4 Tips for Better Engagement on Social Media

We often don’t think about what we say online, which is very evident in our current Internet culture. From seemingly harmless “trolls” who rant and rave on YouTube and send hateful messages on Twitter, to actually harmful cyber bullying that can sometimes lead to grave consequences, it’s very obvious that there’s a great difference from how we act online to how we act in the real world.This is something to keep in mind when you approach your business tweeting and posting: is what you’re putting online what your business sounds like IRL?

In more laymen’s terms, your business has a personality, and this is shaped by your (as a business owner) values and the traits you give to your business via the culture you create within it. Every business has a tone, and the content posted by said business online should fit into this tone as well. This will generate engagment. What a business puts online matters just as much for them as posting mean comments might matter for someone else. This is also information that never goes away, no matter how much you press that delete button – it might be virtually gone, yes, but users with screenshot devices and Internet tools can make one simple post last a lifetime.This is the kind of perspective you need to think about as a business owner. The content you post for a business online really does matter, whether it’s in a major way like this, or if it’s just how the funny tone of one tweet makes someone smile for a second.This kind of impact is why your social media postings for your business have to be, as the trendy people on Twitter are saying, “on point.”

There is most definitely an art to writing content for social media. Not everyone can craft a message with 140 characters and have it go viral. This is why there’s an important question or two to ask yourself: how do I make my content impactful? How do I create content that engages my audience?

Focus more on the positive and less on the negative.

One of the best ways to do better on social media is to simply be more upbeat with your content. This is an obvious task, but one that many don’t go into as much as they should. Compare the following statements:

• “Our facial cream is good for your skin!”
• “Using our facial cream will give you more youthful looking skin and reverse the aging process up to five years.”

See the difference? One is true and positive, but still vague and uninformative. While some social media platforms give you only a select few words to use in your postings, try to make them all as valuable as possible. Focus on adjectives and adverbs, not vague nouns.Also, don’t feel like you have to play dirty on social media. It’s okay to play hardball behind the scenes, but keep your social media content upbeat. Don’t put anyone down and don’t speak about subjects outside of your wheelhouse.

Action words!

Your social media content should have more action words than a superhero comic book. With every action word you give your audience, it’s like you’re showing them a WHAM! or a BANG! straight from the pages of Superman.This level of excitement is great for engagement and getting more followers. This circles back to being more upbeat. You should love to be upbeat and cheery in your content, and this involves a lot of action. Run and go do this! Look at our exciting offer here!This kind of tone sets the mood for your product. Consumers are more likely to choose a product that makes them feel good and energized than a digital Debbie Downer.

Urgency

Social media is about trends, and trends are about things that only last for a second. How many Internet jokes have come and gone this year alone, already? Even if this isn’t in the professional realm, look to Twitter and Facebook trends for just a week or so and get a true glimpse at trend longevity – they certainly don’t have very long lifespans.This is important to consider when forming your copy. When your content creates a sense of exclusivity and/or urgency, you’re giving consumers more incentive to care. No one wants to be left out of the next great thing, so play on this emotion and help your audience stay in the loop.

Don’t forget to edit yourself!

You might be thinking that because you’re working with social media, you have every right to just blather on and shorthand every possible word – well this isn’t the case. Social media is very “do as we say, not as we do”-oriented in terms of how your consumer base looks at your content. They might not capitalize an “I” and that’s fine, but you forget? It’s all downhill from here. There’s always a need to edit content you’re going to post, no matter if it’s a long-winded Facebook diatribe or a 140 character tweet. Also remember that editing isn’t just about spell checking. You’ll also need to edit your content for sense, relevance, value and brand voice, as well.