Creating a Social Engagement Strategy

One of the most incredible things that I see happen time and time again is that when my clients engage, converse and build relationships online opportunities just seem to happen. As I am writing this post one client is just shared a TV appearance she had today (I think this is the 10th appearance that she booked for herself), another shared that he has increased his web traffic by 50% by applying a few simple social engagement strategies in just a few weeks, and another is sending a proposal to someone she never even expected to meet.

You may wonder how they are doing this…it’s actually quite simple, they are targeting their connections on social media and then simply engaging with them. Keep reading to learn what they are doing.

Step 1: Do the research

 It does not need to take much time and it is not necessary to outsource this project to costly consultants, as a matter of fact by investing a bit of time and doing the work yourself, you will gain incredible insight into your target market which is priceless. Make a list of:

Start out by making a list of:

• 5 competitors or people in your industry
• 5 influencers, these are the people who you want to be in your business dreams
• 5 media professionals/outlets you would want to report on you

Step 2: Get the Right Social Media Tools

You will need the following tools:

• A social media management tool such as HootSuite for searching and tracking #hashtags, influencers, competitors, events, etc.
• A hashtag research tool like Hashtagify.me.

Using these tools will help to identify the hashtags that represent the conversations already happening online around your topics and by tracking these #hashtags/conversations in HootSuite, countless opportunities will open up. Plus, you will be in the know about what your target market is talking about so you can then simply land in the right conversations and build quality relationships that convert.

Plus, you will be in the know about what your target market is talking about so you can then simply land in the right conversations and build quality relationships that convert.

Step 3: Social Engagement Best Practices

Here are a few best practices to ensure that your time spent online is worthwhile:

• Keep an open mind, it is amazing what will start to pop up when you are open to the possibilities.
• Do not be afraid, this is a great way to connect with people you never thought you would know.
• Do not sell when connecting, just show up… be helpful as you would if you met someone in a social setting.
• Follow people, companies, and media you want to connect with.
• Be generous, like, share and comment. Social Media is a reciprocal space.
• Introduce people on Social Media – for example @mention you should connect with @mention. It is that simple.
• Connect with your target market via Social Media lists and groups. They are already gathered in one place.
• Connect online as you would in real life….