Engagement is the currency of the social media realm, and as a social seller, it’s vital to master the art of interaction. Gone are the days when posting was enough. Now, it’s all about sparking conversations and building relationships. In this post, we’ll explore some of the most effective engagement-boosting tactics that can help transform your passive followers into an active and engaged community. Let’s talk about the art of interactive social selling!
Polls: The Power of Choice
Polls aren’t just fun; they’re a strategic tool for instant engagement. They empower your audience to voice their opinions with just a tap. Whether it’s voting on new product colors or choosing between two services, polls give a quick insight into your audience’s preferences while significantly boosting your interaction rates.
You can poll your audience using the Polls feature in Stories, use the Facebook Post Poll option, or simply ask them with a post on your feed. Where you ask the question should depend on what you’re asking and how you want to be able to respond to your audience. For example, if you’re asking a more personal question – you probably don’t want to ask it where everyone can see who answered and how. So, the best place for this would be in your Stories. However, if you’re asking a fun and simple question, people will likely feel comfortable answering publicly on your Facebook feed.
How to Implement:
When you’re creating polls, another thing you’ll want to consider is what you want the poll to accomplish. Is it simply for fun and engagement? Or maybe you want to use the poll to start a conversation on a topic or product? You might even want to use polls simply to get to know your community, so you can serve them better!
- Craft your polls around trending topics or relevant themes to your business.
- Use the results as a segue into a larger conversation or a future content piece.
- Analyze poll responses to tailor your content strategy more effectively.
Questions and Answers: Curiosity Fulfilled
Offering a Q&A is your direct line to your audience’s thoughts. It’s an open invitation for them to ask questions, which can range from personal insights to product inquiries. This not only increases engagement but also adds a layer of transparency and trust to your brand.
You can host a Q&A with a post on social media, or use the Question Box feature in Stories!
How to Implement:
Consider that your community might not know what to ask, or they might not want to ask until they know what you’ll do with their questions. So, adding a question or two for yourself is totally ok until you audience feels more comfortable doing it.
- Host regular Q&A sessions to answer your followers’ burning questions.
- Share the answers in your stories or as part of a highlight reel for later reference.
- Use the questions to understand common customer concerns or interests.
Direct Messages: Personalized Conversations
DMs are the one-on-one conversations that can lead to deep connections. They are the starting point for building relationships that could lead to conversions. You can encourage others to get into your DMs by ending your content with calls-to-action like “DM me for more info” on your posts or “Send me a heart if you agree” in your Stories.
How to Implement:
- Respond promptly to DMs to show your audience that their input is valued.
- Having someone in your DMs in a privilege, make sure to foster those connections.
- Set clear expectations, no tricks. Ex: If you ask someone to DM you, make sure they know what they’ll get when they do. Don’t ask them to DM you and then send them sales info they didn’t directly ask for.
Live Sessions: Real-Time Engagement
Going live is like opening the doors to your store and inviting people in for a chat. It’s real, unedited, and incredibly engaging. Use live sessions to demonstrate products, host Q&As, or simply talk about a topic relevant to your audience.
How to Implement:
- Announce live sessions in advance to ensure a good turnout.
- Engage with live comments, giving shoutouts to attendees.
- Save live sessions to your profile for those who couldn’t attend in real-time.
Contests and Giveaways: The Thrill of Winning
Everyone loves the excitement of a contest or the chance to win something. These are fantastic for boosting engagement, as they encourage participants to like, comment, and share. Make sure you’re aware of all the rules from the social platform you’re running the contest on.
Facebook Guidelines | Instagram Guidelines
How to Implement:
- Make entry requirements interactive (e.g., tag a friend, share a post).
- Align giveaways with your products or services to attract relevant participants.
- Follow up with a post-contest analysis to gauge its success and learnings.
User-Generated Content: Celebrate Your Community
Showcasing content created by your followers about your brand is incredibly powerful. It not only provides social proof but also encourages others to share their experiences in hopes of being featured.
HOT TIP: If you’re not getting UGC for your brand yet, you can ask some of your best customers to help you out and get the ball rolling. Ask them to video their unboxing, share a written or video testimonial, or tag you in a post on their social media account.
How to Implement:
- Create a branded hashtag for users to include in their posts.
- Regularly share user-generated content, giving proper credit.
- Consider featuring stories or testimonials in a dedicated highlight on your profile.
Engagement Boosting Tactics: From Polls to DMs – The Art of Interactive Social Selling
Engagement-boosting tactics are essential tools in the modern social seller’s kit. They transform your social media platforms from broadcasting channels into buzzing communities. By implementing polls, Q&A sessions, DMs, live interactions, contests, and showcasing user-generated content, you can create a social media presence that’s not just seen but felt. Engage, interact, and watch as your social selling transforms into a vibrant dialogue with your most valuable asset—your customers.
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