Calling all entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, and small business owners! I have a business question for you: If your business had (or currently has) a storefront – would you rather have 1,000 customers walk in and buy nothing, or have 100 customers walk in and each buy something?
I’m no mind reader, but I’m willing to bet that your answer is you’d rather have 100 customers walk in and make a purchase. Now with that in mind, why is it that many business owners feel differently about that concept when it comes to their social media platforms?
All too often, many business owners hyper-focus on the number of followers their platforms have, instead of the conversion rate of followers to customers on their platforms. The truth is, social media is all about the quality of followers over the quantity of followers!
My business is living proof of this! My business’s social media platforms include: 160 followers on Instagram, just under 300 likes on Facebook, and just over 1,000 connections on LinkedIn – and yet I run a successful six-figure (plus) business. While these numbers are modest, they’re reflective of my true and organic connections and customers.
Let’s dive into the details of what truly matters when it comes to your business’s social media platforms, and how to make sure your time spent on social media helps you make real, true connections and relationships.
Followers vs. Engagement
What’s the difference between followers and engagement?
Followers are simply users who have subscribed to the content on your platform, while engagement is when these followers interact with the content on your platform by liking, commenting, sharing, watching, and saving.
The more a business’s content is engaged with, the more the brand becomes trusted and highlighted online. Every social media platform’s algorithm is different, but the bottom line is that engagement matters!
While it’s tempting to want to see your follower count grow and grow, if these followers aren’t actively engaging with your content, they provide no value to your business. The key to converting a follower to a customer is to encourage engagement!
Now that you know the importance of engagement, let’s break down how you can boost your engagement on the following social media platforms.
How to Boost Your Engagement on Facebook
I’ll be honest: It’s getting harder and harder to show up in the newsfeed (organically) as a Facebook page. But Facebook groups are still a great option!
Facebook groups are an effective way to build community and brand loyalty around your business. To encourage engagement, keep the members of your Facebook group intrigued by asking engaging questions for the community to discuss amongst themselves. You can also consistently provide valuable resources and information to keep your members returning to your page (providing value is key to a good Facebook group).
Taking the time to engage with the group members by responding to their comments within the discussions will build trust between your brand and your customers, building the bridge of communication and forming a relationship. These techniques will drive traffic to your platform, attracting more potential customers to your page while maintaining your current audience.
How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram
Similar to engaging with Facebook group members, it is key on Instagram to engage with your followers and other potential prospects. You can engage by liking and commenting on content from followers, responding to comments and messages, reacting to stories, sharing tagged customer stories, and interacting with user-generated content.
You can also harness the power of hashtags and engage with content that includes hashtags that relate to your brand!
Customers want to connect with genuine brands, and social media has given us the power to interact with our customer base on a regular basis – which nurtures the customer’s relationship with a brand. The more you engage the better. Start out by engaging on Instagram for just 15 minutes each day!
How to Boost Your Engagement on LinkedIn
Keep your profile up-to-date with high-quality images and content that will showcase your business. When sharing your content, make sure to use keywords throughout your profile, descriptions, and copy that will highlight your work to your target audience.
You can also post regularly and engage with other users to nurture the bridge of communication. Provide value to users by sharing helpful resources you find online, to encourage connections to frequently visit your page.
Finally, just like on Instagram, engagement is key. Spend 15-30 minutes each week engaging with other posts in your LinkedIn feed, with your connections’ posts, and with people you’d like to connect with. Before long, they’ll be engaging right back!
How to Boost Your Engagement on Video Content
Video platforms are becoming widely popular and are proving to be very powerful and influential. I encourage you to expand the variety of your platforms as much as possible, making your brand more accessible to followers.
Dust off that YouTube channel and venture onto TikTok. Start with engaging with others, and then build into sharing videos that relate to your brand. When producing video for any platform, always include a call to action – both in the video itself as well as the caption.
Importance of Calls to Action (CTAs)
When writing copy for your content throughout all of your platforms, it’s important to always include a CTA on every post! A call to action is a way to prompt your audience to engage with your content. Examples of this include:
- Send us a DM to learn more!
- Ready to sign up? Comment below!
- Tag a friend below!
- Double-tap this if you agree!
- Save this video to revisit later!
If you’re interested in more CTA examples and inspiration, download my completely free 100 call-to-action ideas PDF here!
Final Advice: Be Genuine
Above all, always remember to create and share content that will provide value to your audience. Don’t just post for the sake of posting. A valuable piece of content is something that educates, impacts, or inspires a social media user.
People don’t want to feel like they are being bombarded by sales tactics – they want to find value within a brand that they can trust. Providing value to users will create an organic connection with your brand that will naturally turn users into followers, and followers into lifetime customers.
Social media can feel so overwhelming, but is truly powerful enough to be life-changing to your business when used properly!
PS: My bi-weekly newsletter is filled with updates and educational resources that are curated by me to help improve your online marketing, so subscribe today here for complimentary access to these won’t-want-to-miss emails!