Why it’s important to interact with followers and?fans
In order to have an effective relationship with customers or fans on social media, businesses need to have a well-thought-plan: what to say; what the messages are; how it’s said – and when.
Social media, PR and general promotion of a business or service takes time and it’s natural to want a return on this investment. For the strategy to have a chance of being a success, aims and intentions must be set out first, along with a realistic budget and time allocation is a must to do it properly.
Without commitment, care and attention there’s little chance in fulfilling a viable media strategy. As well as pumping out material – businesses also need to be there to respond when people take interest in what’s being put out there. It’s all too easy to end up having a one-way conversation, and eventually, people will cease to connect if no one talks back.
One key aspect to fully engaging fans or followers is ensuring that the social media strategy is fully set out. When you post something, already have a plan in mind of how to respond to positive or negative feedback. It’s important to take note of how successful certain content or campaigns are and who is engaging with these key messages. Analyse social media data, such as the number or type of comments on Facebook, replies or retweets on Twitter and likes on Instagram. This will enable a greater understanding of who the audience actually is and feed into an on-going strategy.
As well as planning, flexibility is needed to adapt to trends, events and other news going on in the world. Think about the audience; consider content that will enable people to get involved to feel part of a brand.
For example:
- Hold regular competitions
- Ask direct questions
- Organise a Q&A session so fans can get to know a product or service better
- Have giveaways
- Produce useful podcasts or videos
Always remember the audience, and create content that’s easy to digest, and is interesting or fun. By seeing a page or account from the eyes of the online community it’s possible to customise content which will maintain interest and keep connections fresh and relevant for both sides of the conversation.