it’s time to engage!

So you’ve beefed up your personal profile on LinkedIn, set up your business page on Facebook, you’ve added a business place on Google+, you’ve even set up an account on Twitter and Pinterest… now what?

Social Media Engagement

In the words of Jean-Luc Picard it’s time to “Engage!”

Simply posting to each of the key social media networks isn’t enough to put your social marketing into warp speed. For that, you have to truly participate by engaging. You have to engage your audience to respond, retweet, and recommend. And, you have to be engaged with the people who have taken the time to become a fan, followers, or connections. Just like any good communication, social media is a two-way conversation that requires both parties to actively participate.

The good news is that it’s going to be very easy for you to participate. Simply check into your networks on a regular basis and respond to what you see. Take the opportunity to answer customer or prospect questions. Jump in and have fun with the people who are there. Share items of interest and comment on articles you’ve seen.

Getting others to engage with your social profiles may prove to be a bit more challenging. A study done by the Harvard Review in May of 2011 found that 25% of all tweets (Twitter) were not worth reading. Early this year GM announced that they were pulling their ads from Facebook after finding that the ads were perceived as an “interruption.” And while there is plenty of advice on how to get more fans, followers, connections and etc. There really isn’t much on how to get ongoing participation from all those social friends.

Here is a list of tips that I’ve compiled based on the limited amount of information on this topic and our personal experiences working with clients:

1. Be human, write your posts as if you are a person, not a corporate copywriter. Be yourself. We all make mistakes, we all make fools of ourselves at one time or another. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes when you are posting online.
2. Make me laugh. Things you do, see, and share are entertaining. Be willing to laugh at yourself as well
3. It’s better to give than to receive. If you have something of value that will help others then share it — without the expectation of receiving in return.
4. Help connect people. When I see a post that I know a client can help with I share the information with both the original post and the client. Maybe it will help them both out. Whenever you share in this way be sure to tag the other parties in your post.
5. Educate me. Sharing fun facts, serious facts, and information that will help others make good decisions or avoid disaster is always appreciated when it’s given in the spirit of being helpful.
6. Tell me a story. Yes, 140 characters make a very short story but you can divide it into multiple posts. You can also link to the full story on a blog from your Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, and Twitter. Use hashtags to connect the thoughts or topics.
7. Remember the lifespan of tweets (~3 hours), Facebook posts (~ 7 hours), and the like. If you don’t seem to get good engagement try changing the time of day or frequency you are posting.
8. Repost items you see worth sharing. Be sure to credit the original person who first posted the item and always add your own comments.
9. Watch the trending topics. For example: Was there a big court decision that affects your industry? Comment when you see a discussion and be sure to use any existing hashtag to keep your comments within the topic.
10. Remember, you don’t like to be sold to. Even though the primary goal is to cultivate leads that will generate business, don’t rush to sell your service in every item you post. By simply being out there as a real person you’ll generate the goodwill and good reputation necessary to create a return on your time investment.

10.1 If you need specific items to help compel engagement try these: asking questions, creating a poll, famous or motivational quotes, and relevant contests. While these can provide a reason for people to participate with you, it’s difficult to tell what will motivate people to engage – experiment until you find what works for you!

Many people using social media for marketing treat their posts as a one-way conversation, spewing information to the universe without purpose. When you have a solid social marketing plan it’s easy to put the pieces into place that will generate participation. If you need help pulling it all together, contact us!

PS
As part of your complete social marketing plan be sure to invite people to become your friends, fans, followers, connections, and more by adding call-to-action messages and icons linked to different media. Whether you are using email, writing a blog, or adding content to your website give people the opportunity to become engaged.