. That’s key to engaging your audience on social media.
This is another great way to look at it. Determine where your audience is online and asking questions and be there yourself. This is your opportunity to answer the questions they have and share your expertise.
Zala recommends also considering what your goals are and which platforms feel the most natural to you. If a platform just doesn’t feel right for you and your brand, that’s okay. Give it a good try and if it doesn’t work, move on to something else.
Elizabeth shared one key piece of advice we all need to keep in mind: don’t overwhelm yourself with tons of platforms to manage. You don’t need to be everywhere online. Instead, focus on the platforms that your audience is using and that will be the most beneficial to you.
Q3: What types of content receive the most engagement on social media? How do you know when something works for your brand?
When you’re focused on engaging your audience on social media, you have to create the content that’s going to resonate with them. Your posts will need to inspire them to take action. So, what content types receive the most engagement and how do you know when something truly works for you? Check out this advice:
A3.1 Visual and video content is most popular on social media. #ContentWritingChat
Meera knows you really can’t go wrong with visual content on social media. Great graphics and videos can really help you stand out online and are so helpful when it comes to engaging your audience. They’ll really grab their attention!
Always keep in mind that what resonates with your audience will be different from what resonates with other audiences. Don’t be afraid to experiment with new ideas and test them to see what works and what doesn’t. It’s also important to set goals so you know exactly what you’re trying to achieve and can measure it accordingly.
Julia knows that infographics perform really well online, as they tend to receive a lot of likes and shares. She also knows that they work really well for us here at Express Writers because they gain a lot of traction and our audience responds well to them. If you haven’t tried creating infographics for your brand, you might want to give it a go!
@ExpWriters A3. Live video gets the most engagement on social media because people are chatting with you in real time #contentwritingchat
Cheval knows that live video is very popular right now. It’s a great opportunity for brands to chat with their audience in real time and it’s worth taking advantage of this.
As Tony said, images and videos tend to receive more engagement than a social media post that’s just text and a link. Think about this the next time you’re filling up that Buffer queue! Great copy is also a must if you want to inspire people to take action.
A3: Visuals are huge. GIFs are really big right now…clearly based on how often we use them during this chat. #contentwritingchat
And there’s no denying that GIFs are awesome when engaging your audience on social media. Not only do they stand out in a busy timeline, but they’re fun and help you connect with your audience on another level when they spark a conversation.
Q4: How do you write a headline that encourages clicks on social media?
If you’re using social media as a way to direct traffic back to your website, you need to know some key tips and tricks for writing copy that pushes people to take action by making the click. Check out these tips for writing a captivating headline:
A4. #ContentWritingChat Try to follow the KISSER approach for headlines. Keep It Short Simple Engaging and Relevant.
If you want to encourage clicks, you need to write a headline that leaves people wanting more. Make it captivating, but never mislead anyone with clickbait. It’ll turn people off very quickly.
@ExpWriters A4: When crafting headlines, I think about what problems I’m trying to solve for my audience and how they might search. #ContentWritingChat
It also helps to think of the problems you’re solving for your audience. Katie said she considers how her audience might be searching when crafting her perfect headline.
— Digital Natives Cast (@DgtlNativesCast) May 16, 2017
Adding some personality always helps you stand out from the crowd and plays a huge role in engaging your audience on social media. Don’t be afraid to be yourself because people get turned off by brands that are too robotic or automated.
It’s okay if you need to brainstorm a few ideas for your headline as well. You want to make sure it’s great! Ask yourself if it’s something you’d click and if it is, you’ve done your job.
For even more tips, check out this guide to writing headlines that Julia put together for our blog!
Q5: How can you inspire your audience to take action and convert via social media?
One thing we’re always seeking more of online is easily conversions. But how exactly do you inspire people to take that next step and convert with your brand? Check out this advice from the chat:
As Meera said, a great call to action is key. Let people know what that next step is by telling them. Don’t just sit back and expect them to figure it out on their own. Sharing stories from current customers is always a great way to encourage sales from those who are on the fence.
A5: Engage with them. Don’t simply post. You need to make them feel like you actually care that they follow you. #contentwritingchat
Make sure you take the time for actually engaging your audience on social media. Start up a conversation with them. Answer their questions. You can’t just schedule posts and walk away. You have to be present on social media in order to see success, so let them know you’re there and you’re listening.
A5. Foster the conversation and work on building the relationship between customer + brand to inspire action/conversion. #ContentWritingChat
Jessy agrees that it’s important to work on building the relationship between your brand and your customers. Connect with them via conversations on social media and they’ll begin to trust your brand. Once you’ve built that relationship, they’ll be more likely to convert.
