[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.22.3″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.24.1″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.24.1″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.24.1″ text_font=”||||||||” text_font_size=”18px” header_font=”||||||||” header_text_color=”#006BA6″ header_2_font=”||||||||” header_2_text_color=”#006BA6″ header_3_font=”||||||||” header_3_text_color=”#006BA6″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”]
Engagement has typically always been a common metric for evaluating social media performance. Although it doesn’t necessarily translate into sales, it reflects the value of a business’ social media efforts.
Engaging in new and current audiences is difficult and can leave you scratching your head for ideas. With over 3.8 billion people actively using social media, tapping into that can be extremely profitable for your business. Getting engagement on your posts increases your brand awareness and compliments your other forms of marketing.
Don’t forget! Polish your social media presence to compliment your fantastically engaging content with our tips here. How to Polish Your Social Media Presence During Lockdown
What does engagement look like?
We’re focussing on three of the most popular social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. No two sites are the same, and that extends to how users engage with content. So, first get to know what you’re looking for on each one:
Facebook: Shares, likes and followers
Twitter: Re-tweets and followers
Instagram: Likes and followers
Why does it matter?
Firstly, it’s demoralising to spend lots of time creating content to then get nothing back from your audiences on it. It’s a waste of time and money. But ultimately, it means you’re not connecting with your audience. It tells you that your content isn’t providing any value to their lives. And that raises the question of, what value does your product/service provide to them?
If you feel like you’re hitting your head against a brick wall, you’ve come to the right place!
What will I gain from this?
Better quality engagement are the words we like to hear. By improving the quality of your content, you will start to see audiences taking an interest in your brand. Did you know, brand awareness and engagement go hand in hand?
The ultimate aim is to start seeing a return on investment – and that doesn’t just mean financially. If people are engaging in your posts, you’re time was spent wisely and you will be more motivated to continue producing quality content.
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider _builder_version=”3.24.1″][/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.24.1″ text_font=”||||||||” text_font_size=”18px” header_font=”||||||||” header_text_color=”#006BA6″ header_2_font=”||||||||” header_2_text_color=”#006BA6″ header_3_font=”||||||||” header_3_text_color=”#006BA6″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”]
So, how do I do it?
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.24.1″][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”3.24.1″][et_pb_image src=”https://www.drumbeatmarketing.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/shutterstock_520780585.jpg” _builder_version=”3.24.1″ box_shadow_style=”preset2″][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”3.24.1″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.24.1″ text_font=”||||||||” text_font_size=”18px” header_font=”||||||||” header_3_font=”||||||||” header_3_text_color=”#006BA6″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”]
Put the effort in
Quick and easy fixes, such as buying followers, will not generate quality engagement. Take the time to craft content that resonated with your audience and appeals to them. Use a mix of content to keep your page fresh. Think about images, image carousels, videos, educational posts, information about your company, daily hashtags, competitions… the list is endless!
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.24.1″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.24.1″][et_pb_divider _builder_version=”3.24.1″][/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.24.1″ text_font=”||||||||” text_font_size=”18px” header_font=”||||||||” header_text_color=”#006BA6″ header_2_font=”||||||||” header_2_text_color=”#006BA6″ header_3_font=”||||||||” header_3_text_color=”#006BA6″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”]
Post at the right time
Understand the platform you’re using, the types of users it has, and when they’re most active. You can do this by a) searching on Google and b) looking at the insights of your platform. Here I can see that my followers are most online between 11am and 1pm. So, it makes sense to post then, right?
