If you’re looking to foster engagement on your social media posts that actually leads to clients doing business with you, you’ll find that being authentic and creating genuine connections will work best.
Post high quality content that focuses on being original, but that is also practical and shareable. What does that mean? Write and share content that provides value, but remember that social media is more than posting content. It is also about reaching out. Social media platforms are digital networks. When you attend a networking event, you are there for a reason: to make new connections. Social media users expect communication, so be sure to reach out when someone new follows you and introduce yourself naturally (forego the sales pitch). Growth will not come if you are inactive so be sure to make this a part of your daily strategy.
If you see something relevant in your news feed, share it! You never know who you may reach. Comment, react, join in on the conversation and invite your followers to do the same.
In addition, having a consistent posting schedule is key. Pay attention to the analytics and insights that the platforms you are using provide. If you know how users are responding to your posts, you can make better decisions about what kinds of content to continue to use.
Rewarding your followers in some way fosters almost effortless engagement. Develop a contest, giveaway or even offer free premium content in return for engaging with a post in some way.
Giveaways help to reach audiences your account normally would not, through shares or tags from your current audience. Consider partnering with relevant and local businesses you can reach their audiences as well.
By developing paid ads, you have the potential to convert browsers into qualified buyers. The boost button you see after posting your organic content seems easy enough, but it is not always as effective as sophisticated targeting that allows you to expand your reach while targeting your customers. Consider putting money towards a paid ad through Facebook Ads Manager. Facebook Ads Manager is your starting point for running ads on Facebook and Instagram. You can manage where and when they will run, who will be seeing them, and allow you to track how well your campaigns are running and performing.
More — Check out our previous blog post: Stop the boost, start the reach for more on why we deter our clients from boosting.
Social media takes a lot of trial and error, as well as patience to determine a schedule and adjust based on your audience data. If you feel like social media isn’t for your business, change your marketing mindset. Figure out what your audience wants to see, deliver that content on a consistent basis, and always be observing so that you can adapt. Soon you will be on your way to gaining qualified followers with a process that works.
About the Author:
Katey Crean is a Social Media Specialist at Hello Social Co. When she’s not crafting social media content for clients, she can be found teaching kiddos musical theater.
Tags: facebook ads, Marketing, small business, Social Media