It’s a familiar scenario: a business invests significantly in its social media profile — which may include hiring a full-time social media maestro/maven and buying some advanced (and expensive) software — and instead of being overrun by enthusiastic customers who eagerly anticipate their next post, tweet, article, infographic or video, all they hear are virtual crickets. What’s the deal?
Well, it’s the old Field of Dreams trap again. Unlike Ken Costner, businesses shouldn’t assume “if we build it, they will come.” Social media doesn’t work that way. It’s not directly about conversions. It’s about communities, conversations and communications.
Whether your current social media landscape looks like more of a barren wasteland than a crowded downtown core, or if you’re launching your social media footprint and want to head in the right direction, here are 3 ways to boost social media engagement:
1. Choose the Right Channels
Most businesses set up social media camp on Facebook and Twitter, which is a good start, but usually isn’t where their footprint should end. For example, all B2B businesses, regardless of what they do and who they do it for, should be on LinkedIn. And there are many other social media platforms out there — YouTube, Reddit, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, Spiceworks, and the list goes on — that might be part of the mix. The basic rule to boost social media engagement here is simple: businesses should be where there current and future customers are.
2. Create and Curate Hyper-Relevant Content
While it’s fine to use social media to pitch products and promotions, this should be the exception and not the norm. The majority (we’re talking 90%) of content that businesses push out through their social media platforms should be hyper-relevant, which means that current and future customers should find it informative, engaging, timely, accessible and shareable (i.e. not just that it’s easy to share, but it’s something they want to share with their professional and/or personal network).
3. Consistency is Key
McKinsey & Company notes that the 3 C’s of customer satisfaction are “consistency, consistency and consistency.” This certainly applies to increasing social media engagement as well; especially since an astonishing number of businesses prematurely pull the plug — and undermine their own success and profitability — within months or weeks of launching a social media profile. Think of it like folks who sign up for a gym membership, and decide it’s a waste of money because after a handful of visits, they aren’t seeing extreme results.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that social media is a risky proposition that may or may not pay off down the road. It’s not a slot machine. It’s a strategy. And when it’s managed properly, social media achieves significant results and ROI. But again, consistency is key. Posting something at least once a week — or better yet, several times a week — is not just a best practice, but these days is the standard norm.
Learn More
To learn more about how to boost social media engagement in your business, contact the Leap Clixx team today. We’ve seen social media trends come and go, and deeply understand what works — and just as importantly, what doesn’t. We can provide your in-house team with expert advice and guidance, or take ownership of some/all of your social media management. We’ll regularly provide your executive team with reports and statistics, while you focus on running your business — and leaping ahead of your competition.
Also, be sure to check out our FREE eBook on how to increase business by turning your website into a lead generation machine:
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