Effective Engagement on Social Networks

Like it or not, deciding how to effectively engage on social networks is a primary goal for all brands. In my experience, whether you are an exceptionally large company or an entrepreneur just starting out, it’s important to make decisions on social media engagement in ways that contribute to your professional goals. Building the right community and influencing your audience in relative and meaningful ways are critical parts of your brand building strategy. They should not be overlooked.

Part of your decision is which social channels to focus on. The answer is…it depends! It depends on where your “tribe” engages. If you have developed your high value high loyal personas, you also know where and how they engage on social networks. Let your desired customers and brand advocates lead you to a primary focus on the social channels where they are active. If the audience that you want to engage with is active on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, then that’s where you want to show up.

How to show up in relevant and meaningful ways is important. One of the guidelines I use with my own social strategy, as well as with my clients, is the 80/20 rule. Prioritize 80% of your content with engaging visuals, key facts, and relevant and interesting information. The remaining 20% of your content can be about you and what you are doing, promoting, etc. Otherwise, your followers get fatigued and will stop following you if they aren’t getting benefit from your content.

Once you have identified which channels are optimal for you and your community, the most important thing is about content. Really….what is the goal of being active on social networks? Do you want more likes/shares in order to amplify your brand? Are you looking for more followers in order to get new clients? Or, do you want people to buy something or attend an event? Prioritizing your social media content so that everything you do is related to your overall goals is the key to using social media as a support channel in brand development.