How can you engage with your audience on social media without being too salesy?

The best way to ENGAGE with your audience is to ENGAGE with them... - show interest in THEIR content - contribute to THEIR conversations (posts) - shine a light on THEIR message, brand, offer, etc. We do enough highlighting our own expertise and awesomeness... let's turn that light around and shine a little on THEM. When they feel seen, heard, and valued... they'll reciprocate.

Try User-Generated Content (UGC). Launch hashtag campaigns or challenges encouraging your followers to share their own experiences with your brand or topic of expertise. This gives them a platform and indirectly endorses your product or service.

There's a big misconception that self-promotion is bragging. Self-promotion is you telling your network who you are, what you and how you can add value to them. That means sharing your journey with its ups and downs, the successes as well as the lessons learned. And when you're authentic and real, people relate to you and that's how connections are formed. Connections lead to relationships and relationships lead to business opportunities.

Be yourself! Share personal stories and let your audience get to know you. Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable. You build relationships by building trust- and when people trust you and feel that they know you, you’re in a much better position to close a deal or gain a client. Your personal brand is so important. What do you want others to think of you?

Plus 1 - I would just add the importance of being consistent with your content. Once you establish yourself on social media and begin to share valuable content - your audience will expect it on a regular basis. Posting once a week and then suddenly only posting once a month will drive down your engagement. Also - monitor your comments, content ideas and engagement comes from your comment section.

Shift from ME to YOU always works. No one likes ego-centricity. People prefer being listened to and finding added value or opportunities to add value.

It is OK to ask for feedback and questions but realize that you are taking their most valuable commodity - TIME. So first you need to provide consistent value and after credibility has been established, creating a quick way for the to provide feedback is OK. A poll is usually the best as they can do it quickly and if and only if they have the intent to share more, they may add a comment or two.

Listen to people. I am constantly reading comments on LinkedIn and YouTube and answering questions. This is also one of the reasons I never run out of content or things to say!

It’s great to get to know an audience and build a community so you know how to serve them better. Asking questions on topics you care about and want to hear from them will build connection and loyalty. When your audience feels seen and heard they will become happy paying customers or refer others if your service is not something they need for themselves. Shadow fans are those who see your content, admire your work and refer people to you. You inspire them through your content creation and it comes full circle to support you in return. It goes back to the age old idea that the more you give, the more you get.

When you ask questions which could also be in the form of undertaking polls on a platform like LinkedIn...it resonates with the audience since they get an opportunity to directly engage with you. Building your own unique audience is a journey and sales becomes an outcome of what you are striving to build. With consistency comes trust and that's where the real outcome comes over a period of time. Being open to accepting their ideas and feedback even if they are radically different than yours ...shows how open you are to navigating through differential views and opinions.

When showing your personality, be your authentic and vulnerable self. People relate to people's stories, their challenges, aspirations, etc. Don't put out a personality that isn't you. Be your authentic self but only share what you are willing and able to share. Don't be afraid to be vulnerable.

This is super important. Yes, you may be an expert or a guru. But you are also human. With emotions, thoughts and biases. Share those!

It’s easy to share positivity and things that bring us joy. Through these means, we can make the LinkedIn experience more uplifting and heartfelt. There is so much fake news and negativity through all other outlets. It becomes refreshing to feel seen and heard through a platform that allows you to be you and share a positive outlook on the world.

When sharing your story, stay authentic. When everyone is trying to sell dramatic life story that are not true, show your customer what your real values are and how they can help them achieve their goals.

Exhibiting your true self is similar to showcasing your personality i.e., a part of who you are. People connect to people and that's where your own uniqueness has immense power to stand out. I proudly share how my early years started with me being an introvert and how I've been able to navigate through the same and stand tall as a public speaker by virtue of consistent efforts that I've taken over many years. The broader perspective of having a 360 degree view and working in that aspect can help in defining and building you. Let your voice be truly YOURS

Always offer value and support without any ask in return. Show others who you are - teach, share, inspire, and “give away” [knowledge, advice, a resource, a free tool]. You need to build up your reputation and credibility. Your network is comprised of humans. No one enjoys being pitchslapped or “sold to”. Be a human - speak to your audience like you would your friends or neighbors. Show them you care.

Use a "value-first" series of posts that offer high-quality content or actionable advice before introducing a paid product. Consider this as 'warming up' your audience. Offer a free tier or free resources like e-books, templates, or tutorials. Once people experience your quality, they'll be more inclined to opt for your premium services.

To find out when people are receptive to your offers, it takes some experimentation and testing. Try different cadences that balance value-driven posts and asking for a sale. For example: * Share 9 value driven posts without any expectation of reciprocation, and then share an offer * Share 4 value driven posts and then share an offer Examine the responses and reactions you receive from different types of cadences between value and selling. This will help you better refine your content strategy going forward so you can get the best possible responses from your community and win some new clients who are already locked into your storytelling.

