April 5, 2021
Have you ever heard of a north star metric? That’s the KPI or social goal you monitor religiously to ensure your business is moving up. When it comes to social media, this metric has changed over the years.
In the early days of social, it was all about follower growth. As social media marketing evolved, it became more about impressions and reach. Now, engagement is the light at the end of the tunnel.
Because does it really matter who sees your posts if no one is engaging?
Here are a few things you can do to up your user engagement today.
First things first. In order to engage with people, you have to be noticed. Some of the top B2B influencers post a lot. Remember, this isn’t like filling up someone’s inbox. Posting on social forms an ever-flowing feed where prospects can scroll all of your content at their leisure.
So, how much is that? Try 100+ posts per month on Twitter and 20 or more on Facebook and LinkedIn. Although it may seem like a lot, when you consider how heavily involved each platform’s algorithm is, it makes sense.
Hashtags are the key to being discovered on social channels. By adding hashtags, you make it easier to find your content and engage with posts. Use hashtags that are specific to your product offerings and industry.
It should be a mix of:
How many should you use? It depends on the channel. 2-3 for Twitter, 3-5 for Facebook and LinkedIn, and 5+ on Instagram.
The best way to engage specific people is to give them credit. You can tag people when sharing their content on Twitter or mentioning them on Facebook.
Announcing guests on a podcast or event? Tag them.
Congratulating people on a job well done? Tag them.
Chances are good people will engage and even further share your content.
How can you expect people to engage with your posts if you’re not starting the conversation? Here are a few things you can do:
You can also post interactive content like video snippets, memes, and images with audio. Strive for about 10% of posts to include interactive content and watch your numbers climb.
If you really want people to engage, consider running posts like these, at least once a month:
Your biggest supporters should be the people behind your brand. Employee advocacy helps gather more prospects. People are inclined to engage with someone in their network over a brand post. Just remind employees to tag your company when sharing content to drive engagement even further.
Review engagement metrics from all of your platforms on a monthly basis. This will help you better focus efforts where needed. When you first start a campaign, measure them as benchmarks. Then, every quarter, check your progress. If engagement metrics are down, time to make a new plan.
Now that you have a few tips and tricks, it’s time to put them into action. The most important aspect of all social media efforts is that people are interested and engaged. This should be the driving force behind all your social campaigns.