One of the biggest questions people ask is how to measure the return on their investment in social media.
For e-commerce businesses, the results of your social media activities are often easy to see. Increased online sales are often a common measure of success. But what about businesses that don’t engage in online commerce? For these companies, the measure of success is often customer engagement.
Customer engagement is one method by which many companies today measure the success of social media. This is a measure of how your customers are interacting with the information you are putting out there on outlets such as Facebook and Twitter.
How can you increase customer engagement on social media?
1. Be authentic.
First, examine the type of messages you are posting and tweeting. Is your messaging authentic and aligned with your brand essence? Are you avoiding ‘canned’ messages? Or are you talking without listening or only using this vehicle to sell, sell, sell?
Coming across as authentic in social media is a delicate balance of promoting your brand, while at the same time providing additional information that is socially relevant. If you can master this, you’ll gain traction and begin to increase your reach.
2. Establish your credibility.
You can use social media to enhance your professional image, establishing yourself as an expert or key point of contact in your industry. Positioning yourself as a source of industry expertise establishes you as someone to be listened to and trusted. When your audience reads something that’s genuinely helpful to them, they’ll remember you and look for your next posts.
3. Make your followers feel special.
To fully connect with your friends and followers, make them feel special. It’s important to make your followers or fans feel like part of an elite group, through insider information, be it discounts, secret sales, or other benefits. conferred to followers and fans.
4. Ask for engagement!
Look for ways to engage your audience by asking direct questions, encouraging input, and taking polls. You can set up simple contests, and even ask people to submit their favorite photos of something that’s relevant to your business. Brainstorm the possibilities. When you get creative in the ways you ask for engagement, you can have a lot of fun with it, and your audience will, too.
5. Set realistic goals.
Ultimately, like any other marketing endeavor, set tangible, realistic goals for your social media efforts. While the financial costs associated with social media may be minimal, the time associated with engaging in a social media campaign can be quite demanding. Try to make it a part of your daily or weekly routine, perhaps starting with modest posting goals and aiming to increase your frequency over time. By making a plan that you can stick to, you’re more likely to keep at it and find success with this important medium.
What’s the point of social media if it doesn’t tangibly affect your bottom line?
The truth is, any marketing endeavor that effectively keeps your brand alive in the minds of your target audience is sure to help your bottom line – you just might not see its impact immediately or directly. With consistent communication to your fans and followers, you continue to keep your business top of mind. Moreover, you may become a source of information for your readers, who can, in turn, become brand ambassadors for your business.