A5 Don’t forget the simple things! Optimize your bio with a great offer/link, balance sharing useful/promotional posts. #ContentWritingChat
As Julia said, make sure you don’t forget the simple things. Optimize your social media bio with your offer and a link and also balance sharing useful and promotional posts on your platforms.
Q6: Do you use a social media editorial calendar to plan content? If so, how do you plan efficiently for best results?
By now, you’ve probably heard all about the benefits of using an editorial calendar to plan content for your blog. But have you ever thought of using one for social media? If not, you should! Here’s what some of Tuesday’s chat participants had to say about planning social media content:
@ExpWriters A6. Your social media calendar should be in sync with your brand’s broader marketing calendar and content goals. #ContentWritingChat
Meera recommends keeping your social media editorial calendar in sync with your brand’s overall marketing calendar and content goals. This will ensure you’re staying on track!
A6: We try to keep our editorial calendar loose but effective. It outlines topics and industry focuses for us each month #ContentWritingChat
— Digital Natives Cast (@DgtlNativesCast) May 16, 2017
The Digital Natives cast sees the importance of having an editorial calendar. The key, as mentioned, is to keep it loose. You can plan out your content all you want, but you should also be flexible and adapt your plan as needed.
On the flip side, not everyone feels the need to plan in advance. Lex doesn’t rely on a social media editorial calendar and instead focuses on things the day of.
Q7: Which tools do you rely on to keep up with your audience and engage with them on social media?
With so many tools available today, managing social media is so much easier than it once was. If you’re looking for some tools to help you out, check out these suggestions:
@ExpWriters A 7. I’m going to be biased on this one and say Zoho Social. We tried a lot of tools before we decided to build it. #ContentWritingChat
Julia is a fan of Applebee’s, Corner Bakery, and Wendy’s.
@writingchat A8: We’ve been talking about Wendys in our recent episodes, they’ve got a well-deserved crown for engagement right now #ContentWritingChat
— Digital Natives Cast (@DgtlNativesCast) May 16, 2017
And she’s not the only one! Wendy’s is killing it on Twitter these days. Take a look at their Twitter and you’re sure to learn a thing or two about engaging your audience.
Content Marketing Institute is another great example, especially since they run a Twitter chat of their own! Chats are a great way to encourage engagement with your brand.
Join us every Tuesday at 10 AM CST for #ContentWritingChat! Follow @ExpWriters and @writingchat to stay updated on topics and guests.
Social media engagement is not only vital to your content marketing, but it can also be extremely fun. When you get people commenting on your posts, re-tweeting your content, and sharing your Facebook posts, you might go ahead & do a little jig. Social media engagement is what can propel you from just another business to a viral sensation, as we’ve all watched over the last few years. But how do you get great social media engagement that not only brings people to your website, but also helps you on the road to viral content? Let’s take a quick look at a few quick copywriting hacks that can help you out!
1. Follow The Four C’s. Isn’t it nice when someone not only gives you some great tips, but also gives you an easy way to remember the tips? Well, Buffer does just that with a great blog post about driving more social media engagement. What are the four C’s? They are:
Clear
Concise
Compelling
Credible
Let’s unpack this for a bit. What does it mean to post clear, concise, compelling, and credible content on social media? It means that you need to make sure your audience knows what you are talking about, but you need to keep it short. Longer posts on social media might get your post skipped over, and Twitter doesn’t allow for lengthy posts! You also need to have content that is compelling so that you get shares, likes, and comments – engagement. Credible content is vital no matter what content it is; this will help keep you as a trusted source, instead of one that people question.
2. Name A Problem And Solve It. Another great way to drive engagement is to name a problem that is common for your readership, and answer or solve it. When you state the problem, make sure to agitate it a bit before solving it. This can get more people to read your post. You don’t want to give too much away, but this is a great opportunity to get your social media content shared, which can bring in more clients.
3. Follow The Four U’s. In the same Buffer article I mentioned in point one, another great formula is the four U’s. Again, this is a great way to remember an important and helpful formula and is great when you go about crafting a Twitter post. Just what are these U’s? Let’s take a look!
Useful: If you don’t tweet something useful to your followers, you are likely to be skipped and not receive much engagement.
Urgent: Urgency on social media can really help get the clicks and shares from your clients.
Unique: You want to make sure you stand out from your competitors, so offer something unique that people will enjoy seeing.
Ultra-specific: Being specific can really help with writing Twitter posts. Specific posts can help you stay within or below the 140-character limit.
