How can problem solving skills increase social media engagement?

Here's a tip from the infamous "How To Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie: "You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you." I love this advice! It has given me a whole new perspective on how to boost engagement online. It's simple give more than you get. Show interest in others. Ask questions that invite curiosity on your ideal customers' posts and the posts of people who interact with you. People want to be known and seen and when you take the time to show interest in their posts, not only do you build relationships but also trust. And they're more likely to return the favor.

In our experience, asking the audience questions is one of the most effective ways to increase audience engagement. In our content and publications, we consistently aim to stimulate our audience with a variety of questions. This approach not only sparks discussions but can also lead to trends. The beauty of this tool is that it can be applied in various contexts, including everyday conversations. Asking a question can kickstart a conversation and bring you closer to uncovering the truth.

Imagine your social media channel as a platform not only for sharing content but also for solving problems. How, you ask? By aligning your content strategy with problem-solving. Start by understanding their pain points. Are they struggling with productivity? Once you've identified these challenges, use problem-solving skills to craft content that offers solutions. Why does this work? Because it's human nature to engage with content that resonates with us, that answers our questions, that solves our problems. By positioning yourself or your brand as a problem-solver, you're not only providing value, but you're also building trust.

Create curiosity and forget about trying to be the center of attention. Be genuinely curious about other people and ask questions to learn more about them through their posts and responses. So, here's the game plan: start asking intriguing questions on your ideal customers' posts and those who engage with you. Let them know that you see and appreciate them. That you truly want to know more about them and their problems. When you take the time to show genuine interest, you're not just building relationships, but also trust. And guess what? They're more likely to return the favor. It's a win-win!

Problem-solving skills can significantly boost social media engagement. By actively addressing and resolving customer issues or concerns, you demonstrate your commitment to customer satisfaction. This can foster trust and loyalty. Furthermore, problem-solving showcases your brand's responsiveness, leading to more positive interactions. Studies have shown that businesses that actively engage with customer feedback and resolve problems on social media tend to have higher customer satisfaction and retention rates, translating to a measurable increase in engagement and overall success. Leveraging your problem-solving skills to provide real-time solutions and value on social media can lead to a tangible impact on your engagement metrics.

Stories are a powerful way to connect with others. By sharing our own experiences, we can relate to one another and learn from each other. For freelancers, solopreneurs and small business owners, stories that demonstrate value could include customer success stories, a problem you've overcome, or what inspired you to start your business. For corporates or consulting firm, stories could be about a team working together to overcome challenges or a unique idea you had that changed the way people work.

I think, every great brand has a great story at its core. This story defines the brand's identity, explains its values, and mission. I believe that stories is an essential aspect of communication. These stories can encompass a range of elements, from the history of client relationships to the experiences of the people you collaborate with, as well as the challenges you've faced and the positive impact you've had on the world. Stories have the power to bring a brand closer to its audience, particularly when they are authentic and free from embellishments. What's particularly valuable to me is when companies share not only their successes but also the lessons learned from their failures, as it reflects their capacity for growth and change.

Have you ever heard the phrase "stories sell?" It's true. 30-second commercials, 30-minute informercials, that story around the campfire... they suck you in and sell you on a promise, solution, deep desire. Every cry at a commercial? I have! And, not because I was hormonal. Ok, guilty! But, all people want is good health, wealth, and great relationships. Stories evoke emotion of that promise. Be honest, transparent, vulnerable and watch your brand soar!

Case studies are excellent social proof, but don't expect to get a surge of traffic and engagement from posting a link to a case study on social media. Instead, give away part of the story directly in the social media post. Give them a mini story directly in their feed that explains the problem and solution. If people want the details, they'll read the whole case study. But for the majority of people who don't want to leave the social media platform, that mini story will be impactful on its own.

I agree with this point. Another way is using testimonials. Customer testimonials will help brands and organizations share insight into how your products or services helped them solve a particular problem. For example, if your organization is a Telecommunication network, and for some reason, company X had a problem with their previous network, and your Telecommunication company was contacted as a substitute for the other, Providing a good service makes you stand a chance of not only earning a customer but customer reviews as well. Posting these testimonials on social media sends a direct message to other brands that you're the best!

As more and more use social media channels like TikTok and YouTube to replace google search, educational content is going to be even more important. What are the questions people who use your product are searching for? How can you create content that answers those questions? If you can consistently educate your desired audience on what they are looking for in an entertaining way, your account will be headed for success.

Without a doubt, creating educational and entertaining content is key when working with social networks. Popular social media trends show that brands that both educate and entertain their audience achieve higher coverage and engagement. Users tend to comment on, save, and share such content. The beauty of it is that even in a short 15-second video, you can learn how to cook a delicious meal or discover useful business life hacks. You can also educate potential clients on topics like real estate investment or marketing strategies.

