7 ideas for social media posts

For your audience to be engaged, they need to know, like and trust you.

Keeping your following involved is a great way to build a community of fans for your brand. What are some of the proven, time-tested social media ideas that can help build engagement?

Here are seven:

1. Curate content.

Posting curated content is a great way to build engagement and bridge any gaps in your content marketing strategy. By sharing top-quality content from other creators in your industry, you can position yourself among your audience as a reliable resource. You get the chance to introduce your followers to other content creators and reach a wider audience.

2. Create infographics.

Infographics are liked and shared on social media platforms 3 times more than any other type of post. Highly visual pieces that contain a lot of information in a format that can be easily digested by readers and have the potential to generate a ton of engagement and even attract new followers to your social media accounts.

There is a ton of information flowing through the internet each day and many people prefer small, relevant bits of visual information rather than huge walls of text. When presented with an infographic, people are able to understand, appreciate and take action with ease.

3. Livestream videos.

Videos have a unique ability to hold interest. They combine audio, text, imagery and eye-popping visuals to keep your audience hooked. When these elements come together along with the excitement of a live video, you have a formula for increased engagement.

Many organizations are turing to livestreaming as a useful new way to connect with customers. Live videos let your audience know about exciting new milestones, industry events and the latest news.

4. Organize contests.

One way to stand out and do something different for your brand is through social media contests. These must be fun and light-hearted for your audience. For instance, you could ask them to like and comment on your latest Instagram post. These types of contests usually receive hundreds of entries and create great word of mouth publicity. However, rather than creating just another contest, come up with something unique that fans would love to take part in and share on their social platforms.

[RELATED: Learn how to boost buzz, build brand recognition and engage employees on the hottest social media platforms.]

5. Share user-generated content.

A great way to start discussions on your page is by encouraging user-generated content. It’s a useful and convenient way to gain engagement, but it can be tricky to pull off. If not executed properly, it can create chaos or even go unnoticed. If you’re looking for inspiration take a look the social media pages of brands like Belkin, GE, Pepsi, Target and Starbucks, which pull this off well. When your fans add to the content on your page, they’re likely to engage more and get their friends to join in.

6. Build trust with testimonials.

Posting positive testimonials and reviews of your brand from customers is a great way to build trust with new followers. Because of the success that other people have experienced with your brand, potential customers will feel more confident in their decision to purchase your product.

If a user showcases your products or organization, share their post on your own feed. Be sure to mention their social media handle, and thank them for posting their positive experience with your product.

7. Ensure your content is relevant.

It is important to understand who your customers really are in order to be able to create content that will keep them coming back for more. Find out what their interests are and what types of posts they prefer. Do they enjoy blog content, videos or image posts more?

Also, understand how they consume information and what forms of media they use. Once you know your audience, you can then experiment with different types of content. If your followers respond well to video posts, publish more videos.

When you keep your followers engaged, it will result in more leads, sales, traffic and brand loyalty. Try some of the pointers mentioned in this article to add variety to your content, gain a strong following, improve your social media strategy and generate favorable results.

Fiona McEachran is an experienced social media expert who has been writing about using the power of social media to get more out of business.

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