With 45% of the total world population using social networks, businesses now have a fantastic and cost-effective way of reaching potential customers and interacting with existing ones worldwide. However, to reap all the benefits that come with using social platforms, you must always be thinking about how to get more engagement on your social media. Even if you have many followers, you want to aim for lots of interaction as this will help you appear higher in people’s feeds. A channel without much engagement can be perceived as dull and doesn’t generate all the business benefits of a thriving, active page. That’s why it’s crucial to understand how each platform you’re using works and how it’s best to target users. Here’s how to get more people liking, sharing and commenting.
Social media is a much cheaper alternative to traditional advertising, and this can make it very tempting to just post about your products and services. However, while there is space for this, it’s important to include content about current news happening in your industry or on topics that reflect your brand message. Your channels should be entertaining and insightful, not simply an extension of a sales page. Use this opportunity to position yourself as thought leader in your field and educate your audience about pressing issues affecting your sector.
To increase engagement on your social media, it’s a good idea to grow your number of followers and presence. One extremely effective way of getting in front of more people is by implementing an employee advocacy scheme. This simply means encouraging your team to share and engage with your social posts. The reason why this is so powerful is because employees often have a wider reach than a company has. LinkedIn research shows that employee networks have, on average, 10 times as many connections as a company has followers. This means you can reach more people and increase your chances of finding users that will relate to your content and will engage with you.
Make your posts as eye-catching as possible by using high-quality images. The benefits may seem obvious for platforms like Instagram, however, it’s also important for sites like Twitter. According to a Buffer study, tweets with pictures generate 150% more retweets than those that don’t contain images. Facebook engagement can also be improved by using images. 87% of interactions that happen on Facebook Pages are on ‘photo posts.’ When using visuals though, make sure that they are appropriate and relevant. Also, remember to include some pictures of yourself and your team! Show what’s happening behind the scenes and put a face to the brand. Be wary of copyright issues though. To ensure that you’re definitely not using anyone else’s work, you can head to sites such as Pixabay, Pexels or Unsplash to find copyright free photos.
One of the best ways to increase engagement on your social media is to interact with others yourself. It’s all about giving and taking. If you support the people in your community and sector by sharing their posts, they’re most likely going to return the favour. Get your voice out there by getting involved in debates and sharing your viewpoint. This will help with boosting your presence and also your credentials as a thought leader. Remember to always be wary of what you say though, as any negative interactions can be seen by the public.
It’s crucial to maintain a good relationship with your followers, and to respond back to all interactions where possible. If people are ignored, they’re most likely not going to bother interacting again in the future. It’s particularly important to answer any complaints, as staying quiet can be interpreted as not caring and leaves room for rumours to be spread.
Knowing how to get more engagement on your social media will make it easier and quicker to reach the right people, and create the online reputation you want to be known for. LinkedIn and Altimeter Group analysed the top 100 most socially engaged companies on LinkedIn and found that socially engaged companies are 40% more likely to be perceived as more competitive, 57% more likely to get increased sales leads and 58% more likely to attract top talent.