How to Increase Customer Engagement on Social Media

For modern businesses with an online presence, having continuous engagements on social media is a sign that you’re making an impact in your industry.

Increasing that level of engagement is the hardest part of the process, though. How do you go about hooking your customers into your social media platforms, and therefore, making them more in-tuned with your business?

Before we get the pointers that can help, let’s look at what social media engagement means in the first place.

What is Social Media Engagement?

In basic terms, social media engagement refers to when individuals interact with your business’ social media account, be it Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn. While each of these platforms has their method of engagement, they are similar in many ways:

• Likes or Hearts
• Shares or Retweets
• Comments or Responsive Tweets
• Click-throughs
• Follows

Each of these metrics measures when a customer has interacted with your business. Depending on what you want, your metric goals will vary.

But at the base level, it all means the same thing: you need to engage your audience. And these four steps can show you how to increase their interactions with your business.

Step 1- Create Enticing Content That Targets & Engages Your Audience

Digital marketing rule number one: be it a social media post, a blog post or an email; make your content as compelling, creative and engaging as possible. Without having an enticing post, you won’t be able to engage your audience in the first place.

So how do you create a social media post that really stands out from the crowd? Here are some essential tips to include within your post:

• Ensure that the content that you post is relevant to the audience’s interests and preferences.
• Ensure that your content speaks to your audience. Don’t write a formal post if you’re a local store selling burgers. Make it hip and approachable. If you’re a lawyer, professionalism counts.
• The grammar has to be on-point – no mistakes at all in terms of language.
• Use CAPS wisely and smartly. The same goes for emojis.
• Don’t make it too long. There is a tendency to post long paragraphs of content. Don’t do it. People strimming through their social media platforms don’t want to be dragged with endless content. Keep it sharp and sweet.
• Add multimedia to it. Be it photos (better if they are your own), graphics, videos or polls, make them engage with your posts by putting something there to be engaged with (more on this below).
• Whatever you choose, make sure you trigger an emotional response.

By following along with these pointers, you can create a stunning post on your social media platforms that work!

Step 2- Be Responsive To All Your Customers’ Interactions

This might seem like a no-brainer, but you’ll be shocked at how often this doesn’t happen. Responding to your customers’ interactions is crucial for building a strong relationship with your audience and enhancing your brand’s appeal. Viewers and followers are more likely to follow a business if they know their questions, concerns, or queries are being answered.

Regardless of the type of message you receive (be it nasty or complimentary), you should always respond in a timely manner. A simple ‘thank you’ does a world of difference, as does a “let us get back to us” when it comes to answering questions you have no idea about.

For nasty compliments, never fight back. Sure it makes for great entertainment, but it will seriously damage your reputation and show you as an aggressive owner. Always remain diplomatic and offer help and suggestions. You’ll come out looking like the bigger person in all of this.

Every reaction to customer interaction shows them that you appreciate them and care about their concerns. The quicker you respond, the more they will trust you, and over time, will turn them into loyal customers.

Step 3- Make Use Of Live Streams

Videos have always been popular when it comes to engagement. Think of all the videos with millions of views; that translates into millions of loyal followers for each of those companies. But there is something better than just plain videos: live streaming.

According to Daily eSports, “The live streaming industry has grown by 99% between April 2019 and April 2020”. That tells you everything you need to know when it comes to the power of live streaming. People love watching some live, as opposed to something that is prerecorded. Why is this the case?

Live streaming gives you users the feeling that they are sharing an experience with the provider. They share the same room together and make them feel part of the big event. When released through social media, particularly Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, you can experience a boom in engagement.

So, what should you be using streaming for?

Use live video to share special events and announcements, or give them a sneak peek behind the scenes of your business, which gives your customer base a first-hand look at how everything works. You can also use live video to unveil new products, services or releases. The bigger the event, the more engagement you’re likely to enjoy.

Step 4- Request Interactions From Your Audience

One way to help you engage with your audience without pressuring them for a sale, is to request an interaction from them. For example, ask your audience directly how you would like them to engage with your post. It can be as simple as “Retweet this”, “share with your friends”, or “comment with an emoji below”. Once they have reacted with you, thank them for your contribution.

How is this effective?

Firstly, it highlights to them that you care about their feedback and input. Secondly, you are engaging with them on another level, as opposed to a typical marketing-like response. Anything that incites an emotional reaction can go a long way to building a relationship with your audience. It will lead to increased engagement down the line as it will become second nature for them to react to your posts.