How To Increase Engagement Online

Sometimes, it can feel like you are just screaming into the voice with social media - but the truth is, like almost everything in business, there is a trick to it. In theory, it sounds easy, but most people know it is tough to build an online audience, and they hand it over to marketing agencies that have a social department.  

And, even if you choose to go with that option, you should understand how to increase your engagement online and what it entails. 

Let’s get into it! 

A big component of successful marketing is experimenting and seeing what works—keep trying different content to see what sticks with your audience! Image Credit: Shamblen Studios

Be Interesting

We are now in an era where even pipes can be interesting—if the marketing team is smart. Vilpe on TikTok is the perfect example of what could be a boring product that has high engagement. They got creative with their content, which means they are seeing increased engagement. Is every piece of that engagement going to lead to sales? No, but will it increase visibility and the chances of them coming up in search? Very much so. 

If your product is boring, let your social media be filled with personality. 

Get Emotional

Say something meaningful—and go for the deeper emotions. Emotional headlines and taglines are more effective than any other type. Anything that incites anger, happiness, joy, and even sadness is more likely to impact the reader. When the reader is impacted, they are more likely to share what they are looking at. 

Use emotion or humor to relate to your audience. Image Credit: Shamblen Studios

Post Often

One a week is not going to get you the results that you are hoping for; what you really need is to be posting at least once a day. Which can be tough - because do you really have enough to say? 

Split the content into an 80/20 ratio - keep 8 of every 10 posts in the industry news, reports, figures, and fun stuff. The last two should be dedicated to sales, products, and more - double point if there is room for you to share UGC. 

The reason for the spread is that people don’t want to be marketed too constantly - there needs to be a mix of interesting things in the products. There are other ratios to try, but 80/20 works well. 

Hashtags… but not too many

There is a fine balance to be found when it comes to hashtags. The temptation to stuff your captions full of them is high, but it will get you lost. Instead, you should be looking to add up to 5 hashtags that are meaningful to your brand and the message—try to include at least one that is trending or one that your ideal audience uses. 

Reply, like, comment. 

It is called social media and not ‘like my stuff’ media. You are going to have to give in order to get, and the more you give, the more you get, until at a certain point, you might not even be able to keep up with how much engagement you are getting. Be active and social so that you can increase your visibility. 

Wondering how to make boring things sound fun? This post is for you: How to Write Compellingly About Any Product (No Matter How Dull).