If you’re like most people, the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning is check your cell phone and social media feed. Likely, this is the last thing you do before bed, as well. Don’t worry – you’re certainly not alone. In fact, the average American spent more than 1,300 hours on social media in 2020. This averaged out to be 58 minutes per day on Facebook, 53 minutes each day on Instagram, and 50 minutes a day on Snapchat, to name a few. So with people on their phones all day long, rapidly sifting through content, how can businesses attract attention and generate engagement with your brand? Well, it’s pretty simple – you need to start thinking like your audience. Below, we’re sharing several tips that will help you better engage your followers in an increasingly crowded and competitive social space.
Generate “How-To” Content
Typically, your audience isn’t looking to read stories for the fun of it. They are seeking simple solutions to help solve their own unique problems. “How-to” content serves as a way to resolve your readers’ issues, without much legwork on their end. Chances are, you’d be more likely to attend an event if the sign-up information is right in front of you, wouldn’t you? From there, while you should always include a variety of “how-to” information in your content, it’s even better to take it one step further by featuring this phrase in your blog headline or social graphic. Then, make it easy for people to find the information they’re looking for. After all, “how-to” stories are the top-ranking blog content formats.
Numbers Are Your Friend
It might come as a surprise to you that only 20% of people who come across your content will actually follow through and click to read a specific article. Essentially, that means that 80% of your audience sees your headline and moves on without further thought. So, how can you attract a larger portion of your audience to engage in your content? Adding numbers to your headlines is a great place to start. Titles with a number, such as “7 Ways to Improve Your Eye Health,” or “11 Steps To Boost Your Fertility” tend to rank better. Since odd numbers tend to perform better than even numbers, try including your favorite uneven number and watch your click-throughs climb!
Don’t Make Statements. Instead, Ask Questions!
If you’re on a first date, you would probably appreciate it if your companion took the time to ask you some thoughtful questions about yourself and your life. Social media works similarly! Asking your followers questions is a great way to engage with your audience. Try brainstorming questions that will get your audience to think – ask them things like, “Do you feel comfortable with the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare?” or “What is your favorite early-morning fitness tip?” Chances are, your readers will take the bait.
Go Get ‘Em, Tiger!
Now that you’ve learned three simple ways to better engage your followers, it’s time to take action. Try integrating some of these strategies into your content, and watch how your followers respond. If you start noticing a larger number of followers, comments, click-throughs, and likes, chances are, you’re doing things right!
