Social media marketing…. is it for real?
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that the social media platforms that were once, a mere site for chatting and interacting with friends has become an active catalyst for brand growth. Nowadays The first thing that comes to mind when we think about representation is social media, and let’s be honest, whether you are a brand or someone who just wants to portray their knowledge and interests to the general audience, your success, to some extent, will always be evaluated by your popularity amongst the public on these platforms.
This popularity is precisely called ‘engagement’. The number of likes and shares you get, the comments, the mentions, and the retweets, in short, any interaction between the follower and you, falls under the umbrella of this term, engagement. The bird’s eye view of today’s marketing is all about the engagement and reach you get on these platforms, and it’s also true that social media marketing has almost, if not completely, replaced the traditional means of marketing.
A new perspective.
For most brands, a strong engagement signals that they are making an impact in the market. It’s this connection between them and their audience ensures that that the brand is being liked and appreciated.
While still on this topic, why don’t we talk about the art of establishing meaningful interaction with your followers, now a large follower count doesn’t necessarily translate to an equally proportional sales number, rather it’s the engagement which ensures the prosperity and success of your brand. The point to ponder here is, how this engagement can be maximized to increase the productivity of your brand.
The answer lies in these simple words:
“A brand is no longer what we tell the consumer it is – it is what consumers tell each other it is.” – Scott Cook
All you need to do is create a comfortable environment for your followers to interact, both with each other and with you. Here are some crucial key factors to maximize your engagement:
1. Active presence:
You need to show constant and active presence to your audience. Don’t leave them hanging, always respond.
2. Proactive interaction:
Get back to the queries and concerns of your followers instantly this helps them realize the importance of their feedback.
3. User-targeted content:
You need to analyze the mindset and outlook of your audience and generate the content which they will find interesting and gripping.
4. Hash tagging:
A simple one-click jump that will instantly bring users to your brand page, this one-liner, or sometimes one-word hashtag will increase your engagement as like-minded people will automatically be transferred to your site.
5. Regular communication:
The interaction with your followers shouldn’t be all about business and numbers or facts and figures, there should be a friendly element to your content which will develop a sense of trust and understanding between you and your client.
6. Giveaways:
Giving out special discounts and coupons or free products portrays a generous way of thanking your followers for their support, this not only exhibits your compassion towards them but also encourages the people to visit your page more often.
7. Visual pleasing and interesting posts:
Nowadays, People like to know both sides of the story, try to visualize the back end and the front end of your brand in an engaging manner. This works for both brands and individual influencers who wish to share a little bit of backstage with their followers.
Think, Explore, Meet and Engage
It takes minutes for a post or video to go viral these days, this all happens due to strong engagement and connections. Just a few clicks and the post is trending on Twitter and Instagram, and in this way, thousands of people, if not millions, go through that content all at once. This exhibits the power of social media, and how it can make something, the subject of everyone’s discussion, overnight.
No matter how much content you post, it’s not beneficial to anyone if it doesn’t gain any engagement or reach. Your goals should be well defined and strategized perfectly to present a coherent and engaging front. It is never about having a large audience, rather a small group of loyal and trusted followers.
In conclusion, Social media presence for every brand or individual is essential to create a positive experience for their followers and increase their marketability, users must be encouraged to express their thoughts and develop meaningful relationships, after all, it’s your audience who defines what you stand for.