Business owners had it pretty darn good in the olden days. As a rule, people lived in stable communities where their social position and role didn’t change very much. Artisans and craftspeople might develop a few partners and customers then work with them for the rest of their lives. And although it benefited some to build a wide network, for most people it was an unknown concept.

Fast forward to today, where networking is absolutely crucial for large and small businesses alike. Our current landscape is mobile and steadily evolving. With the advent of social media, we gained the ability to connect to people and businesses immediately and worldwide.

Oh sure, you’re onboard. You’ve established social media accounts that best fit your current and potential customers. Maybe you even post and tweet on a semi-regular basis. But are you actually engaging with your audience, or merely using social media as a megaphone?

Here are some simple ways to up your engagement game:

Post Daily. One to three posts per day is a safe range. You don’t want to get lost in the feed by posting too infrequently, but you also don’t want users to feel flooded with your posts and wish you’d go away.

Keep it Personal. Show your audience that there are actual breathing humans behind your brand. Humor is great, just keep it professional. Don’t post anything you wouldn’t say to directly to a customer.

Be Image Heavy. A picture speaks a thousand words, right? Research has shown that Facebook posts with images have an 85 percent interaction rate, compared with just 4 percent for other post types.
If you’re a florist, post a photo of an arrangement you’re proud of with a simple caption. Forego the details of how many different species of dragon lilies you used or how you sliced your finger cutting stems – too word heavy.

Contests and Giveaways. Everyone loves free stuff. Even if we didn’t start out our day absolutely needing a deep tissue massage, the thought of winning one sure makes it sound good. Coupons, product, and free trials can be irresistible and may keep them checking back for the next opportunity to win. And most importantly…

Cross-Pollinate! Produce content for your top social media sites and spread the content among them. For instance, link a dynamic, image-oriented Instagram post to Facebook and Twitter.

Oh yeah, one more suggestion – listen. Engagement goes both ways. Show your followers you care by responding to comments and thanking them for shares. If you want to find out more ways to engage, call us here at the Farmhouse. We’re good at it.