Marketing Tip Tuesday: Let's Talk about Engagement
Hello everyone, and happy new year!
Welcome to a new series called Marketing Tip Tuesday. Each week, I will be exploring the various aspects of the "creative" side of marketing: brand voice, copywriting, content, social media interaction, and more!
This week, let's talk about social media engagement: How can your brand engage with consumers online in an authentic and attractive way?
First, think about yourself as a consumer. If you were scrolling through posts on a platform like Facebook or Instagram, and noticed a brand's comment(s) on one of these posts, which of the following would make you more likely to respond and further investigate that brand's page?
- A comment that's stiff, overly formal, and clearly just commenting for exposure.
- A comment that's casual but knowledgeable, uses a "real" tone (more on that later), and shows interest in the subject matter.
Surely, most of us would relate much more to the second option! The online world is so saturated with advertisements, brand sponsorships, and in-your-face marketing, that it can often be a turn-off to see a brand blatantly marketing itself on someone else's content. In contrast, brands that show a genuine interest in subject matter, and maintain a relatable online presence, are much more likely to get a positive response.
For example, compare these two comments:
- "Cool post. Check out our page for similar content."
- "Awesome perspective! How did you manage to capture this shot?"
Can you see how one comment is purely for self-promotion ("check out our page") and the other is fully engaged in the original content with a compliment and a question? It may seem obvious that the latter is a more effective way of getting real, organic engagement with consumers - but you would be surprised by how many brands regularly make this mistake.
Lastly, let's explore a term that we used earlier: "Real", in relation to brand tone. In this case, the word "real" simply refers to how a brand can sound like an actual person versus an automated bot or a big corporation. There are a few simple ways to sound more "real": Refrain from an overly formal tone; imagine that you're speaking to a friend (or friendly coworker, if your business does deal with more technical aspects); and incorporate some words that would naturally occur in organic conversations.
We'll dive into some of these considerations another week, but for now, keep this key takeaway in mind: When drafting content or responses for your brand's online presence, put yourself in the shoes of your target audience. Then, ask yourself how you would respond to the content which you plan to post. More often than not, this will help you determine if your brand sounds authentic and relatable - or not.
Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of some effective ways to engage with your target audience on social media. If this article left you wanting to know more, fear not! This topic will be revisited in another Marketing Tip Tuesday post in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, if you'd like to learn how I can assist with your brand engagement, then head over to the Contact page to schedule a free discovery session!
Have a great week!