Engagement is a hot topic — both engagement in the workplace, and engagement on social media. We’ll leave engagement at the workplace to our skilled and inspiring authors. (Check out Mark Miller’s new book Win the Heart for some great insight.) But when it comes to social media, we do have a few ideas that might help you get more people interacting with the content you’re putting down.
Post Photos and Videos
I know, I know. You’ve heard this advice before, and that’s because it works. According to research from eMarketer, posting photos on Facebook can increase engagement by as much as 85%, and photos bump up retweets up by 35%. Your phone includes a camera, so there’s no excuse NOT to go visual.
Use Humor
Social media can be a real downer — offer up a few laughs, and people will engage. You don’t have to be a stand-up comic, but feel free to use humor in your content regularly. It lets followers know who you are, and makes your ideas more fun and memorable. Just keep it light-hearted. No one likes a mean comic or thought leader.
Ask Away
How do you engage people in conversation? That’s right, you ask questions. Same thing works on social media. Ask thoughtful engaging questions and you’ll receive thoughtful engaging answers.
Polls are another way to ask a question. We don’t recommend using them frequently, but tossing in a poll on Facebook and Twitter around an interesting topic, on occasion, can drive conversation and engagement.
Answer Already
If you have a teenager, you know how frustrating it can be to not get a response. Your followers on social media feel the same way when they ask you something or comment, and you don’t respond. You are half of the engagement equation. Get on your social platforms, ‘like’ comments from your followers, respond to their comments, and reshare when it makes sense.
Give Something Away
Everyone likes to win! Give away some of your books on social media, or other materials, and see your engagement increase. Be sure to make social action part of the giveaway, such as sharing an image or using a specific hashtag.
These tactics can help increase your engagement, but keep in mind, the overall quality of your content is the biggest engagement factor. If your content consistently focuses on your followers and their needs, you’re on the path to long-term community-building success.
How are you trying to increase engagement on your social media channels?
Christy Kirk, Vice President of Client Services, is a social media strategist, writer, and former television journalist, who’s done everything from launch a news department to create social content and strategy for Fortune 500 companies and brands including Pampers Diapers, Pantene, Luvs Diapers and Carlson Rezidor Hotels. Now, Christy manages marketing projects for Weaving Influence, with an emphasis on social media marketing. She is also a wife and mother of three children, one dog, and one cat. She loves reading, baking, running, hiking and exploring new places.