How to Increase Social Media Engagement

3 tips on how to increase your Social Media Engagement

We know that social media is a key part of life for most Kiwi’s and it should be a key part of your business marketing strategy.

Unfortunately just starting a page isn’t enough to attract an audience, you need to post and manage that online presence regularly, so in this instalment we’ll be looking into 3 ways of increasing engagement on social media platforms 1) What each social media platform is useful for 2) Understanding buyer personas 3) Sharing relevant information to your customers - we’ll also throw in a few suggestions on some topics to get you started on your social media journey.

Tip 1: Choose the social media channel that suits your business and customers?
Nowadays, most businesses already have a presence on at least one social media platform. Whether it’s Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn, each social media platform is used differently when marketing to your customers, so you need to use the right one that suits your business and market best.

Facebook is generally used in a casual way when expressing things to your customers, so it doesn’t have to be strictly business 24/7. It is used by thousands of people in your area every day and their messaging system lets you interact with customers less formally than traditional emails, which is great for simple questions. We would suggest any formal quotes for work are kept on your email system though as it is easier to keep copies. Most people expect to see up to five posts a week, which also keeps you in their newsfeed.

Instagram is used for sharing visual images or videos of work the business can do, it can also be used for competitions and giveaways. Being in a creative industry like signwriting this is a great medium for showing off your work and is all handled from your mobile which makes it convenient for you to manage. Just make sure the posts are relevant and remember to use hashtags (#) to make it easy for customers to find your work. Frequency of posts can be similar to Facebook, just remember that Instagram is visual and made to be viewed on a mobile so don’t expect people to notice small print in pictures.

LinkedIn is also a social media platform but is more formal and used for advertising and creating engagement that prefers to deal with knowledge and facts. LinkedIn can be a great way of attracting corporate clients that are looking for quality work so just make sure that what you put up is professional and exhibits the best your business can do, it’s not the place to share funny meme’s. Frequency of posts can be less than other social media platforms, just make sure it is relevant to your target market.

Tip 2: Understand your buyer personas
Figuring out your buyer personas is a testing ground, based on current customers and potential customers. Finding out important details about your customers such as, age, interests/hobbies, strengths/weaknesses and purchasing behaviour patterns, can help you learn how to interact with them. You can read more about buyer personas in our previous blog here.

Tip 3: Share relevant information
Ok, so now you know what platform (or multiple platforms) will work for you and you know your buyer personas but how do you turn that into engaging posts?

First and most importantly is looking at what your customers are interested in, which you know from your buyer personas. Use the knowledge of what things your customers like or are interested in and give them solutions, examples and advice on it. Sharing a relevant post such as how to or fun facts about signage can increase engagement and trust from your audience which in return can increase leads for future business. This can also attract new customers to your page and allow them to engage with your posts or they could be referred by a friend. The more your content is shared the more likely customers will see your posts and engage with them especially when your posts are attractive to your audience.

All social media platforms have analytics or insights to show you how your posts are performing and what your followers are engaging with. Use this information to find what your audience is engaging with most and look to replicate that, or if you want to increase engagement on posts that are quite different. Look at what was working in the other posts and see if you can adjust your other posts in a similar way. For example, you share a photo of a funny sign on a Friday and everyone likes and shares it but your post about a sign you just installed on Monday doesn’t engage well, check some key things like the day and time each was posted – remember people will have days/times that they are checking their feeds more than others. Was one more visual and the other was more text heavy? As you refine your posts you will see your engagement and followers increase. Giveaways or promotions can be a great way to generate hype and get your name out there. Progress campaigns of large installs or teaser campaigns can also be effective in building your audience and really engaging with customers. You never know who will see your post, it might be just what a potential customer was looking for.
 
Bonus Tips: 5 Topic suggestions to get you started
There is plenty of content that your customers may like such as competitions and giveaways on Facebook, it’s always a winner. People love free stuff! They also love posts about discounts and great deals that can save them a lot of money. Just make sure every post isn’t a special or ad otherwise it all becomes a bit spammy and you’ll actually disengage your customers.

Showcase your latest vehicle wrap or sign install: They don’t all have to be the most mind-blowing design because not everyone is looking for that, sometimes they want a simple design. Of course, those mind-blowing designs do catch the eye when scrolling through a newsfeed.

Preferred work: Is there work that you prefer to do more than other types? Say you like doing Real Estate signs, posting more about these showcases that work and could lead to more work in that area.

Staff update: Had a new team member start? Looking for new staff? Has a staff member just run a marathon or competed nationally? Make a short post about it. This shows the human side of your work and builds trust with potential clients.
Award winners: Have you won any awards this year? Business of the year, NZSDA award or similar? Post it and let customers know how good you are.

How to’s: What about a quick tip on sending you art files? We know this is a big complaint with most signees, getting files in wrong formats or too small etc, so posting tips on the best way to supply them will help you and your customer in the end.

That wraps up this blog on increasing your social media engagement. If you have any other tips that have worked for you then we’d love to hear them. Just email us at marketing@cohesivenz.co.nz