You might have been here before: spent lots of time, money, and energy creating great content for your social media platforms, but when it finally gets posted? Crickets…
This is a tough boat to be in, because social media engagement is so much more important than anything else. It even trumps the number of followers you have. It’s one thing to have lots of followers, but it’s much better to have real, consistent people viewing and loving on your content! Engagement boosts morale and can lead to signups, site visits, conversions, and more.
A great first step to increase your social media engagement is to see where you may potentially be going wrong. Here are 3 mistakes that may cause you to hear crickets on your social media platforms.
Social Media Engagement Mistake 1: Not Saying What Your Audience Wants to Hear.
You may potentially be communicating a message that is irrelevant to your target audience. This can come in different forms:
- An out-of-niche message. This is content that conveys a message that has nothing to do with your audience members. It’s great to spice things up and not bore your audience, but going too off-course can backfire and result in poor social media engagement. 51% of people say they will unfollow a brand if they see irrelevant content. A majority of people find brands on social media by seeking them out, so do not throw your original audience off with something that they were not looking for.
- Too much self-promotion. 78% of people say they will unfollow a brand if there are too many ads and self-promotional posts. Avoid talking too much about yourself. Your audience is not following you to stroke your ego. They are there because you benefit them in some way. Embrace the ways in which you can make your viewers’ lives better!
Social Media Engagement Mistake 2: Being a Braniac.
Your content should not be too hard for your audience to follow. It’s important to create content that is clear and easily understandable. Many stick by the rule that if an 8th grader can understand it, the content is good to go. If there are so many technical terms that the average person would need to have Google on standby, you’ve lost your audience.
Be patient with your audience, and ease into your content marketing strategy by keeping the sales funnel in mind. Make sure that even those who are new to your brand can join in on the fun!
Not everyone you encounter on social media will be in your committed bunch. Keep in mind that a lot of people will be new to your niche, so keep it understandable for a person at any sales funnel stage!
Social Media Engagement Mistake 3: Not Joining In on the Fun.
To get higher social media engagement, it’s important that you build and participate in your community. People flock to social media for conversation, so if you are not an active part of the conversations you start, that can discourage your audience from participating as well.
56% of people say they will unfollow a brand if they demonstrate poor customer service on social media. Make sure you keep track of your mentions and respond when your audience members reach out to you. Also, make sure that you are listening when people are talking about your brand. Take in the feedback and use it as a way to improve! Encourage feedback as well, because people are more likely to make purchases when they have transparency and testimonials as a basis for their choice.
For more transparency, and to get closer to your audience, consider having your employees create content and start some conversations. Many people feel a better connection with those that are behind the brand, rather than the brand as an entity. Without crossing into ad and self-promo territory, start showing what’s behind the scenes of your company, and while doing so, spread some love to your community and niche!
Encouraging social media engagement can be tough. Keep monitoring your content marketing strategy, and keep track of your analytics as you correct your mistakes to see what’s really working for you. Always keep in mind that the content you make is not all about you – you are on social media to make a difference and make your audience’s lives better! Embrace every which way that you can do so. 🐢
Check out our Instagram, @tortugamarketing, for quick tips on how to level up your marketing strategies!
