How To Improve Engagement On Your Business's Social Media.
How To Improve Engagement On Your Business's Social Media.
In today's digital age, it's so important to build a strong online presence for your brand. So it surprises me to hear when a Business Owner/Creator tells me they have given up on their social media accounts. If big businesses like Target, Wendy's, Fashion Nova, etc. feel the need to have a consistent online presence and engage....then why wouldn't you need to?
When I have asked my clients "Why are you not posting consistently on Facebook?" (Or Instagram, LinkedIn, whatever platform they use) the top 3 the responses that I'm told are:
"No one likes or engages on my posts anyway. So I stopped posting."
"I don't know what to post."
"I don't have time to post and run my business."
If your response would have been one of the ones above- then keep reading. I'm going to give you some tips that will eliminate those three excuses. Click the response you would've said to jump to that section or scroll down to read them all. If you still need help when you finish... leave a comment at the end of this blog or join the group and ask.
"No one engages with my posts anyway."
Believe it or not, this is a very common feeling for both new and established Business Owners/Creators. And it unfortunately leads to frustration and discouragement resulting in them giving up instead of fighting through. Being that you're here reading this...you're already three steps ahead of them.
You care to fix the problem. You're here to learn the solution. And my hope is you're going to go implement what you learn and ask questions on what you don't. I promise I'll answer or send you a resource to help you answer. You're not in this alone.
If you and I were having this convo I would say something like this:
It takes time to build up a following of people who will engage with your business on social media. In the beginning stages and even after you've built your following you need to be pushing the content you make. The problem is people think simply creating a post on their page will draw in people. No. You have to build the business and spread it. So when you make a post on your Facebook page share it into related Facebook groups. If you write a new blog send it to your email subscribers and share it on Linkedin or Pinterest.
There are so many businesses popping up on social media not to mention your followers are following their own family/friends and other businesses. You have to actively show up and be consistent with your posts to even show up in their feeds. If you want engagement on your social media posts give them something worth engaging with. Use these 8 questions to audit your current social media channels.
Who are your followers? Where did they come from? Did they follow you because you asked everyone on your page to follow you or jumped on a follow train? Or did they follow you based on the fact that your business was something they wanted/needed? Having a lot of followers is cool IF they engage. If they don't then it is just killing your algorithm.
Is your profile up to date with all your relevant business information? Contact Info, Bio, Banner, Website or Booking Link, Location (if local), Business Hours.
Are you also engaging in niche groups/conversations outside of your main page?
Have you taken the time to research what platforms/marketing channels work best for your target audience? Are you using them?
Do you know who your target audience is?
Are you using CTA's or captions that spark conversations?
Are you engaging regularly with the followers you do have?
Have you taken the time to research relevant keywords/phrases to use in your marketing?
How often are you posting on your page or promoting your business?
These should at the very least give you something to think about. Go through and answer them all truthfully it will highlight your areas of weakness. After you review your answers go analyze a couple of businesses in the same industry and complete a competitive analysis. Research news and popular trends related to your business, and things you don't know. Then start strategizing and make a plan. It's 2023, and your social media pages and website are often your customer's first impression of you. Make it a lasting one.
Piece of tough love because I have to give it straight....No one is coming to find your business because no one cares about your business until you give them a reason to. If you want others to support and believe in your business you need to start supporting and investing in your damn self. That means showing up consistently, putting your business in their face, showing your skills evolve or your business grow. Give them something to talk about!
"I don't know what to post. "
A couple of years ago there was a trendy sound going around on Instagram and TikTok that went "Everything is content. Evvvvverything is content. Everything is content." Listen to those words because they are words to live by seriously. I'm going to show you all an example below of how I turned my morning coffee routine into content.
The most important thing is to POST SOMETHING. At the same time, remember you need to first create a Marketing Strategy and set goals. Whatever you post should align with your brand and your business. Keep your color scheme and fonts the same as much as possible.
It's okay to be casual if that's the tone for your business but remember to keep some level of professionalism.
Your content needs to be more than just selling to your audience. Remember you're building a brand and your goal is to build trust/engagement. Check out these different types of content to post.
Content is everywhere....
Look how I turned my morning coffee routine into content
As you're brewing your morning cup of coffee.
Pull out your phone and record as the coffee drips into the cup/pot.
Add a Good Morning or Life quote across the screen or in the caption.
For Audio- if the video is quiet and caught the drip sounds sometimes I use that because it is soothing, or you can use a trendy sound or voiceover.
A quick reel that took less than 10 minutes to make. Or you can do something like this below...
As you're drinking your morning cup of coffee.
Use your favorite mug or a mug with a good quote or image.
Find a nice background like your countertop, home office, backyard, near some flowers, wherever.
Hold the Mug in the air like a cheer or capture it sitting on something.
In your caption write something engaging like a story, ask a question that requires more than a yes or no answer, reference a national day, or share an accomplishment or goal.
Don't Forget:
Make sure the background area is clean/clear.
If you're using original audio make sure there are no other distracting sounds.
Longer videos at different angles/backgrounds can be trimmed down and used for multiple posts.
"I don't have time to post."
Now this one I can understand because outside of our businesses, we all have lives. But at the end of the day "You make time for what you want." Meaning if you want your business to grow and be successful then you'll set aside the time to do it.
For those who don't know my life...I am balancing homeschooling our four kids, two in travel softball, one in baseball, a team mom for one of the teams, running five businesses, and being a wife and woman. If I can shift my life as needed, I promise you can too.
This doesn't mean ignoring your normal day-to-day tasks or priorities. Nor does it mean running yourself ragged trying to balance everything. For me, it means sometimes I wake up earlier, go to sleep later, skip a kid's practice, or bring my work to the ballfield. But I'm making sure both home and business get taken care of because my business is a priority too.
What's worked for me to help stay on top of my content creation is keeping a checklist of what I need/want to create over a week to two-week span. And then gradually working on a little each day. If I have extra time in the day I will spend it creating quote posts in bulk or blogging to save in my drafts and come back to. (Hopefully, remember to come back to lol) I try not to ever have to create content on the day I post it. Unless it's like someone asks me a specific question and I whip up a blog or infographic. Or I'm using a National Day just to increase some engagement.
I challenge you to pick 1-2 days a week dedicated to content creation, editing, and scheduling. Then schedule your post at minimum 7 days out. As you create and post content review the insights and take notes of what is performing well and what isn't. If something performs well depends on your goal and every post is different.
If you need help scheduling posts leave a comment and I'll make a video tutorial.
Check out this blog to learn more about Marketing Automation.
Bring back past customers with Email Campaigns.
If you wanted better you’d make the changes necessary to get it. You’re choosing not to. Therefore you’re choosing to continue enduring the pain or discomfort that you are. Love yourself enough to demand more in life.
The End.
Hey yall! Like I always tell you I write like I talk so if I ever ramble please excuse me, lol. And if you see a typo please tell me. Before you leave please take a second to answer the poll below or leave me a comment.
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