5 Steps to Engaging Your Audience on Social Media

How to engage your audience on social media

These five best practices can help you design social media marketing campaigns that speak to your target audience and engage your followers personally.

1. Identify your ideal social outlets and audience.

An excellent way to plan and begin your social campaigns is to determine the best platforms on which to focus your efforts. Online reputation management services can help you find the right channels and connect with your audience on social media.

“Social media is no different than any other marketing or communications effort,” said Briana Wilson, senior manager and head of social media at Caliber Corporate Advisers. “You need to be where your audience is. Step one is getting clear on who you’re trying to reach. Step two is identifying which social media platforms they’re actively using and building a presence by creating content that’s specific to that platform and that audience.”

For example, online reputation management company WebiMax can evaluate your website and suggest the social media outlets that would be most beneficial for your company. It can then help you create tailored social campaigns for various platforms, including X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn and Instagram.

“Businesses often think they have to be on every social platform ever, when in reality, the better they understand their audience and goals, the more they can dedicate resources to quality versus quantity,” said Carmen Collins, director of social media at Generac. “If you’re trying to reach 55+ retirees, Facebook should be your play.”

“Instagram is excellent for visually appealing industries like fashion, while LinkedIn works best for B2B and professional services,” said Josefina Loza, founder and chief executive officer of Lozafina, a company that provides marketing and public relations services. “A platform mismatch can lead to wasted resources and minimal engagement.”

After you identify the social platforms your business should focus on, it’s crucial to pinpoint your target audience. Social listening tools, like LeadSift (which was acquired by Foundry), can help. LeadSift mines social conversations to find relevant leads based on metrics you set, such as keywords and geographic locations. Using LeadSift to find qualified leads can help you engage with high-profile individuals who are more likely to become customers.

“It’s a crowded space, so ensuring your content speaks to your audience helps to break through the noise, stop the scroll and build engagement through social media,” Wilson said.

2. Create compelling social media content.

Content is the best tool for improving your social media presence. If content strategy isn’t your forte, consider hiring a social media manager or using a tool such as SnapRetail (which was acquired by First Insight). 

SnapRetail is an online marketing service that can provide thousands of prewritten social posts for platforms such as X, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest; you can customize these posts to match your business’s needs. This high-quality content can help increase engagement and interest among your audience.

“You’re competing for awareness and attention,” Collins said. “For awareness, if no one knows about your product, how can they purchase it? Organic social isn’t ‘free’ (it requires resources and time), but it’s a low-cost option for reaching an audience. But it’s not a situation of ‘If we build it, they will come.’ It requires a strategy, and many think that social media is a throw-away discipline — that anyone can do it.”

In reality, social media is a specialized area of knowledge that is best left to professionals in the field.

“If someone sues you, and you need a lawyer, are you going to get someone who passed the Bar, or are you going to give the suit to your cousin’s nephew who’s good at arguing?” Collins said. “It’s the same with social. Invest time in qualified, experienced social media strategists who can help guide the content.” 

Hiring a professional will allow you to stand out in a crowded space, Collins said.

“Businesses aren’t competing with their competitors [for attention] in social,” she noted. “They’re competing with Taylor Swift’s newest album, the political circus, the latest rap diss tracks, Meghan and Harry, etc. Therefore, the content has to stand out in the newsfeed, with what we call ‘thumb-stopping moments.’ If you have three or less seconds to get that attention, your content has to be applicable, empathetic, and not salesy.”

Here are some other tips for creating compelling social media content:

• Write attention-grabbing headlines. Your posts, ads and content must have headlines that grab your readers’ attention. You want to encourage readers to click the link and get more familiar with your brand. To make that happen, follow these best practices:
  • Use keywords and action words. 
  • Ensure your writing is accessible to everyone. 
  • Avoid jargon.
  • Use professional tools to verify the strength of your headlines.
• Include images in your content. Content with images tends to amass more views than text-only content. For example, according to LinkedIn data, LinkedIn posts with images have a 98 percent higher comment rate. Because visuals generate activity, choose colorful and attention-grabbing images to include with all posts.
• Add videos to your content. Video is an engagement powerhouse across all social channels. Include video whenever possible. For optimal results, upload videos directly to the social platform you’re using instead of posting links to the videos on other platforms. You want your videos to play automatically and keep your audience engaged.
• Make your content meaningful. “People can see through inauthentic, check-the-box social content,” Wilson said. “For every post, ask yourself, ‘So what?’ Why are you posting, and what is the point you’re trying to get across? The most compelling content provides value to the audience in some way.”
• Be authentic. Don’t try to imitate other brands; post content that reflects your brand and resonates with your audience. “Whether that’s establishing a human-to-human connection through storytelling or offering perspectives on a topic in an easily digestible format, sharing compelling content that’s authentic to your brand can have a big impact,” Wilson said. “It builds trust and credibility with your audience and has the potential to boost brand loyalty with existing customers while attracting the attention of new ones.”

