Social Media Marketing Strategy Tips
Social Media is all about real people interacting with other real people and brands. You need to remember this when you are crafting your social media strategy. Bring the social concept back into your strategy, and you will find a more engaged audience and greater results.
Sharing User-Created Content.
People are curious about themselves, which can be used to your advantage on social media. If you make a habit of sharing – and crediting – user-generated content, people will be eager to check your page to see whether their own content has been posted. Examples of this include creating contests or sharing photos that your customers have taken of your product or logo.
Being Grateful… And Specific.
There’s a phenomenon in psychology called “reciprocal liking.” This is the idea that people tend to be fond of those who like them. If you want to build “reciprocal liking” between yourself and your audience, take the time to publicly acknowledge specific people whom you appreciate. A simple “thank you,” or an anecdote about a positive interaction, can go far in building loyalty. Of course, it’s all right to express gratitude toward your followers as a group as well!
Befriending Your Sources.
In addition to publishing original content on your social media page, you’re probably curating some content from other sources. If so, then you’ve got a great opportunity for networking. In addition to simply sharing a post, tag your sources and write a positive sentence or two about them. They’ll be more apt to remember you and your page, and may even share the content back.
Asking The Right Questions For Engagement.
Commonplace as it may sound, engaging your audience by asking questions is an effective technique. Some questions are better than others, though. In particular, ask questions that your audience can easily answer. This typically means asking questions that they can answer from their own frame of reference, such as questions about their opinions and preferences. You might find success asking “either/or” questions, or asking your audience to tell you what they think about a new product or service.
Responding To Positive – And Negative – Comments.
Responding to comments makes your audience feel valued. It’s particularly important to respond to negative comments, even if you wish you could simply delete them. Ignoring negative comments can further anger posters, and the public nature of the internet means that the negative comments will surface elsewhere, possibly out of your control. While ignoring comments can garner a bad reputation, responding to comments in a professional manner allows you display your point of view – which can improve your image. Of course, you should use your best judgment when it comes to managing comments. If a user is “trolling” your page or harassing other followers, then you’ll probably want to consider blocking that person.
Taking Risks You Can Afford.
You may not wish to use this tactic on your page, and that’s all right. But if you trust your judgment and feel like you can risk veering from “the beaten path” once in a while, you may find that bringing up controversial questions could boost social engagement on your page. Of course, this isn’t effective in building actual engagement if it’s used as a simple attention-grabbing scheme. In addition, keep in mind that the controversy doesn’t have to be intense in nature. It could be something as simple as bringing up industry-specific news about which your followers are likely to express an opinion. For example, if you have a number of writers in your audience, you could ask how they feel about a new slang word being added to the Oxford dictionary. This technique often works best if the topic in question is engaging, relevant, and not offensive.
Ready to improve your social media marketing strategy? Contact us or visit our website to find out how we can help you improve your social media marketing strategy.
