Engagement is all part of being social. Whether it’s an online or offline situation, you expect to get some kind of reaction or acknowledgement from what you say, or what you do.

More and more conversations, both business and personal, take place online. Businesses that take advantage of building and maintaining online communities create a connection. A connection which is fed by customer service and the experience of that customer service. It is these connections which increase social engagement, customer loyalty and ultimately return on investment.

But just how do we go about increasing social engagement in the first place? Here are 7 top tips to get you started:

1. Capture and showcase

Photographs are a great way of showcasing what you are currently working on or will be in the future. It’s insight for your fan base. And I’m sure you have heard of the saying ‘an image is worth a thousand words’. It brings an update to life.

2. Content

When writing, it is important to use the right kind of wording. It needs to be targeted and relevant to your audience because that is why they are following you or have liked you in the first place. And don’t forget to include a call to action in the content too. Direct readers to where you want them to go by using clear messages and buttons; call now, click here, sign up here, and make it as easy as possible for them to interact.

3. Measure it

Your users will be the first to let you know whether the content is working or not so use the analytical tools available within social media. For example, Facebook Page Insights  identifies click through rates, the total reach of your updates and page impressions. Use software like this to really get to know your audience and identify what makes them speak up. This will help to keep your engagement levels steady because you can use the results from previous updates to create the next.

4. User involvement

Engage with your audience. Ask for them to send in a photograph of themselves using the product or service of your business. Ask them to complete a survey or enter a competition. It will create a frenzy amongst your fan base because it is something different and unique to your business. Just be careful not to run too many competitions and prize draws etc. Because this could alienate your loyal customer base as they become swamped with users wanting to just win something.

5. Share

People in our social circles generally have similar likes and interests to us. By uploading your content onto a blog site, newsletter and/ or website which has a built in share feature, then you will be helping the situation too.

6. Mobile friendly.

There are more than 6 billion active mobile users worldwide, which is a huge market. And the mobile and tablet usage is beginning to heavily impact social media usage too with mobile having the biggest impact on Twitter – 94 million use twitter on mobile to share photos, compared to 140 million on PC. By using apps which are suitable for mobile and by having a responsive website, you are increasing the likelihood that your messages will be received and read. Plus you are increasing the user experience which comes back to the main usage of social media; to manage customer service.

7. Play games.

A term for this is Gamification. This is a key element to ensuring user engagement. Put simply, Gamification applies to the elements which make participating in games fun, interesting and rewarding in non-game contexts (just like your online community). It is a way of understanding and influencing the human behaviours too because you get to find out which interactions work best with your customers. Check out these great examples on how Gamification has already helped so many businesses.  After all, there is a science behind marketing. By tapping into the fundamentals of human psychology and behavioural sciences, your business can increase levels of site and user experience and customer retention.

For more information on Gamification then check out the white paper: How Community Managers Can Use Gamification to Create Sustainable Engagement. 

Social media is the opportunity for you and your business to engage with your customers. Used in the right context, you could attract prospects and even gain new customers.

For help or advice on how to manage your social media campaigns, call us on 01454 261111 or visit the website for more information. 
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