Step 5. Engage
Congrats on making it to Step 5 – Engage. Just because you have Content, Branding, Goals and Research covered, doesn’t mean your job is done. Engaging is a critical component of all social media management.
Charlie Rose, considered one of the best interview hosts of our time, was recently asked by Stephen Colbert on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, “what’s the best advice you can give to somebody about getting people to open up to you?” Mr. Rose’s response was simple, “engage, listen, and follow up.” You should remember and apply these three keys to your social media management.
Once you’ve scheduled your posts for the week(s) you will need to monitor and stay on top of your accounts for any activity. You must engage with your audience, not just talk at them. Social media in its purest form is just communication, and communication is a two-way street. By engaging, Mr. Rose explained, “you want them to know that you care.” As a business you would be no where without your customers, especially your loyal customers. Engage with your core audience, don’t let their goodwill go to waste.
There are multiple ways to increase engagement on your accounts. Create a group or forum for your audience to communicate to each other. Hold a Q&A allowing your followers to ask questions on your Twitter or Facebook accounts. Create a contest asking participants to upload photos or videos of themselves. Ask your audience open-ended questions for them to comment on your post with their opinions. Ask your followers to share and retweet – when you specifically ask for a share or retweet you are more likely to get it. These are just some standard ways to increase your engagement but don’t stop there, get creative and explore new ways to communicate and engage.
Engagement also includes commenting on posts and blogs from other brands or influencers, as well as on forums such as Reddit, not just commenting on your own posts. This exposes you to an audience that maybe didn’t know about your business previously.
While your commentary is important to your social media success, listening is just as important. Learn what your audience expects from you and demonstrate that in the content you provide and in your follow-ups. When someone leaves a comment or question, follow-up with a prompt response. Be sure to thank followers for retweets or mentions. When customers leave reviews, be sure to thank them for their patronage, and of course handle negative reviews promptly with courtesy and a genuine attempt to turn a negative experience into a positive one.
Stay active and remember, social media is public and followers see how you handle all these types of interactions.
We’ll continue our blog series next week with social media marketing.
Is your business having trouble finding the perfect social media marketing strategy? Creative Blend Design will help you define a strategic plan that makes sense for your business. Please call us at (844) 223-8326 or click here to use our contact form.
