How To Make Real Connections On Social Media
Here to all entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, and small business owners!
We have a business question for you: If your business had (or currently has) a storefront, would you rather have 1,000 customers walk in and buy nothing or have 100 customers walk in and each buy something?
At DIFY, we've seen time and again that success on social media isn't about having the most followers; it's about engaging the right followers. This realisation can empower you to shift your focus from the number of followers to the conversion rate of followers to customers on your platforms.
The truth is, social media is all about the quality of followers over the number of followers!
Let's explore what truly matters regarding your business's social media platforms and how to ensure that your time helps you make authentic connections and relationships.
Followers vs. Engagement
What's the difference between followers and engagement? Followers are simply users who have subscribed to the content on your platform, while engagement is when these followers interact with the content on your platform by liking, commenting, sharing, watching, and saving.
The more a business's content is engaged, the more the brand becomes trusted and highlighted online. Every social media platform's algorithm is different, but the bottom line is that engagement matters!
While it's tempting to want to see your follower count grow, if these followers don't actively engage with your content, they provide no value to your business. The key to converting a follower to a customer is to encourage engagement!
Now that you know the importance of engagement, let's break down how to boost your engagement on the following social media platforms.
How to Boost Your Engagement on Facebook
We'll be honest: it's getting harder and harder to show up in the newsfeed organically as a Facebook page. But Facebook groups are still a great option! Facebook groups are an effective way to build community and brand loyalty around your business. To encourage engagement, keep the members of your Facebook group intrigued by asking engaging questions for the community to discuss amongst themselves. You can also consistently provide valuable resources and information to keep your members returning to your page, and delivering value is critical to a good Facebook group.
Taking the time to engage with the group members by responding to their comments within the discussions will build trust between your brand and your customers, building the bridge of communication and forming a relationship. These techniques will drive traffic to your platform, attracting more potential customers to your page while maintaining your current audience.
How to Boost Your Engagement on Instagram
Like engaging with Facebook group members, engaging with your followers and other potential prospects on Instagram is vital. You can engage by liking and commenting on content from followers, responding to comments and messages, reacting to stories, sharing tagged customer stories, and interacting with user-generated content. You can also tackle the power of hashtags and engage with content that includes hashtags that relate to your brand!
Finally, just like on Instagram, engagement is critical. Spend 15-30 minutes each week engaging with other posts in your LinkedIn feed, with your connections' posts, and with people you'd like to connect with. Before long, they'll be engaging right back!
How to Boost Your Engagement on Video Content
Video platforms are becoming widely popular and proving very powerful and influential. We recommend expanding the variety of your platforms as much as possible, making your brand more accessible to followers.
Dust off that YouTube channel and venture onto TikTok. Start by engaging with others and then build into sharing videos that relate to your brand. When producing a video for any platform, always include a call to action, both in the video itself and in the caption.
Above all, always remember to create and share content that will provide value to your audience. Be genuine! A valuable piece of content educates, impacts, or inspires a social media user.
People want to feel like sales tactics are not bombarding them; they want to find value within a brand they can trust. By providing value to users, you can create an organic connection with your brand, naturally turning users into followers and followers into lifetime customers. This approach can give you the confidence that you're building a loyal customer base.
Social media can feel overwhelming, but it is truly powerful enough to be life-changing for your business when used properly. This potential can inspire you to harness the power of social media for your business growth.
If you need a hand, don't forget to email us at enquiries@dify.sg!