4. Curate Some Incredible Content. Social Media Today says that when it comes to driving engagement on social media, you need to make sure you are curating some great content for your various channels. You want to keep things fresh and interesting for your viewers, which is why content curation is key to having a successful campaign. Consider having a bookmark folder of great content ideas for your social media campaign. This helps you keep it all together in one, organized location.
5. Use Those Memes. When it comes to social media, you have to make sure you are staying up on the latest trends. This means, don’t hesitate to use memes. If you take a quick glance at your Facebook or Twitter feed, you will see that many people seem to enjoy memes quite a lot. You can create your own by finding meme generators or using stock images for your own quotes or jokes. People like to share images, and you will find that you get more engagement on images than on posts without any pictures.
6. Make Customer Involvement Easy As 1-2-3. When you have something such as a giveaway, make sure it is easy for your customers to get involved. You don’t want to have them jump through numerous hoops to get to the place they want to be simply because they are likely to leave. If you encourage people to follow you on social media for an entry into the giveaway, you might see that you get an increase in social engagement and more people following and sharing your items.
7. Give Shout Outs To Customers. One thing that sets social media apart from any other form of marketing is how you can make it personal, according to Social Media Examiner. You don’t have to get chummy with people, but simply by doing something such as giving a shout out to a customer can really boost your engagement. A shout out is simply just mentioning your client by name or Twitter handle, and thanking them. You will find more people are willing to use your company if they see that you are willing to talk to or give a shout out for others. When you give a shout out, make sure you do something that isn’t too generic. Give it a personal, friendly feel!
8. Hold Live-Streamed Google Hangouts. Another way you might be able to increase engagement is to live-stream your various Google Hangouts you have with clients or coworkers. You can give a talk on a particular subject, linking to a live video of your discussion. When you do this, make sure that people know that they can send in their questions if you want to encourage discussion. This can be a great way for customers to ask important questions and get a live, personal answer from you!
9. Use Quality Images And Videos. Quality is not just for written content but is also for image and video content, as well. According to Jeff Bullas, high-quality images can help you stand out from your competition. A great way to make sure you have high-quality images and videos is to hire someone who has skills in those areas. Sometimes, you may need to hire a third party, but there are times where you can hire individuals to work in your office or for your company. People are more likely to engage and share your photos and videos if they are of a higher quality than many of the things they see shared around the web.
10. Interact With Your Clients. When you are trying to promote engagement, you should also make sure that you are interacting with your clients and followers. You could have several people commenting, liking and sharing, but that will eventually dwindle if you do not respond to people. You can simply like various posts, but it is a great idea to comment to the individual, letting them know you have read and appreciated their comment.
Another great way to interact with your clients is to go to their favorite websites to find things that interest them. You can do this by sending out a survey or through reading different research blogs about various demographics. Once you have found these resources, you can start crafting some excellent social content that will produce some incredible engagement with your clients.
11. Have A Sense Of Humor. Don’t be afraid to use that funny bone! Of course, you need to be careful with your humor, but it can be a great mechanism to get people to engage with you. The world is filled with enough sadness, making many people appreciate humorous posts. You should always make sure your humorous posts are in good taste, and consider your social media posts and what they say after large, tragic events. A few key things to remember with humor are:
Research and know your audience before you make a humorous post.
Make sure the joke is obvious to your followers.
Never, ever offend people.
Hire someone who is incredibly hilarious to write your humorous social posts.
Utilize pop culture to create jokes and humorous social posts that will be shared by followers.
12. Reward Your Clients For Social Engagement. In his article mentioned in point nine, Jeff Bullas says that a great way to produce engagement is to reward your fans. As I discussed earlier, you can do shout outs, comment on your posts in response to clients, and do basic interaction with them. However, you can always go above and beyond, which will help maintain your clients, keeping them happy. For example, take a look at Adagio Teas. Clients get “frequent cup” points to put towards free tea from the company if they mentioned the company on Twitter, share a tea review on Facebook, and other forms of promotional marketing for the company. It’s free for both Adagio and clients, and the clients get a great reward. Who wouldn’t want free tea?
13. Keep Things Interesting And Diverse. You don’t want to keep posting the same posts every day; you will want to shake things up. In the post by Social Media Today mentioned in point four, the writer suggests that you keep your social posts interesting and diverse by adding humor, memes, links to your site, and anything else that works for your company. This will help maintain interest in your social posts, and promote more engagement for you.
Social Media Engagement Success: In Closing
By using these great copywriting hacks, you will find that you have a more successful social media campaign. Not only will these drive engagement, but they will also boost your website’s traffic and help bring in some great revenue! Try these out and see just how much they help you on the road to success.
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