Let’s Talk About Engagement

No, I’m not asking you to marry me, though that’s sweet you thought that. I’m talking about that good old social engagement you’ve been avoiding on your Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

It’s so easy to look at the social platforms as marketing arenas where we can pitch our products or services and people will just come knocking. I mean, who wouldn’t want to buy every single fantastic thing that’s being sold on the internet right now? Okay, so maybe not everything on the internet but surely they’d want your product!

Let’s change the atmosphere a bit and say this is the first date because the reality is that all first meetings are the same, you’re checking each other out. You’re seeing if you can both bring something to the table and if the other person has too much baggage. It’s precisely a first date.

If you’re on a first date, you want someone to woo you. You want to be asked about your life, to find commonalities that you share and to connect. You want the other person to see your value, to know who you are and to want to go on a second date with you. On the first date, you don’t go straight to the marriage proposal. It’s all about building a relationship.

You see what I’m getting at here. Social media is meant to be a place to start that relationship building. Engagement is the questions you’re asking, the feedback you’re providing and the motivation you’re giving. All of these things help your customers feel like they are being invested in, that they matter. They don’t feel like an object you’re selling to.

Here’s the great thing about engagement, aside from the fact that it works, it will also build the following you’ve been looking for. Your Engagement numbers will go up, and your followers will increase because you’re making an effort to be there and support them. Who wouldn’t want to follow someone who cares and can bring value to their life?!

As you think about your social strategy and create content that brings value to your audience, also take the time to plan some engagement. A few minutes here and there on your chosen platform. Those few minutes throughout the day start to add up, and within a few weeks, you’ll start to see some changes happen on your online platforms.