It’s hard to deny the impact and influence of social media. With over 3.5 billion users across all platforms, it’s impossible to ignore. It’s also impossible to ignore the potential impact social media can have on your business. You might already have a presence online, but the smart use of engaging posts can take your social traffic to whole new levels.
But what exactly is “smart use” and how is social media used differently for companies than it is for everyone else? I’m glad you asked, because connecting with people as a business through social media is not the same as sharing vacation pics and recipes. As a business you want to be where the people are, but you can not do it like a business or treat it as free advertising. If you do, you’ll quickly see engagement and followers drop. Don’t worry though, it’s not hard to make changes that turn your social media into a conversation that people want to join.
Top 5 ways to create engaging social media content
Let’s talk about how you can be engaging, get more attention and most importantly, how you can keep the social in social media. Here are five easy things you can start doing right now to make your social media presence more people-centered and engaging:
- Questions
A question is almost always a guaranteed way to start a conversion, after all everyone has their own opinions. Using questions in your post encourages people to speak their mind and share thoughts and opinions. The more interaction in the comments of your post, the better for you and your brand. If you try this and aren’t getting comments, you need to try different types of questions to find out exactly what your audience wants to talk about.
- Natural language
A common mistake is using the same tone and voice for a blog or ad in a social post. Most users on social media will lose interest the second they feel they are being sold something or being talked down to. The answer is to make your posts feel like a conversation. Use the same type of friendly banter you would talking with a friend. Be careful to not overdo it, especially if you’re in a professional field.
- Multimedia
Nowadays social platforms are more than just words on a page, most sites are capable of posting videos and interactive graphics. Simple informational videos about products can lead to consumers feeling more informed and able to make educated decisions. This also is a great way to diversify your page’s feed while sharing knowledge, tips and insight into your business. If you don’t have videos just yet, that’s okay. Find videos from non-competitors and share them!
- Polls or trivia
Have you noticed that people can’t resist answering polls or trivia? Exactly, this is why this tactic is so helpful. One of the best way to stay in people’s feeds without constantly selling them something is to create a poll or trivia question geared toward your audience. Not only can it spark conversation, it often leads to people sharing your content.
- Contest and giveaways
It’s hard to resist free stuff. Contests and giveaways can not only be a great way to get page traffic and engagement but will earn a lot of goodwill from your followers. You can ask people to share your posts as a condition to enter, providing your page with more exposure too. Giveaways could consist of your own products and services or even discounts.
The goal is interaction. Interactive content generates conversations 70% percent of the time, compared to 36% for passive content. Engagement is algorithm food, not only does it increase visibility but is key to crafting a loyal educated follower base. Now you can use these tips to grow and take full advantage of everything social media has to offer your business!