Christian Wiediger / Unsplash
As a marketing professional, business owner, or entrepreneur, it goes without saying — don’t underestimate the power of social media. If you were hoping posting and tweeting were just fads that would go the way of the CB radio, you’re out of luck. It’s simply no longer optional to have a presence online because customers expect to find you there.
Even if you’ve embraced these platforms, you still may not be getting the most from them. It isn’t enough to just put your message out there and hope someone pays attention. Whether you’re still a novice or have people dedicated to managing your feeds, there’s always more work you can do to build better social media activity.
Engaging with your audience is crucial. Without it, your brand becomes lost among all the other voices. When you find a way to connect with customers through these platforms, you build loyalty and enhance the way people perceive your business. Creating content that grabs people and makes an emotional connection with them isn’t as difficult as it may seem. There are numerous elements that go into posts that do this successfully, and knowing what they are can go a long way toward boosting your efforts online.
Know Your Audience
For example, it’s crucial to understand who the primary users of these sites are and why they use them. Those who have LinkedIn accounts are likely interested in making professional connections with others. They tend to visit the site to find relevant news and opinions concerning their respective industries, as well as to see motivational content. This means sharing new product announcements or testimonials from your clients has a better chance of resonating with users when posted here.
On the other hand, Instagram is frequented most often by millennials and Gen Zs who want to keep up with trends. This means if you can contextualize information about your products in a way that matches the cultural zeitgeist of the moment, you stand a better chance of being noticed there.
Deliver Relevant Content
Knowing what social media users look for as they scroll through their feeds is another important element of building better engagement. Although about half of consumers follow brands on social media because they want to learn about new products, almost as many want to be entertained by what they see. Assuming there’s a significant overlap between those two, it’s important to make sure that what you’re posting isn’t the same type of information-heavy videos you would display at a trade show.
You also need to find the difference between providing a steady flow of posts and oversaturating. A significant number of consumers say they have unfollowed a brand in the past because they were seeing far too many advertisements and promotional posts. Finally, never forget that the point of social media is to be social. That means communicating with customers and listening to them when they have questions or concerns.
If you’re looking for more tips and data you can use to become a better engager, take a look at the accompanying infographic. No matter how you feel about the technology, there’s always a better way to make it work for you.
By Rebecca Purrington
This infographic was created by Crestline, a leading provider of healthcare promotional products.
