Start Engaging Others With Your Social Media

Do you use social media marketing to grow your business?  Are you wondering how to get others to engage with your social media?  Would you like to have others say great things about your brand or product on your social media?  

This article will try to help you discover the common mistakes social media marketersmake and how to fix them.  I want to share how you can improve your social media reach by engaging your audience.  

You’ll discover how to use social media marketing effectively.  Learn how you can have your brand talked about in a positive way.

Stop Marketing on Social Media 

I used to look at business books in bookstores, and they would all have the same information, just a different title.  The problem is that these books reinforced the traditional marketing methods of the past.  In today’s digital age, too many try to use the same old marketing methods to sell their product or servcie.  Rather than clinging to the past, moving into the digital marketing age it’s all about engagement.

Our information is aimed at entrepeneurs.  Business people who are ready and willing to try something different.  When social media exploded, it took everyone by surprise.  No-one saw that coming and many still wonder how they can make social media work for them.

When social media first began, the term “social media strategy” did not even exist.  You may not understand the term yet, but that is what you need to adopt and develop.  You have to find your own unique social media strategy.  

Find what works for you.  You can’t just jump on social media and expect to have an immediate impact.  Instead you should give to the network, rather than go out there and sell.   I write three blogs about my interests in business marketing, web accessibility, and business sustainability. and sharing my blog posts on social media helps me to engage with a diverse audience.

There are an abundance of social media platforms to choose from.  And each of these platforms is home to a slightly different audience.  You need to determine where your desired audience is and use those platforms to get your message out.

What Drives You Mad About Social Media Marketing?

Are there things about social media marketing that simply drive you mad?

I observe a lot in the marketing world, paying particular attention to social media marketing.  I think that the biggest problem for many brands is being dis-engaged.  Some brands have a presence on every platforms, but are not actually present.  It’s better to be on just a few platforms and actually be engaged in conversations with others.

If you schedule your social media posts using a social media management tool, you also need to make the effort to do more than just respond to your comments and shares.  Be engaged in conversations with subjects you care about that are active on your chosen social media platforms.

It’s a problem if you’re not there for everybody else’s tweets about other things. You are not unconditionally giving back to the community.  Don’t be someone who only answers when people talk to you.

The engagement on a new Twitter account today is nowhere near as high as it used to be.  Intoduced in 2006, by 2009 when you tweeted you could expect to get at least 100 replies.  Today you’re lucky if you get 12.  What you need to understand is that few people hear you unless you are @somebody.

Because of this, many marketers spend less time on Twitter than they used to.  Too many marketers look at the phrase social media, and they only think of the media part.

The message for marketers is don’t rush out and do something just because everybody else is doing it. There are too many marketers who focus on broadcasting and don’t understand the engagement side.

Dre Headphones Does Social Media Right

I bought my grandson some Beats by Dre headphones, which broke.  Apple told him that he would have to contact the company directly.   I dreaded contacting them because I don’t like to deal with customer service people.

When I looked at their website on my phone, I saw they had a customer support Twitter handle.  I tweeted them and 4 minutes later I got a response, which included an apology and said they appreciated my purchase and asked me for a DM for his email address.  

So they could set up a return for him.  Within 3 minutes, he received an email providing instructions for the return.

He was then handed over to his own personal agent, who dealt with the problem.  I was amazed that such a smooth process came through customer service on Twitter.

Beats by Dre Support was 100% on task when I tweeted them.  We all understand that mistakes are made, products break and services let us down.  What matters is how the company resolves them that counts.  As a brand, you need to be accountable.

How to do Things Worth Talking About

I’ve memorialized the Beats by Dre customer service on Twitter.  However, they have to  remain consistent with their brand message and concern for customers, no matter how many followers they have.  This is a huge key to customer service.

Beats by Dre remains consistent with every single customer.  You can’t pick and choose whom you want to treat right.  You need to fulfill everyone’s expectations.  You have to remember with Twitter that content can spread because it’s a publicized customer service. 

How you handle your day-to-day business can be something worth talking about.  Unfortunately, to be considered great, sometimes you only have to be mediocre.

To be worth talking about, you don’t have to create the tweets or the content on a blog.  Instead you have to take the actions that somebody will want to blog about.

The best way to create a story is to hire people who believe that every problem is an opportunity to create a great story.  Sometimes these stories will get shared and other times they won’t.

How Should Marketers Start with Social Media?

I feel that marketers to select one platform to start.  I’m on Linkedin to connect with other business owners, because when you own a business Linkedin membership helps me to feel less isolated.

When you join a social media platform, start by talking to five people.  Send five messages commenting on other peoples content.  Just begin by talking to people about the things that you are interested in.

There should be no pressure.  Also give yourself permission to not do social.  Once you take the pressure off, then you might want to give social media a try.