March 28, 2018 bcook

How to Use Social Media to Engage Followers

Woman surrounded by social media icons

Overwhelmed by social media? No need to panic! Followers are simply looking for authenticity and engagement from you as a business. Image credit.

More and more brands are posting curated, audience-specific content to reach their customers. When businesses truly “listen” to their audiences they find that followers are looking for an honest, trustworthy brand that is transparent about their values. Content that users find useful, informative and maybe even humorous is always the goal!

Below is a list of content ideas based on your objectives for social media:

To engage your existing followers –

Conduct polls – (for example, which beauty item are you mostly like to indulge in?)

Show behind-the-scenes photos of business operations or a photo/video shoot

Share quotes (preferably humorous) that prompt discussion

Host a live Q&A session – Using Facebook Live, followers submit questions on a predetermined topic

Post branded images (with your company logo/website) that followers can share

Ask opinions about new products

Pose fill in the blank questions (If I was on a deserted island, I would need ______ and ______)

Take time to show how your employees/company volunteer in their community

Share quick tips

Use images and videos from fans/followers in posts

Show your company culture with “A Day in the Life of ________” posts

Recommend personal or industry related books and blogs

To grow your audience –

Like and share/retweet posts from other companies in your field

Add logos to images and a small watermark to video to link your content back to you

Share (or create!) videos about your industry (for example, “things accountants never say”)

Recommend a local business (and tag them in the post)

Host a live interview with a person in leadership about a trending topic

Debunk myths and give facts about your profession

Share funny comics or memes

Cross-promote media channels – drive traffic to channels that are less visible (for example, a YouTube account, website, Pinterest board… etc.)

Document partnerships with other businesses

Repost an old blog article that relates to current trends

Promote a helpful/uplifting YouTube video

Post a fun fact related to your industry

Remember to not bombard your followers with content! It can be tempting to overload your channels with posts and images but simplicity really is key. Followers want to know if they can trust you, how you help those around you, and how well you know your industry. You are now on your way to more engaging content!

 

Have great content that needs a boost? Check out this infographic on sharing content in a variety of ways.

Author, Laura V. Boston
The C3 Group