3. Use strategic hashtags in your social media posts.

It can be challenging to reach and build your audience on social media. However, tools such as Talkwalker by Hootsuite can elevate your visibility by finding popular hashtags that fit your industry and audience. These hashtags make it easier for people to find you and help you hop on trends in your market.

However, according to Collins, hashtags are the most misunderstood part of social marketing, and their purpose is changing. 

“For example, while I don’t think X is a brand-safe place for most, its owner just tweeted to stop using hashtags all together — that they’re not needed,” she said. “Instagram has also recently changed its stance to say something similar — that folks will no longer be able to ‘follow’ hashtags — which affects how your content will perform with them. They’re still a great way to categorize topics, and still searchable, but the focus now should be on compelling content and captions. My advice to brands is to use them sparingly, but strategically, as search terms.”

4. Encourage users to share your social posts.

A crucial aspect of social media marketing is encouraging customers to share their experiences. When users share your posts and mention your brand online, your audience can grow organically. 

However, there’s a line you shouldn’t cross. “The content itself should encourage sharing,” Collins said. “Asking for a share, a comment, etc. can be a tactic used sparingly, but clickbait and spam are very close cousins to good content and can hurt more than help.”

To encourage users to share your posts, consider hosting live events, like Facebook Live Q&As, and rewarding visitors who discuss your event or product. You can also hold social media contests that encourage sharing. However, stay apprised of the legal aspects of social media contests before you run one.

5. Listen and be responsive.

There was a time when people would give you 24 hours to respond to a request. That time is long gone. Your social media followers will likely use social platforms to alert you to issues and ask questions. It’s crucial to respond to them quickly, or else you risk losing them. 

“Today’s audiences expect immediate responses,” Loza said. “Timely engagement signals attentiveness and builds loyalty. It also allows businesses to address concerns, mitigate potential PR issues, and foster positive relationships in real time, which strengthens brand perception.”

Engaging your audience means listening and responding to them. It’s also a good idea to publicly thank those who repost or like your posts and to respond to all follower comments, both positive and negative. If you recognize your followers publicly, they may turn into your biggest cheerleaders and brand advocates. 

“At one company I worked with many years ago, we had a Negative Nelly, always complaining, always saying how their product/service was terrible,” Collins said. “It’s easy to shout into the void behind a seemingly-anonymous username. But when I answered this Negative Nelly, all of a sudden, this person felt heard. It took a few exchanges, but this person became one of our biggest advocates after that.”

Quick responses also help to extend your brand’s reach. “The benefits of social media engagement are twofold,” Wilson said. “Early engagement signals to platforms that a post is high-quality, ultimately helping to expand the reach of that post.

“It’s important to remember, though, that beyond the initial wave of engagement, it’s also valuable to have delayed engagement,” Wilson added. “It’s a ripple effect. If a post is a week old, but someone likes or comments on it, that new engagement can trigger a second wave of engagement, ultimately expanding the life of the post.”

What is the importance of audience engagement on social media?

A stellar social media presence is great, but audience engagement is the true test of your online success. Likes, comments, follows and reposts of your content can indicate that your messages resonate. Word of mouth has always been one of the best forms of advertising; in a viral age, that word can spread far quickly when crafted correctly.

Here are three reasons audience engagement is crucial on social media. 

Audience engagement broadens your reach. 

In addition to getting your social media marketing campaigns in front of more people, audience engagement on social media can boost your brand’s profile. Social media algorithms favor content that creates meaningful engagement. If your Instagram posts or TikTok videos receive more buzz and engagement, chances are, they’ll end up in front of even more people next time around.

“You want sharing/commenting because of the social media algorithms,” Collins said. “High-value engagements (something more than a simple heart or like) carry more weight in social algorithms. These algorithms determine what is ‘good’ content by showing it to a few people, seeing how they respond, and then amplifying further depending on their unique mathematical calculation of ‘good.’ This is how a post can go ‘viral.’”

Audience engagement enhances your brand’s reputation. 

Interacting directly with your audience on social media can improve your brand’s reputation. This is especially true for companies that address customer service issues via social media channels such as X (Twitter). When a broad audience sees customer care requests handled graciously, they know your business prioritizes its customers. Plus, these interactions typically count toward engagement, thereby increasing visibility over time.

Audience engagement builds trust. 

When a customer or potential customer interacts with your company via social media, it helps to humanize your brand and generate trust. When you respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly and honestly, and add a bit of humor or good wishes, you lay the foundation for strong relationships.

“The more you engage with an audience, the more you build community, and the more you build trust,” Collins said. “Edelman’s Trust Barometer tells this story year after year in their report, that trust is key in the marketing process.”

Turning followers into fans: The power of social engagement

Building a robust social media presence is only the first step toward establishing a successful online brand. True success lies in actively engaging with your audience. By implementing these strategies, you can foster meaningful connections, build trust and expand your reach. Engaged audiences are more likely to not only support your brand but also become advocates who amplify your message. With a focused approach to audience engagement, your social media efforts can drive long-term growth and solidify your brand’s competitive edge.

Amanda Clark contributed to this article.