How to Stay Engaged on Social Media in 2023 (Plus 3 Bonus Tips)

In just a couple of weeks, the social media consumer blitz on your senses will have subsided, and you’ll be able to scroll through IG and Tiktok mostly unbothered by ads. The holidays are fun, but this can be a welcome relief.

But what happens when your business still needs to stay connected with its audience–how do you maintain a meaningful digital presence without being overwhelming?

Here are four simple tips to prepare for next year and stay engaged on social media in 2023 (without the holiday blitz).

1. Do a Content Makeover

Remember when makeover shows were all the rage? We owe a debt of makeover gratitude to Queer Eye, both the modern and the OG.

If you aren’t confident about the content you share on social media, or worse, you’re sharing the same stuff over and over, this will cause your audience to lose interest.

Instead, try going further with your social media posts by including elements encouraging discussion and debate. This will improve your Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook engagement and demonstrate your commitment to being an interactive and transparent brand.

You should also vary the length of your social media engagement posts. Both short- and long-form content is effective. By adding variety to your content strategy for social media, you can easily capture the interest of your audience and keep things fresh.

2. Adjust Your Scheduled Posts

Scheduling social media engagement posts in advance is the norm. So if you’re not already automating your posts, buy yourself some time and do it.

That said, your followers can quickly get bored if you don’t mix it up a bit. Track which posts get the most engagement, then play around with your scheduling. It would behoove you to see which post topics and which timeslots get the most attention. Audiences from different platforms have varying preferences regarding the frequency of social media engagement posts.

Here are the recommended number of posts by platform according to Hootsuite:

LinkedIn: Two to five posts per week
Facebook: One to two posts per day
Instagram: Three to seven posts a week
Twitter: One to five tweets a day (in light of recent changes, this may vary widely in 2023)
TikTok: At least one video a day

3. Prioritize Engagement

Social media can be a bit of a time suck and, frankly, a pain in the ass when you have a business to run. But the whole point is to connect with your audience and have them interact with you. So you’re better off with fewer social platforms and doubling down on engaging with the audience of one or two of them.

Here are the reasons why engagement, more than having a billion social media accounts, matters the most:

Trust. The days of businesses being seen as faceless entities in ivory towers are over. Your clients know you’re an actual person (or group of people). And most clients can discern your brand voice in emails and blog posts. The fact that they know it’s you instills trust. Customers don’t expect brands to be perfect, but they expect them to be authentic. Engagement demonstrates that.

Market Research. You can literally ask your clients what they want and they will tell you. How can we improve? What would you like us to start offering? Who else do you know that might want to work with us? You’d pay big bucks for that kind of money and yet, you can get it for free straight from the horse’s mouth.

Relationships. Be of value. Be of service. Build a relationship. Fostering a community of loyal customers and advocates who will speak highly of your brand is better than any kind of paid advertising you can find.

4. Get on Board With Video

Thank you, YouTube and TikTok! Visual content can do wonders for your social media campaigns as it generates more engagement than any other form of media. Don’t feel camera ready? Don’t worry–the realness that comes across in video content is actually a good thing.

So how can you effectively integrate video into your content strategy for social media?

Be consistent with your branding (and be yourself). Try to make it a habit to use your brand’s colors and imagery so your audience can immediately recognize you, but don’t make yourself crazy over it. Here’s a branding hack: Being yourself is the best and most consistent way to brand. Of course, colors, vibe, and font help too, but you’re the star.

The GIF that keeps on giving. GIFs capture attention quickly, especially if they get a laugh. They’re perfect for fast-paced social channels like Twitter and can also increase Facebook and IG engagement. Humor is a great way to connect on a human level, and a well-timed and tasteful GIF is always a good idea.

Go mini. Short-form videos such as Reels and TikToks are incredibly effective in increasing engagement. The video can be funny or educational. Want to be a superstar? Make it funny AND educational. To take it one step further, you can create a video series that tells a success story, a how-to, or details of an upcoming event. This will keep people coming back for more and improve your visibility within the platform’s algorithm. Win-win.

Using some or all of these tips can greatly impact your social media and help you foster a genuine connection with your audience in 2023. Want more ways to stay connected with your target audience and improve your branding? Reach out to GoBeyond SEO today.

4 Easy Ways to Improve Social Media Engagement with Your Audience

1. Promote Blog Posts on Social Media

By referencing those blogs you worked so hard to create through social media posts, you are driving your customers to your site to read them. This, in turn, boosts your SEO and further establishes you as an authority in your space, in the eyes of both your customers and search engines. In addition, by giving your audience a “sneak peek” of the blog’s content, you add some free value. This helps prove to your audience you are a trustworthy and knowledgeable source of information, and motivates them to go onto your website if they like what they see.

2. Use Your Brand Voice To Talk To Your Followers

Sharing your specific voice with your audience allows them to see your business’ personality and get a glimpse of what it might be like to work with you. Your brand’s voice immediately differentiates you from your competitors, and, if used correctly, shows that you care about your followers.

Through posts that aim to relate to your audience and conversations in the comments, you are able to make meaningful connections. Those connections turn into brand loyalty which turns into more profits for your business.

When posting to engage, don’t hesitate to promote “tagging” with your followers. Tagging your loyal customers, your biggest fans, and other small businesses can broaden the organic reach of your business to new people. It enables you to grow your following and bring more potential clients into the know. Encourage your followers to tag your social media handle too in order to organically reach more viewers.

3. Run Polls and Request Feedback

Polls are a quick and simple way to interact with consumers and increase social media engagement. At this point, just about every social media app has a polling feature, which in itself shows how important and popular this tactic is. Here are some key reasons you should be polling your followers, if you aren’t already:

Polls are a convenient way to get your audience hooked instantly. For instance, if you are a CPA, your poll could be “do you use an accountant or a website to do your taxes?” Then, following the poll, you could offer that already engaged viewer some content on why seeking an accountant is preferable.

Polls help your business move in the direction of the marketplace by asking your audience to choose between two potential new products you may offer in the future.

Polls are an efficient way to ask for customer feedback. By doing this, the audience sees that your business cares about their input and your brand becomes more trustworthy in their minds.

4. Include Short-Form Informational Posts

Referencing relevant outside articles and content, and sharing a short excerpt or your own take, along with the link, can be a quick way to get your audience involved. The idea at first probably seems foolish, as you are intentionally sending your audience to an outside website. However, by sharing thought-provoking content as short, easy to digest posts, you are showing yourself to be an authority in your space. And, just think of the conversations that might take place in the comments, or the shares your page might get!

Social media gives your audience a window into your business, and you get a look into your customers in return. Anyone in customer service will tell you that the more you know about your customers, the better experience it is for all parties. The next time you post, make it with the intention to engage your audience, provide them with value, and get them coming back for more.

Looking for more ways to improve your social media engagement? Reach out for help anytime!

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