Social Networking: 7 Tips to Share Content and Increase Engagement

It is a struggle to create content, and it is a completely different struggle to get that developed content online and seen. With social media, these struggles have only been intensified due to the increased channels, audiences and types of content. It takes a lot of time, effort as well as dedication to get your content seen on social media, not to mention getting your content to stand out from the rest. However, with a few tips, it is possible.

Tip #1: Create a Headline That with Grab Your Audience's Attention.

For clicks and shares, the headline of any piece of content is everything. However, coming up with that perfect headline takes some time. You need to make sure that you find the correct balance between an emotional headline and a clear message. In other words, you don't want to have a headline that will make people click on it, then not deliver on that headline with the content. Take the time to brainstorm several headlines, and then test them. Use data analytics to see which headline performs the best with your audience.

Tip #2: Optimize Content for Each Social Media Platform.

If you intend on sharing your created content on multiple social networks, it is important that you optimize the content correctly. For example, the content that you create for Twitter cannot simply be copied and pasted to be placed on Facebook, as that audience needs a little bit more to be engaged. You also need to consider when to post your content, as you may need to post your content on Instagram in the morning, but Pinterest in the afternoon to get the most clicks and shares. This all requires testing, but the important thing here is that you treat your social media audiences with consideration.

Tip #3: Switch Up Your Content on a Regular Basis.

When it comes to social media, things can quickly become second nature. While everything can seem like it is going well, things can change before you know it. It doesn't take long for people's interests to change or for them to get bored, which leads to your audience no longer being engaged and you not keeping up any longer. Therefore, you need to make to vary your content on an ongoing basis. So, make sure that you are switching your style of messaging and images regularly to maximize engagement with your audience. One day you may try a static image, and then the next day you may want to try a video or a gif. Don't hesitate to throw in some polls, questions, etc. every now and then as well. Also, make sure to monitor what your audience is responding to as well as general online trends and adjust as necessary.

Tip #4: Avoid Posting Excessive Updates at a Time.

When you get on your social media, one of the most annoying things is when you start strolling through your feed and all you see is multiple posts in a row from a single brand or person. This is something that you want to make sure that you avoid. When you do post, you want to ensure that your content is important and has substance. If you need multiple posts to get your point across, then you are not doing it right. Also, you want to try to keep your posts on a schedule. There are tools that will let you schedule your posts, so you can schedule them and go about your day. In doing so, this won't only free up your time, but it will ensure your audience will know when to expect your posts, which will build loyalty, increasing click-through rates and engagement.

Tip #5: Include a Call-to-Action at the End of Each Post.

Since you are posting on social media to expand your business goals, you need to make sure that your content is serving a purpose for your business. When your audience sees your posts, you need to ensure that they know what to do once they finish reading your posts. Therefore, your social media posts need to end with a solid and strong call-to-action. So, at the end of all of your posts, you should consider encouraging your audience to sign up for free trials of your products, offer more information on your website or in a blog post, or offer the possibility of a prize if they like, comment and/or share the post.

Tip #6: Limit Your Self-Promotional Posts to About One-Third.

Your audience is following you on social media because they're interested in your brand, services and/or products; however, they don't want to constantly be pressured to purchase. So, you want to make sure that your posts are sometimes focused on building a customer base and loyalty with your customers. A good rule of thumb with your posts is thirds - only one-third should be focused on promoting your business, converting your audience and generating profit, while the other two-thirds of your posts should be focused on sharing stories and ideas of industry leads and providing value that will keep your audience engaged and coming back for more.

Tip #7: Encourage Your Staff to Share Your Posts.

If your business has employees that utilize social media, it is a good idea to ask them to share your posts. This is a free and effective way to get your posts out there in the social media world and is a great way to do so without having to blow up your corporate account.

For more tips on sharing your social media content and increasing engagement, reach out to us at WebDetail today.