07-12-2021

4 Ways How Companies Can Grow Social Media Engagement

Social media has become one of the most heavily utilised platforms for brands to market their goods and services. Over 4 billion people (just over half the world’s population) are active users on social media platforms. This makes social media an imperative medium for brands aiming to expand their reach and in turn boost their sales.

Increasing engagement on social media is a highly effective method in growing your consumer base. Heading into 2022, brands must ensure they are up-to-date on the latest and growing trends in social media engagement.

This blog post will highlight 4 ways that companies can effectively expand their engagement on social media.

Post Regularly on Social Media

The average user on platforms such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook are being constantly inundated with content with every scroll of their finger. From the latest sports highlight, a new sneaker releasing on StockX, there is an ensuing battle for the attention of users on these platforms.

Consistency when it comes to regular posting on social media is a prime way brands can ensure they are able to retain their audiences. Better social media management is vital in ensuring the regularly scheduled posting is executed.The more your posts are seen on a timeline, the greater the potential for conversions and consumer pool growth. Frequent posts help to engage followers and maintain interest in the brand.

Unfortunately, infrequent social media posting in this age will not bode well for brands. The attention of users and your consumers are constantly under threat by competitors and other external sources. A key aim for businesses is always to increase exposure, therefore frequent posting on social media multiplies the opportunities people have to acknowledge the brand.

The Use of Humour

Our current climate has been rather difficult on the mental health of many, with people still recovering from the likes of the pandemic and lockdowns. The use of humour can be a very effective way to brighten people’s emotions and engage them. Brands that are able to keep current on the latest trends and jokes that are popular within the culture can capitalise on an appeal of comedic posts.

Laughter drops the guard of individuals and can be beneficial in developing relationships between brands and consumers. Being quirky allows a brand to have a more personable identity and helps consumers reinforce a brand’s image with positivity. This “can build the trust of your visitors and turn them into potential customers” (Reach First)

Brands who are able to observe and successfully latch onto viral trends can also periodically boost their engagements by figures of at least 20%. Viral videos on such platforms can reach engagements into the millions. By utilising comedic content, especially viral trends, consumer engagement can grow exponentially in a short period. Creating memes can prove beneficial due to how fast they can be shared across social media platforms, making them a simple and worthwhile way to increase engagement.
However, it must be advised that brands be cautious when using humour to increase social media engagement. People have various beliefs and humour preferences, and the risk of offending certain parties is always a possibility when engaging in this content. Carefully considering your audiences is imperative in mitigating the likelihood of offending certain groups.

Use and Create More Video Content

The more consumers are able to better visualise your goods and services, the greater the confidence they will have in the brand. Video content is a creative and refreshing way to engage with your audience. Platforms such as Instagram and TikTok heavily promote communication via image and video. Being able to utilise this form of engagement can better capture the attention of current and potential audiences. Improving social media management will allow for  the prioritisation of video content, which can prove ideal in engaging consumers. Videos receive more user engagement on Instagram than photos, and as such they can prove to be a very useful tool.

Moreover, videos are generally favoured in social media algorithms as posts of this nature are better able to reach audiences of people who aren’t following the brand itself. Brands can maximise their engagement by shifting focus on creating short 30-45s videos. These can more easily engage people who are yet to follow the brand due to their ease of consumption and how concise the videos are.

Use Influencers to Promote Brand

Marketing through collaboration with influencers on social media platforms have been quite successful for modern businesses. Brands are able to benefit from this partnership due to the vast reach many influencers have on their social media. It is undeniable how pivotal influencers are in driving social media engagement. Effective social media management can establish fruitful long term partnerships with many influencers. There are many apps available that can help to improve social media management by scheduling posting, and one such app is Post Magic. With many key figures on social media with varying interests, there are limitless audiences that can be reached.

Many influencers are able to diversify brand consumer pools due to the various groups of people that are aligned with said influencer. Influencers are masters at understanding the wants of their consumers, being able to drive brand exposure and presence in various markets. Brands can effectively leverage influencer reach and exponentially improve social media engagement.
For instance, Cristiano Ronaldo has 371 million followers on Instagram, one of the most followed users on the platform. As a footballer his audience will range from young boys to men in their 40s and 50s. With that vast range of consumers, many brands could hope to bridge generational gaps via collaboration with Ronaldo.

Thus, brands should strongly consider collaborating with influencers. The opportunity to appeal to different markets and pools of consumers is invaluable, and allows brands to potentially double their audiences.

Conclusion

Improving social media engagement is necessary for brands wishing to keep ahead of the competition. There are very useful ways to do so ranging from leveraging influencer reach, to utilising more video content in their marketing strategies. 
Brands need to ensure they are current and constantly researching consumer behaviour and various trends in the landscape. In addition to market research, with some of these tips brands can be sure to better their social media engagement.
Now more than ever the struggle for consumer attention is continually growing. It is key that brands maximise their social media platform engagement to not only reach new audiences but retain viewership and consumers.