How To Increase Engagement On Your Personal Brand
Yesterday I wrote about how developing a social media persona can help you be more consistent and generous for your audience. I made the case that we shouldn’t pull social media best practices from celebrities, even though they have the most followers. They’re exempt from the rules because they’re famous.
So then how do you increase engagement on your social channels? There is an underserved audience out there, hoping to find someone like you. How do you reach them? How do you convince them that you’re worth following?
Here is a list of best practices I’ve developed for increasing engagement and garnering real connection online.
Create high-value interactions every day
We know the endless scroll all too well. The way social media can turn into a black hole of never-ending content. How we can slip into scrolling, consuming for 30 minutes at a time, in a daze. This is the common pitfall with social media platforms. They’re purposefully designed by some of the smartest people in the world to get you to spend as much time on there as possible. This is what we’re trying to avoid.
The best way to avoid this is to create high-value interactions online every day instead. In short, make social media social again. Contribute to the conversation instead of just watching it. A great way to do this is to respond to people’s Instagram stories. Line up 5 or 10 of those, and you’ll be starting a few new conversations that could go anywhere.
At its worst, social media is an epilepsy-inducing propaganda machine. At it’s best, it’s a global platform where people can connect with their new best friends, even if they’re in the other side of the world.
Make social media its best.
Respond to DMs and ask questions
If someone DMs you, respond to that DM with a question. The easy way to let someone know you heard them is by just liking their message. But this closes the conversation. If it’s someone new reaching out about your work, ask them what they’d like to see more of. Ask them what they have coming up that they’re excited about.
In one of my first DMs with Ian Deloney, I asked him for what books he had been reading. Now he’s a good friend. He’s stayed on my couch. And he lives thousands of miles away. Social media can be an amazing, wonderful tool!
Respond to every comment
You’re not a celebrity. You don’t get to take interaction for granted. The quickest way to double the comments on your posts is to respond to every one. When someone says they pumped, say thanks. When someone asks a question, answer it. When someone shows love, ask them a question back. Do the work to create a mini community on your posts. It goes a long way. At the end of the day, people want be seen and heard, and if you can do this o your posts, you’re creating something invaluable for your audience.
Pick the right hashtags
if you want your content to be seen by people in your niche audience, pick the right hashtags. But don’t join the rat race! Choosing the most trending hashtags makes you another face in the crowd. Do some research on nice hashtags that fit the content you post. Choose hashtags where your posts can stay towards the top for a day or so. You might not be seen by as many eyes, but they people who see your content will really be looking for it.
Leave compelling comments on adjacent accounts
If there are other creators doing what you do, leave compelling comments on their posts. Ask questions, propose new ideas, show love. Don’t post try-hard comments asking people to check out your work or support your “dreams”. Contribute to the conversation. People will check you out.
Closing
Thanks for checking this out! I hope this has been helpful to you. Anything else to add here? Send me a DM!
