How does it work? What are the best practices to engage others over social mediums, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram?

What if we were to tell you that it’s all about sharing information, education, and making an emotional connection with your audience?  It’s truly that simple. Gone are the days of hard-selling, pushing out as many advertisements as you can each day in order to get more sales. Yes, we need to get in front of our audience. Yes, there are times when we need to promote our events, products and services. That said it’s how this is done that really has an impact. 

Here are five best practices for boosting your social media engagement:

• Be authentic and show who you are. There are so many of people pumping out posts that everyone can begin to sound the same. That said, if you are real and demonstrate to others that you are someone who believes in what you’re doing, you are more likely to gain a strong following. Be comfortable being yourself, particularly those of you in the self-help or wellness realm. The more you can share of your own story, how you overcame challenges using certain modalities, what effects those challenges had on your life and how you have come back from them, the more likely others will watch, learn and connect with you.  We are emotional beings, and we want to know that you have been through something, overcame it and now want to help. Your stories build trust with your audience and demonstrate to them that you can actually help them.
• Strike up conversation and be responsive. This is a great way to connect with others. It may feel like you put yourself out there with a question and get ‘crickets’ at first but people are watching and paying attention. Be patient and responsive when the comments come. If your post gets a like, that’s a good thing but it isn’t the only thing to measure. Our social media feeds are fast and furious so sometimes people see your posts but don’t react or engage. Keep putting it out there and the engagement will come for you to respond to. If you’re comfortable, or let’s face it, even if you’re not comfortable doing a Facebook Live, do it anyway!  Start with something short and sweet. You may get little to no engagement at first, but keep doing it. Little by little, and with consistency, you will gather your flock and that is key –and when you do, be responsive and keep that conversation going! 
• Share information, educate and add value. We just mentioned Facebook Live. This is a great venue for sharing information, educating others about various elements of your industry that may need clarifying. Invite people to ask questions in your Facebook Live, as this is a great way to give back, offer basic consultation for free and reach a larger audience.  For example, we just started with Wonder Wednesdays where we go LIVE on Facebook every Wednesday at 3:00pm for 10-15 minutes and talk about some of the questions people often ask us. It also provides great video content for your Facebook page as well, that people can watch at a later date.  The key is to add value, share good information and answer some of those ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ for people, who may or may not reach out to you otherwise.
• Use your creativity to draw in your audience. We only have so much time to read each day, so if you’re like most people, you are pretty selective in whose content you choose to consume. While there is a formula for this, the gather, draw in and retain, everyone is quite different in what they are seeking. For me, as a writer, I enjoy reading other people blog posts. However, not everyone loves to read –unless it’s a juicy novel that you cannot put down. Some people prefer to watch a video, or listen to podcasts. So to that, we suggest that you mix it up! 
  • Give your audience a variety of options; write blog posts, do some videos or Facebook Lives or IG-TV. You may want to create a series, and have your audience waiting for your next video.
  • Turn some of your old blog posts into educational videos or mini courses. This can create some energy around your business and gather an audience, who want to learn from you.
  • Offer a freebie in there as well, as incentive for watching –this can create good traction and help build a stronger online presence.
  • Check in with your audience to find out what is working well, so that you’re not throwing time and energy at something that isn’t being well received.
  • The key here is to be creative and keep trying new ideas to see what works best –then stick with it!
• Develop a marketing strategy. The very definition of a marketing strategy is: “An organization’s strategy that combines all of its marketing goals into one comprehensive plan. A good marketing strategy should be drawn from market research and focus on the right product mix in order to achieve the maximum profit potential and sustain the business.” (*Source: Business Dictionary).  If you haven’t done so, identify your ideal client, as this is a crucial step to success in your business. Once you have identified your ideal client, you will want to review your marketing message –does it speak to your client specifically? Does it solve a common problem that they have, and this is key, that they are willing to pay to have solved?  Your marketing strategy is simply figuring out the best, most impactful way to engage your audience, convert them to clients, keep them satisfied, and then ask them to share their experience with their friends.

There you have it!  This isn’t rocket science and it works. There is no limit to what you can do –it’s there for you, right on social media within your Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter following –an audience just waiting for your incredible value. All you have to do is open your mind to the possibilities. Start mapping out your plan, then set the intention to do those action steps each day.  Follow the five best practices, develop your own individually impactful marketing strategy and watch your business grow and your dreams unfold!  Honestly, it is really that simple.  Cheers and see you on social media!

Need help or want to ask some questions?  We would love to chat with you, so give us a call today!

Cheetah Fusion Creative Agency –Catapult your brand… fast!

705.302.3386 | www.cheetahfusion.com | meow@cheetahfusion.com