We've all been there - you put out a great post on social media, but no one likes, comments, or shares it. You feel deflated and wonder what you're doing wrong. Before you give up and delete your accounts, consider taking a step back to analyze your social media strategy. There are a few key things you can change that may help increase engagement and, as a result, help your association increase brand awareness and reach.
Talk to Your Customers
The first step is to talk to your members—or, if you don't have any yet, your target audience. Find out what platforms they use most often and what kinds of content they engage with. If they share feedback with you directly, take note of any patterns or themes you see. Do they mention certain topics more often than others? This information will be invaluable as you fine-tune your social media strategy.
Update Your Content Strategy
Once you have a good understanding of what your audience wants to see, it's time to update your content strategy. This doesn't mean you have to scrap everything and start from scratch; it just means that you need to be more intentional about the kind of content you're sharing. If you're not sure where to start, here are a few ideas:
Share behind-the-scenes photos and videos
Give sneak peeks of new products or services
Run competitions or giveaways
Share blog posts or articles
Ask questions and encourage conversation
Showcase customer stories or testimonials
Highlight employee achievements
Whatever content you decide to share, make sure it aligns with your brand voice (how you want your organization to sound to the outside world) and is something your audience will find interesting and valuable. Remember, quality is always better than quantity when it comes to social media. Consistently sharing high-quality content will do more to grow your business than sporadically sharing a bunch of low-quality content.
Be Social! (AKA Don't Be A Robot)
Social media = socializing. This one may seem like a no-brainer, but it's worth mentioning anyway. In order for people to want to engage with you on social media, you need to be engaging with them! Responding to comments, DM's, and mentions shows that there's a real person behind the account—and people are much more likely to do business with someone they know, like, and trust. So don't be afraid to be social! It's called SOCIAL media for a reason.
These days, social media is one of the best ways to connect with potential and current members—but only if it's done right. If you're not seeing the engagement levels you'd like on social media, take a step back and reassess your strategy. Making even small changes in the way you approach social media can make a big difference in terms of growing your business.