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https://www.drumbeatmarketing.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Engagement-blog-image-3.png” align=”center” admin_label=”Image” _builder_version=”3.24.1″ box_shadow_style=”preset2″][/et_pb_image][et_pb_divider _builder_version=”3.24.1″][/et_pb_divider][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.24.1″][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”3.24.1″][et_pb_image src=”https://www.drumbeatmarketing.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Engagement-blog-image-1.png” _builder_version=”3.24.1″ box_shadow_style=”preset2″][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”3.24.1″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.24.1″ text_font=”||||||||” text_font_size=”18px” header_font=”||||||||” header_text_color=”#006BA6″ header_2_font=”||||||||” header_2_text_color=”#006BA6″ header_3_font=”||||||||” header_3_text_color=”#006BA6″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”]
Understand your audience
Don’t forget, we’re all different. We have different interests and behaviours, and we bring them online when we’re using social media. Try to understand who your typical audience is and create a ‘persona.’ This way you can create content that will attract them, start engaging them and show value. Get more insights and a template here: blog.hootsuite.com/buyer-persona/
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.24.1″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.24.1″][et_pb_divider _builder_version=”3.24.1″][/et_pb_divider][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.24.1″][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”3.24.1″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.24.1″ text_font=”||||||||” text_font_size=”18px” header_font=”||||||||” header_text_color=”#006BA6″ header_2_font=”||||||||” header_2_text_color=”#006BA6″ header_3_font=”||||||||” header_3_text_color=”#006BA6″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”]
Ask for reviews
Don’t assume this is annoying for customers. Being asked to leave a review will make your audience feel engaged as you’re proving you value their input. This can be done within the social media platform itself, on Google my Business pages, on your website or through a 3rd party provider. Ask for honest comments; the good, the bad and the ugly. Don’t panic about getting a bad review, either! It’s as important as the good ones as gives you an opportunity to show your customer service skills off and let you deal with it effectively. There’s no better way to improve!
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”3.24.1″][et_pb_image src=”https://www.drumbeatmarketing.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/shutterstock_1161177175.jpg” _builder_version=”3.24.1″ box_shadow_style=”preset2″][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.24.1″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.24.1″][et_pb_divider _builder_version=”3.24.1″][/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.24.1″ text_font=”||||||||” text_font_size=”18px” header_font=”||||||||” header_text_color=”#006BA6″ header_2_font=”||||||||” header_2_text_color=”#006BA6″ header_3_font=”||||||||” header_3_text_color=”#006BA6″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”]
Be social
It’s called social media for a reason! Engage with people, take an interest in them. Use social media to network and reach out to online communities. Don’t be afraid to ask people for their thoughts, check in on them, ask what they’re doing today. Successful social media marketing is 80/20. 80% of the time you want to be engaging, with just 20% of the time reserved for sales pitches.
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider _builder_version=”3.24.1″][/et_pb_divider][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.24.1″][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”3.24.1″][et_pb_image src=”https://www.drumbeatmarketing.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/shutterstock_659662009.jpg” _builder_version=”3.24.1″ box_shadow_style=”preset2″][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”3.24.1″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.24.1″ text_font=”||||||||” text_font_size=”18px” header_font=”||||||||” header_text_color=”#006BA6″ header_2_font=”||||||||” header_2_text_color=”#006BA6″ header_3_font=”||||||||” header_3_text_color=”#006BA6″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”]
Collaborate
The term ‘influencer’ might make you think twice, but there are ways to grow your network. Within your industry, are there companies who compliment what you sell/provide? Parallel businesses offering related products? Industry experts who can write a guest blog or endorse you on social media? You’re not alone out there, so consider reaching out to collaborate
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.24.1″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.24.1″][et_pb_divider _builder_version=”3.24.1″][/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.24.1″ text_font=”||||||||” text_font_size=”18px” header_font=”||||||||” header_text_color=”#006BA6″ header_2_font=”||||||||” header_2_text_color=”#006BA6″ header_3_font=”||||||||” header_3_text_color=”#006BA6″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”]
Track your progress
There’s no point doing all this and not tracking your progress. Using analytics tools show you what works, what doesn’t, what needs tweaking and much more. It will help you fine tune your content so you end up getting more and more engagement every step of the way. Use in-platform insights, such as
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https://www.drumbeatmarketing.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Engagement-blog-image-2.png” align=”center” _builder_version=”3.24.1″ box_shadow_style=”preset2″][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.24.1″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.24.1″][et_pb_divider _builder_version=”3.24.1″][/et_pb_divider][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.22.3″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.24.1″ text_font=”||||||||” text_font_size=”18px” header_font=”||||||||” header_text_color=”#006BA6″ header_2_font=”||||||||” header_2_text_color=”#006BA6″ header_3_font=”||||||||” header_3_text_color=”#006BA6″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”]
Talk to Us
If you’ve taken our tips on board and feel like you’re ready to organically grow your engagement and brand awareness, then great job! Maximise your time and efforts now to later reap the rewards.
If you have any questions or are unsure on anything we’ve talked about, please get in touch as we’re happy to run through it all with you! [email protected]
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider _builder_version=”3.24.1″][/et_pb_divider][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]
