Currently, algorithm and engagement are two of the most discussed topics in the world of social media. In other words, high engagement rates correlate positively with algorithmic success, and algorithmic success in turn increases engagement.
Great! But how do you actually encourage people to participate?
You can boost your social media engagement in a couple of different ways. To begin, consider what drives you to interact with other profiles. Do you passively scroll through your feed on Instagram, or do you actively engage with posts by commenting on and sharing them?
Once you figure out what motivates you to participate, you can incorporate those ideas into your own social strategy.
Here are some tried-and-true methods for interacting with your social media audience and winning their loyalty.
Pose some questions
Leading questions are the simplest way to get your audience involved and answering your calls to action. as a photo caption won’t elicit much of a response.
Questions like “what’s your favourite emoji?” or “what’s your favourite colour?” tend to generate a lot of discussion. Make sure it relates to the content you’ve posted, though, or it may come across as desperate.
Benefit from Story’s Functions
Instagram’s incorporation of polls and quizzes into Stories was a happy accident that immediately boost engagement for brands and influencers. You should use these tools at least once per week. The algorithm gives your content more prominence in users’ feeds the more your audience participates in polls and quizzes associated with your story.
Some Instagram stars have taken things to a new level by using Insta polls to let their fans decide how they spend their day. They’ll put up queries like “what’s better for breakfast, toast or cereal?” and “how about a train instead of a bus.
Polls are another excellent method of learning about the preferences of your target audience. Taking polls to find out what their audience wants to see most is a popular tactic among some influencers. Quite useful information, if you ask us!
Confronting Questions
Instagram’s question and answer section is a great addition to Stories. You can host a “ask me anything” session or solicit input on a specific topic.
Multiple “challenges” have begun in recent months on Instagram, all stemming from influencers getting creative with the Q&A box feature.
Asking followers to submit a date and then posting a photo from their camera roll from that day is a common use of this feature, as is creating a fill-in-the-blank quiz to test how well your followers know you.
Mark important parts of your Stories and save them
The highlight feature allows you to save some of your best Stories for future followers after they have expired after 24 hours, which is why you should take advantage of this feature.
Put them into groups based on common topics so that readers can easily locate the information that most interests them.
For instant interaction, nothing beats live video
Fear not, for live videos are a fantastic way to build an in-person rapport with your audience. Make sure you have as many people watching as possible by letting them know when you plan to go live.
A simple live Q&A session is all it takes to get your followers involved and asking questions. Sharing your daily routine, having a mukbang, or broadcasting a special event are just a few examples of what can be done with live video.
Do a Facebook Live video with another influencer to tap into their following and expand your brand reach.
A response to the feedback
Keep in mind that interaction is a two-way street; if you want people to spend time with you, you should provide value to them as well. Influencers who read and respond to comments are greatly appreciated by their audiences.
Tool for Creativity
If the popularity of “Stories” is any indication, “Reels” is set to explode in popularity. The algorithm currently favours Reels, so now is the time to dive headfirst into the world of video content.
It’s important to include Reels in your social media strategy whether you’re creating original content or simply reusing old videos to capitalise on current trends.
Contests
Engaging in limited-scale contests and giveaways on social media can help you gain a following.
In order to enter a giveaway, you may have seen many brands and influencers ask their followers to tag a friend in the comments. What this means is that you will not only receive a response, but also increase the number of people who could potentially read your post. People who share your post on their stories should be rewarded with additional entries.
Perhaps you could negotiate with a company for a donation of giveaway items.
Collaborate with companies’ brands
Speaking of brands, one surefire way to get noticed for your creativity, gain followers, and increase engagement is to create for brands you already know and love.
If you’re interested in being compensated to make content for the brands you love, check out TRIBE today.