There are 3 main hurdles to reach people on social platforms with content marketing: (a) understanding a platform's discoverability algorithm (b) hooking people in when your content crosses their feed (c) retaining their interest What's the best way to achieve this? I could tell you to focus on understanding your audience. But you already know that. What I will say, is go back to basics of understanding how you can add value for people and by this I mean, how can you make their life, even for a moment, 25% better: Entertain: Share content that delights & excites Educate: Share knowledge & know-how content Empower: Share content that inspires & motivates Engage: Share content that encourages interactions & community

Using humor is more than just a way to get people to laugh. It can help you build a connection with your audience, ease tension, boost your status, establish trust, and persuade others to see your perspective. Humor can also make you and your message more memorable, but many of us are hesitant to use it, particularly in professional settings.

Utilizing your content strategy to tackle problems and address user concerns is essential for building brand trust. Crafting educational content that clarifies processes and offers insights on 'how to' based on customer queries and pain points not only adds value for your current and potential followers but also showcases your brand's commitment to listening to customers and resolving their issues. This, in turn, nurtures lasting relationships with your customers, ultimately fostering an engaging environment to share feedback and enhancing brand trust.

We build all the activity of our business on feedback. No one can tell you better than your active or potential customers how to improve your product or service. We receive feedback from focus groups that consist of our customers. When your competitors are just wondering how to improve their product, your customers are giving you insights on how to do it.

One great way to utilise this is to not just look at your own feedback, but that given publicly to competitors. If you work for a cosmetic brand, for example, and people are giving competitors bad reviews or mentioning that their lip gloss formula is too sticky, or that the colour runs off after a very short period of time, this is information that you can use. If you know that your product doesn't have these problems and will solve the pain points mentioned, make sure your social posts and marketing call out that your have a 'non-sticky formula' with 'long-lasting colour'.

Using feedback to improve and innovate is a crucial perspective in problem-solving on social media. Here's why it matters: Customer-Centric Approach Continuous Improvement Innovation Catalyst Problem Resolution Competitive Advantage

I would add that it's important to have systems and processes in place to collect, analyze, and act on feedback consistently over time. For example, setting up alerts for key phrases on social media, sending follow-up surveys after interactions, and holding regular reviews of insights that have been gathered. It's also key to close the loop by communicating back to customers when and how their feedback has driven tangible changes - this shows you are truly listening. Finally, empower employees at all levels to suggest improvements based on customer feedback they receive. With the right strategies, mindset, and processes in place, customer feedback can become a competitive advantage.

Social listening is the biggest opportunity for brands to get nearly real-time feedback and use this info across their business. You have customers and prospects sharing their pain points, frustrations, successes, and opinions on you and your competitors. They're doing this through posts, forums, or other online groups. This is a gold mine of insights that can be used to improve your objection handling, content marketing, customer support materials - the list goes on! The smartest companies use these insights to create customer-focused content where your audience 'sees themselves' in that copy.

I believe that there is no universal solution. And the best strategies are found through trial and error, never be afraid to make mistakes. Test different hypotheses, test different types of content and interactions and you will definitely find your effective strategy.

Don't tease problems on social media and expect people to click a link to find the solution. People do not want to leave the platform and are smart enough to scroll past teaser posts that offer no real value. Every post should offer value directly on the social media platform. This doesn't mean you can't promote content on social media or use it as a traffic-driving channel. But to build trust with your audience — and give people a reason to follow or continue to follow you — you need to provide useful, entertaining, and/or interesting content directly on the social media platform first.

People use social media to promote themselves, but as stated in the first point above, you can have far more success by showing an interest in others. You can take this a step further by connecting others together. If you can be the facilitator between two contacts that makes you a vital person to know, without needing a specific set of skills to talk about. This fact greatly widens the people you can usefully network with. Being engaged with a diverse range of people can help bridge gaps between unexpected groups, gain broad expertise, and find solutions quickly. Networking with the similar people to you doesn’t really help you grow.

You don't have to pose the problem in order to provide valuable insight and possible solutions. On platforms like LinkedIn, Reddit, and Quora people will share their problems and seek input from "the wisdom of the crowd". Be Generous. Add to the collective knowledge with a well thought out, actionable response. Done regularly, people will engage with your responses, and eventually they will start to seek you out and engage with your original content too.

Problem-solving skills can increase social media engagement by helping you identify and address issues in your strategy, analyze audience feedback, generate creative solutions, implement changes, and adapt based on results, ultimately driving better engagement.