In our local market, it’s important that small businesses (including Emerald) focus on social media to connect with their audiences. Experimenting with different ways to increase your engagement rates is important for growth.
Incorporate some of these 20 different ways to gain followers, build your audience, increase engagement, and grow your business.
Ask questions - Get people talking and interacting with your posts. Try asking questions about your products or services, or about things related to your industry.
Run contests and giveaways - Generate excitement and engagement around your brand. Offer prizes that are relevant to your target audience and make sure the rules are clear and easy to understand.
Post behind-the-scenes content -
Give your followers a glimpse into your business and makes them feel like they're part of the team. Share photos and videos of your employees at work, or of your products being made.
Promote local businesses - Show your support for other businesses in your community by posting about them on social media. This could include sharing their posts, tagging them in your own posts, or writing a review of their products or services.
Host live Q&As - Connect with your followers in real time and answer their questions. You can use a tool like Facebook Live or Instagram Live to host your Q&A.
Share customer testimonials - Build trust and credibility with potential customers. Share positive reviews that you've received from your customers, or ask them to submit their own testimonials.
Post seasonal content - Stay relevant and engaged with your followers throughout the year. Share photos and videos of seasonal events, or create content that is relevant to the current season.
Run polls and surveys - Get feedback from your followers and learn more about what they want to see from you. Ask questions about your products or services, or about topics related to your industry.
Share educational content - Position yourself as an expert in your field. Share blog posts, infographics, or videos that teach your followers something new.
Post memes and funny content - Lighten the mood and make your followers laugh. Just make sure the content is relevant to your brand and that it won't offend anyone.
Run challenges - Get people excited and engaged with your brand. Create a challenge that is relevant to your products or services, and offer a prize for the winner.
Post user-generated content -Show off your products or services, and to get people talking about your brand. Share photos and videos that have been submitted by your customers, or ask them to submit their own content.
Run affiliate marketing campaigns - Promote your products or services to a wider audience. Partner with other businesses in your industry and offer them a commission for every sale they generate.
Cross-promote with other businesses - Get in front of a new audience. Partner with other businesses in your industry and share each other's content on social media.
Run social media ads - Reach a wider audience and target your ads to specific demographics. Create ads that are relevant to your products or services, and track your results to see what's working.
Use relevant hashtags -
Hashtags are a great way to get your content seen by
more people. Use relevant hashtags when you post on
social media, and make sure to include them in your
captions.
Post regularly - The more you post, the more likely people are to see your content. Try to post at least once a day, and more often if you can.
Be consistent - When you post, be consistent with the type of content you share. This will help your followers know what to expect from you.
Be engaging - When you post, be sure to engage with your followers. Respond to comments and questions, and participate in conversations.
Be patient - It takes time to build a following and engagement on social media. Don't get discouraged if you don't see results overnight. Just keep posting great content and engaging with your followers, and you'll eventually see results.
