5 Ways to Improve Your Online Engagement and Social Influence
Whether you’re a big business or an internet personality, your online presence counts for a lot. If you don’t have social media profiles, you might as well not exist—most savvy entrepreneurs and business owners already know that much. And most people also know the basics of posting regularly, responding to posts and messages, and sharing relevant content.
But what if you’re doing all that stuff and you’re still not getting the level of engagement that you’re hoping for? How do you improve your engagements and expand your online influence? Here are 5 tricks that you might not have considered.
Have a Giveaway
It’s no secret that people love free stuff. And when you offer them free stuff on social media, you’re going to get their attention. We’ve all seen those posts that tell you to like, comment, and share to be entered for a prize. And you’ve probably seen the tens or hundreds of thousands of responses those posts get. But that’s not the only option for giving away prizes.
You can try hosting a game, like trivia, Hangman, or Mad Libs. Check out this list from Hootsuite for some other ideas as well as tips on running a social media contest. These kinds of posts are bound to get more interaction and can earn you some new followers as well.
Start a Podcast
Podcasts are a growing medium for social media influencers. It has a low cost of entry and a wide audience, with millions of Americans listening to podcasts on a regular basis. Plus, a regular podcast gives you fresh content to share through your social media channels. It gives you a forum in which you can speak on topics relevant to your industry or brand, and allows your fans to engage with you in a different way (listening, instead of just reading).
If you’re not sure what to talk about, try listening to a few podcasts from others in your industry. For example, if you’re an entrepreneur or social media influencer, you might listen to The Tai Lopez Show, which is a popular podcast for those interested in topics like self-improvement, finance, and business. Get some ideas from the pros, then start your own podcast and start sharing.
Post More Images
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and in the case of social media, it can be worth a thousand engagements. Statistics show that social media posts that contain images, memes, or GIFs get significantly more engagement than text-only posts. Tweets alone get 18% more engagements when they contain a picture, and 167% more engagement if they contain an animated GIF. That’s pretty significant.
Hold a Q&A
If you ask a question, you tend to get an answer, so don’t be afraid to ask questions of your audience in your posts. Ask for their advice on something relevant to your industry, or what they would like to see from your company in the future. You can even ask something general like “What are your holiday plans?”
On the flip side, you should also offer people the opportunity to ask questions of you. Many people hold Q&A sessions (or AMA, short for Ask Me Anything) on Twitter, Reddit, and Google Hangouts to engage people interested in their industry or area of expertise. It’s a great way to encourage engagement and generate buzz.
Let Others Speak
Finally, don’t do all the talking on your social media profiles. Nobody likes to engage with someone who seems to simply enjoy the sound of their own voice. Be sure to retweet and share posts from others. This might be sharing a blog you found interesting, retweeting important news from another influential person, or conducting an interview with an expert in your industry on your podcast. Having many voices on your social media profiles generates greater interest from your audience.
These 5 tips will give you a good basis for improving your engagement on your social media profiles. Have you found other tactics for improving engagement levels? Share them with us!
