Social media is often the go-to marketing channel for brands of various sizes. Many people spend hours on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other SM sites.
Interesting and engaging content is one of the reasons why social media is so popular. Multiple brands make the most out of their resources to attract potential leads and convert them into customers.
Unfortunately, it is easier said than done. Crafting engaging content requires a lot of work, but you can start by focusing on some basics.
Let’s take a look at useful tips to improve your social media content game so you get more engagement.
Avoid Text
Visual content receives a lot of attention. Attention span averages continue to drop, so it’s harder and harder for people to focus on reading text.
Walls of text might have been effective in the past, but they should be avoided right now. Instead, it is better to work on:
- Infographics
- Videos
- Animations
- GIFs
- Static images
Even if you don’t have that much experience in creating content, you can figure out how to do it in no time. Some people begin with basic tools, such as Paint, and learning how to use Paint in MacBook or another device is hardly a challenge.
After getting familiar with the process, you can then move to more complicated tools with a wider array of editing features.
Creativity might be a struggle early on because you are still trying to get the hang of the process rather than the end result, but it will come eventually.
Keep an Eye on Trends
Trends come and go fast, particularly on platforms like TikTok. Striking the iron while it’s hot should be a priority. Take the ALS ice bucket challenge that was a hot hit. Even the biggest celebrities participated in that one. Sure, such challenges are relatively rare, but they illustrate how one campaign snowballs and attracts attention.
Users become fascinated with it and are eagerly waiting for what unique twist somebody comes up with. Who knows, with enough hard work and some luck, your brand might be the one to strike gold or even become a trendsetter.
Organize Giveaways
Giveaways are one of the oldest social media marketing methods. The premise is pretty straightforward. You announce a contest and invite interested people to participate by sharing, liking, and commenting on the content.
The content goes viral and reaches audiences that might not have even heard of your brand before.
Note, though, that different platforms have different competition rules. Check those first so you do not break the rules.
The prizes can range from simple things like voucher coupons and free shipping to custom merchandise or free trials.
One final thing to mention is that some brands like to play dirty. They create a giveaway but announce fake winners to cut potential losses.
Getting away with such behavior once or twice is possible, but it does not take too long for social media users to get wind of what is going on. And after they expose you, expect to struggle if you want to come back from this.
Remember to Use Hashtags
Marketers should not ignore hashtags if they want to reach more people. For instance, Instagram posts often include five or more hashtags because marketers want to get featured on a hashtag’s page.
A similar thing applies to Twitter. If somebody is looking for specific content, they will use hashtags to find it.
While hashtags have their users, it is important to remember that spamming them in the content might have the opposite effect of what you expected.
A content piece with multiple hashtags looks spammy and unappealing, not to mention that it might get flagged by the social media site.
Hashtags are also competitive, so it is pretty common to seek ways to make your hashtag just a little bit different to avoid collision with brands that are using the most popular hashtags.
Share User-Generated Content
User-generated content is an interesting approach to get more engagement on the content you publish right now. Include an Instagram wall on your event page to showcase user-generated content using the event hashtag. This will not only encourage participation but also, user-generated content can be a powerful social proof tool.
It adds variety to the overall content strategy, but the main idea behind this method is to establish a deeper connection with your audience. Showing that you care and want to incorporate their ideas into your social media strategy is great if you think long-term.
Collaborate With Other Brands
Collaborations are more than just a means to get engagement. They also give you the opportunity to build valuable relationships with various influencers and other page types on social media.
A simple shoutout exchange to each other’s audiences is bound to drive traffic and be beneficial for both parties. And there are other ways to approach collabs.
If you focus on this method, be sure to find the right partners. Avoid your competition, and do not waste time reaching out to brands that are much larger than you because you will more than likely be ignored.
Respond to Comments
Social media audiences leave comments to express their opinions. Responding to these comments works in favor of brands.
Once users see that the brand is responding to them, they will be more encouraged to engage with the content. The sense of getting noticed is a big boost for those who want to get themselves heard.
In addition, pages that respond to user comments also show their human side, unlike those who ignore the comments, leaving a negative impression.
Establish a Time Frame for Your Posts
Establishing the best publishing schedule will take some trial and error. However, it is inevitable, given how many variables there are.
Determining the best time to post content also depends on the platform. For example, if you receive the most engagement on Facebook by posting on Friday evening, do not expect that the same will work for Instagram and other sites.
During your research, do not forget about consistency. If you find the best time to post, can you continue publishing enough content to keep the audience engaged?
Consistency plays a prominent role in the equation as well. If you miss a few days, do not be surprised to have lower engagement numbers.
Conclusion
To sum it all up, social media content engagement strategies are pretty intricate and require effort to make the most out of them.
Nevertheless, real user engagement is a critical metric in determining how a brand is doing on social media. Therefore, it should be a priority for marketers who want to succeed.
