5 Ways to Fire Up Your Social Media Engagement

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Are you a small business or a newly-formed company looking for strategies on how to gain fans and followers on popular social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter? You’re not alone- most business people do not have the slightest inkling as how to engage the online community when they post an update, as well.
 

Here are 5 ways in which companies can boost their social media engagement

 

1. Share the Spotlight with Other Businesses

Social media is all about helping one another and not just about your business. Begin by establishing this mindset and engaging other businesses through generous acts.  A ringing endorsement is just as good as promoting your own business, so why not pat someone else’s back while you’re at it? Shine the spotlight on your business partners and their products and services, your vendors and how they do great things, and suppliers who never let you down.
 

2. Show Excellent Customer Service

This is a two-for-one engagement that will benefit your business immensely. First, social media has become a hub for followers and customers to ask questions and post complaints in order to get your attention. Show your customers that you care by catering to their requests for help or support by answering them. In due course, you will begin to see your company gain a solid reputation for being aware and supportive of your customers. Second, there is no better method than facilitating an effective communication to spark that much-needed social media engagement. The back-and-forth exchanges will also encourage other followers to like, comment on and share the  post with other people in their circles.
 

3. Post about Local Events and Holidays

Be like-minded with the rest of the world and celebrate any and all holidays, even the quirky and most especially, the fun ones such as National Ice Cream Day or World Cupcake Day! Follow it up with a picture that captures the spirit of the holiday, and you may find your feed loaded with comments and even pictures of followers celebrating the holiday. Comment  on local events as they happen and establish your company’s  community involvement and civic pride in your hometown. Help out new and upcoming businesses In your locale by giving them a shout-out and encouraging more traffic their way.
 
See also: How to Convert Social Media Communities into Customers
 

4. Ask for Opinions

People simply love talking about their opinions. See how far you can go by posing an open-ended question for your followers and wait for various reactions and amusing comments to explode in your Facebook or Twitter page. An interesting topic can even go beyond your page as it can be shared by other fans and followers on their other social networking accounts, as well.
 

5. Show Your Personal Side

Show your fans that your business has a warm, human side by posting about what goes on behind the scenes. Show your customers what you are like outside of the confines of your company. Give them a glimpse at what happens when your brick and mortar store closes for the night. People love to see this and it adds a depth on how you engage with your social media fans.
 
In conclusion, remember the 80/20 golden rule on social media? That rule says 80 percent of your updates should be about building relationships, socializing and focusing on others, and the remaining 20 percent for promotions and selling your business. You can never go wrong by following this rule, and that is ultimately the key to social media engagement success!

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See also: 7 Social Media Tips to Engage Your Target Audience