Social Media is a constantly changing field. The minute you catch up, you’re already behind. An article that was posted last week or month is already old news in this world. Struggling to keep up or even to start a strategy can be quite intimidating. UZU Media has been thriving on social media in Colorado Springs since our beginnings 3 years ago. And it’s something we love to do- we couldn’t imagine not connecting with people online. In three simple steps, we can help you increase engagement on your profiles by finding ways to participate online, curating content, and determining your voice.
Participating Online
The one simple secret behind social media is this: it’s a conversation. A conversation between your company and your customers. Timing, branding, and your voice all matter but the conversation you’re having is the most important. What do people say about you and even better, how do you reply? Airline companies such as Southwest are best known for this tactic. When a customer tweets about a less-than-expected experience, Southwest immediately catches on and responds. You feel heard once more, an aspect of big business that has been missing for quite some time. For smaller businesses, Twitter is the easiest way to get more engagement. Larger corporations run something call “Twitter chats,” which are live tweeting sessions geared towards answering questions in your field. By participating in these, not only do you demonstrate your expertise, you may get retweeted (another user shares your tweet) which increases your reach to users.
Curating Content
People are looking for things that interest them and is useful in their lives. When they find things like that, they share them. Have you ever seen Shark Tank? As they’ve shown over and over, a successful business should be started with the idea of “filling a need.” What problem do you fix? What problems in your industry do you know your customers face? Share this content all over the place! Post content that enriches the lives of your followers and will be useful to them. They will respond with their love by sharing with their friends which again, extends your reach. The key here is to not always post about yourself. There are other key influencers in your industry- share their content as well. Social media is not about competition but more about the love you give to others.
Determining Your Voice
You know how to start a conversation and make content, great. Now what do you do? How do you want your brand portrayed on social media? This is just an extension of your business so how your profiles are set up, your website should mirror this. Decide if you’d like to take a more informational or humorous approach on all platforms. This will drive the type of content you share. It’s important to understand that your voice on social media is a part of your branding. Make sure you keep it consistent!
These three steps will help increase your engagement exponentially on social media. Combining participation online, curating content, and determining your voice will drive your content in a positive direction with results. If you find yourself stuck or losing creativity, take a look at our social media profiles for inspiration. All the links to our profiles are on our website. We’ve been able to flourish on social media in Colorado Springs because we’ve embodied these concepts. Once you have these concepts down, you’ll be well on your way to building a community of “fans” around your company’s digital presence.