It’s not just about providing value, it’s also about being relational and generous. Take time to engage with other peoples content and get to know them. Be a giver. Make it about them. Don’t be in a rush to make it about you or your service. After all, you wouldn’t propose on the first date.

Provide value to your audience by focusing on the following aspects: 1. Gain insight into your target audience's characteristics. 2. Continuously inquire about how your audience can derive advantages from your content, whether it's a blog/article or your products and services. 3. Determine the value add you plan to provide to your audience. 4. Understand their challenges and pain points and offer assistance that can address their concerns. This approach enables us to establish credibility and authority, both as a company and as individuals.

The concept of "professionalism" shifts based on industry and it changes with the times. The idea of "respect" is more constant and really important! Avoiding jargon and striving for clear language is respectful. It allows people to engage with you and your work without having to knock down barriers. And, don't post anything that you wouldn't be proud of if it landed on the front page of the New York Times. It's wise to write and then take a beat to review, before posting.

Respectful and professional 100%, but adding a pinch of humour (while remaining appropriate) can make you more relatable and memorable.

Trying to be “professional” is archaic and does not allow anyone to be their authentic self! Please use proper grammar and appreciate that people will have differing opinions than you, but resist showing up as a cookie cutter version of yourself that fits the mold of what you consider to be professional. Professional is the furthest thing from what people really want. Allowing yourself to shine by being real and telling genuine stories while engaging in a kind and authentic way is the real key to connection, which is what a personal brand is all about. So the most successful personal brands capture an element of both professionalism and authenticity by sharing stories that demonstrate their values and their personality.

One thing that you just don't wanna compromise when it comes to social platforms is ... following the basics. This is where using the right words and language can make a lot of difference. Being mindful of what you are writing and in what context it is being written holds a lot of value. It's important to understand that people perceive and form opinions basis what you have written or are sharing on such platforms.

Respect and professionalism are everything! It is so much easier to convince your audience of something when they respect you. The biggest piece of that is respecting your audience. We’ve all heard the saying “respect begets respect.” It’s true, the only way someone will respect you is if you respect them. And once you’ve won their respect, they’ll listen to what you have to say.

Definitely engage with other people's content. Posting your content and never engaging is the equivalent of going to a party, standing in a corner and just talking about yourself. It would look odd! So don't do that on social media. Interact with the people in your comments. And interact with people whose content you enjoy.

Engaging with like-minded, authentic individuals and conducting research before following or commenting is a great approach to ensure a positive online experience. It's important to be discerning and critical about who you choose to connect with in the digital world.

This is one of my personal favorites. I have a few favorite contributors I love to follow on LinkedIn and find I make just as many meaningful connections commenting on their content as I do through my own. It’s a way to lift others up, support their work and get inspiration.

Engage with other's content who have the same values as you, who are authentic and who you trust. Be aware that there are influencers out there who are narcissists who only want followers who agree with their viewpoints only. I encourage before following or commenting to do research on the person (internet, their activity on LinkedIn, etc) before engaging with their content.

To get the most out of engaging with other people's content, you should avoid building an echo chamber, and instead, be very tactical about the content with which you're engaging. Engage with content created by your ICP - your Ideal Client Persona. When you do this, you pique curiosity in potential clients about who you are because of the value you are bringing to their posts. When this curiosity is piqued, they'll be more likely to want to check out your profile and see more about what you do and how you help. Every profile view - and new follower - is a fresh opportunity to start conversations that deepen your network and build stronger relationships.

Just be yourself. Stop worrying about coming out as too informal, keep a balance of formal tone and informal tone to make it sound authentic. Even when you are DMing them, make sure you are talking about them more than yourself. Be specific and build real connections.

Engaging with your audience on social media without coming across as overly salesy is all about storytelling from your own experiences. Share real-life anecdotes related to your product or service that resonate with your audience's pain points.

Don’t make it the “me show”. Put others needs first and seek how you can offer them value. Find ways to build trust and rapport through your work and the personal brand you choose to display on LinkedIn. Don’t be afraid to repel those that aren’t right for your community in exchange for being true Yo what you believe in and attracting the right people.

Once you have consistently started giving, occasionally sharing your Why, What and How is OK. The community will come forward to support you if your karma bank is overflowing. It is human to want to help someone who is always helping others!

Track all of your activity meticulously to make your time as efficient as possible when you engage with your community. Keep track of who reciprocates. When you interact with their content, do they interact back? Do they take things a step further and check out your profile or send a connection request? Having a clear understanding of how the activity you do daily results in pulling your community closer to your offer helps you to continue to refine the time you spend on LinkedIn, and make your process even more efficient as time goes on.