The social media marketing revolution has begun! More companies are seeing the value social media can provide their business and have decided to start leveraging the various platforms to grow their sales. But so many of them are still using it wrong. They see it as a way for free advertising. They keep sharing their own content and promotions and never take the time to provide the information their potential buyers seek.
Let your competitors make that mistake!
Social media is about being “social”! That means communicating and sharing ideas, not blasting your own content as often as possible. You need to be actively engaged on the platforms where your target audience is by starting conversations.
Social media is about engagement!
Make sure your strategy is focused on social media engagement to grow your followers and connections, developing relationships with them, and continue adding to your sales funnel. That also means you need to know how often to post to your social media accounts.
3 Ways for Better Social Media Engagement
- Develop Relationships!
Don’t focus on selling! Stop using social media as an advertising avenue.
Remember, social media is about interactions. Be social! Focus on developing relationships with people and companies you otherwise wouldn’t have an opportunity to connect with.
You wouldn’t walk around a networking event only talking about your own company, never asking about anyone else. So don’t make the same mistake on social media. Develop and nurture relationships by sharing content from thought leaders and industry experts. Interact with your followers. Ask questions and give shout outs. Provide information and insights by sharing the posts of others, especially your customers and followers.
People that only talk about themselves get ignored. Don’t allow your company to be ignored on social media. It’s too valuable of a resource.
- Be There!
Social media engagement isn’t a one-way street. Sure you want others to engage with your content and posts. Naturally, that means you need to do the same with others. However, most companies are still missing the boat.
Be an active participant in this community and take the time to engage with others. Social media engagement is also about responding quickly. Thank people for their engagement with your posts and company, such as mentions, likes, retweets, shares, and messages.
Also, one of your biggest focuses on social media should be to respond quickly to customer service issues. Most people would rather use social media for an issue than call your 1-800 number. And they expect a response within 2 to 3 hours, even during nights and weekends. Read our article on using Social Media to Improve Customer Service to learn more about the specific methods to improve customer service through social media.
- Start Conversation!
Social media engagement isn’t about sitting back and waiting for others to engage with your posts. Sometimes you need to be the one to start the conversation, especially if you’re a startup or just breaking into social media.
There are many ways for you to start the conversation. The most obvious ways are sharing the posts or content of your customers or followers, retweeting them, or simply commenting on their shares. Other, more formal events include hosting a Q & A session, where your followers can ask questions in real time, posting polls, or hosting a competition with a giveaway.
Don’t be afraid if your first few events don’t gain much traction. Think about this as an investment in brand awareness. Keep the momentum up by trying different methods to create more engagement. You’re never going to get it perfect on your first attempt, so don’t get discouraged.
Tools for Social Media Engagement:
All of this responsibility can be overwhelming. Most companies think that they can simply post their own content and that’s the extent of their social media marketing strategy. To handle all of the different components of a successful campaign, you need to find the perfect social media dashboard. It’s the only way to be able to track the amount of activity across your many different social media platforms and to properly engage with your target audience.
Find out how eClincher uses a Unified Social Inbox, Auto Scheduling, and Monitoring to create the perfect Social Media Dashboard.
Grow Sales Through Social Media Marketing:
Your goal is to grow your business. One of the best ways to do that is to use the tools available to you to create as much social media engagement with your brand as possible. By engaging with your followers, connections, and friends, you’ll become an active member in your community and continue to grow your following.
If you’re going to use social media, make sure to use it properly! Focus on engagement, sharing, and providing information to develop and nurture relationships. Build trust with your audience and they’ll be more likely to buy from you. But they’ll also be more likely to recommend your products or services to others.
By focusing on social media engagement, you’re focusing on building a foundation of success by creating a community actively engaging with your brand.
Continue reading about the Cool New Features eClincher just released this summer. And stay ahead of your competition by subscribing to our email list to receive the latest news about social media marketing right to your inbox!
