Engagement: What’s the Big Deal?!

How and Why to Engage Engage Engage

If you ask any knowledgeable social media marketing professional what is on their top 5 list of important factors for success on any social media platform, we guarantee that the word “engagement” will be somewhere in there. Content may be key, but engagement is the click you hear when you turn the key. Engagement makes the world go ‘round!

Some of you may not even be sure what “engagement” even really means. You hear it all the time, but you’re not clear as to what it entails. Because we’re so awesome, we came up with this acronym to help explain how to engage.

EDUCATE

Share your knowledge! Why not? People sharing knowledge is the reason that anyone knows anything for the most part. If you have something to contribute, don’t hold back! Feel free to lend a helping hand. If you happen to have an article that could prove helpful to your niche or to a conversation, share it!

NURTURE

This goes back to basics, simply be kind to your peers and if you see someone who needs help and you can help them by either offering a resource or assisting them personally, help out. Encourage their growth and build relationships. Once you build a relationship with people within your network, you extend your reach! Not to mention, you now have a dedicated audience who is eager to hear anything you have to tell them, because you developed that trust. Being a decent human being is really all it takes.

GIVE FREELY

Mike Stelzner once mentioned in a podcast that if you’re afraid to give out free information because you’re afraid that people won’t need to buy your product/service after you give them that information, then you need to re-evaluate your business. He’s right! We’re not saying share your innermost secrets that you spent years crafting and perfecting, but tips & tricks and detailed how-to’s? Why not! Give your followers a reason to want more. Give them helpful tips on how to use your product, or tips relevant to your niche, and they’ll notice. Word-of-mouth is still one of the most rampant forms of advertising. You have no idea who they know.

APPRECIATE

If someone retweets your content, follows you, or compliments your work, appreciate it! This goes back to the basic “please” and “thank you” we were taught as children. Somehow, people completely lose their manners when it comes to social media. Don’t be that person! Of course, at some point, it gets a little crazy and you can’t possibly thank every single person that follows you. In that case, a mass thank you is fine. People love being acknowledged; it’s human nature!

GET NOTICED

Don’t be afraid to stand out or say something different or uncouth. Standing out may actually attract positive attention and draw people in to read your post. We’ve seen posts titled “Social media is bullshit” and “You’re pissing into the wind with blogging & social media if you don’t REALLY know what your audience wants.” Sure, they’re both a tad on the vulgar side, but they catch your eye and make you WANT to find out more on the article. Be honest, how many times do you actually read the articles that other people post?

ENTERTAIN

Last, but not least, have a little bit of fun with it. Be yourself! Don’t be afraid to be comical, sarcastic, or animated! Share funny pictures and jokes and show your personal side. People like that! They like to know that they’re talking to a human and not an antisocial broadcaster!

See! Engaging is simple. Don’t take the social out of social media. Focus on socializing, connecting, and engaging, and you’ll see success in no time!

If you’re having any trouble or have any questions, don’t hesitate to @ us on Twitter @PurelySocialTip or leave your comments down below. We practice what we preach and would love to engage with you!