Your social media engagement rate is one of the most important metrics you can keep an eye on. It’s used to track how actively involved with your content your audience is and is crucial for measuring success, especially if you are working with brands on sponsored content. You might think that having millions of followers would equal millions of likes, views and comments. But quantity doesn’t necessarily mean quality. Guaranteeing quality interaction between you and your audience is tricky, but it’s something that brands are willing to pay generously for. So, now you’re probably wondering how to increase social media engagement on your channels?
Well luckily Lickd’s team of social media experts and pro creators have put together some top tips to help you increase your audience engagement and land those lucrative brand deals.
1. Be your authentic self
People want to see the personality behind social media accounts, not just faceless content. Create genuine connections with your audience and they’ll be more likely to engage with your posts and find value in the content you’re creating.
If you’re partnering with brands, make sure you believe in the products you’re promoting and they’re of interest to your audience. People will quickly unfollow if ads feel irrelevant or forced.
2. Consistency is key
Consistently posting high-quality content on social media helps to attract followers and boost engagement. Don’t focus on going viral, focus on always providing your audience with content that is relevant and of value to them. This approach is much more likely to get your audience showing up for your next post or video. We suggest posting once or twice a day (minimum) to keep your feed fresh and your audience engaged.
The algorithmic structure of some platforms means that the time that you post can be crucial to maximising engagement. The recommended time to post varies from expert to expert and also depends on when your audience is most active. To find out your perfect time to post, use insight and analytics features on your socials to uncover when your followers are most engaged. Experiment with different timings, keep an eye on your insights and you’ll soon find your sweet spot!
3. How to increase social media engagement across platforms
TikTok and Instagram Reels are starting to dominate the online space, moving video content firmly into first position when it comes to the most popular content formats. This kind of short-form content is a great way to show off your personality, build connections with your audience and attract new followers.
Remember when Instagram stories were the latest new trend? Now over 500 million people use the feature daily. Embrace new features and platforms, especially if your audience is engaging with them, early adopters can often have the best success with new platforms. Get claims-free chart music for Instagram videos with Lickd.
4. Know your audience
This is an important one. It’s hard to engage people if you don’t know who your audience is. Understanding them will help you to determine what networks to be on, when to post, tone-of-voice and type of content.
Your community of followers are the ears on the ground. They may see and engage with trends way before you, so listening to them is a great way to stay relevant. Also, by replying to them and creating a personal connection with those that engage with you most often, you can create loyal (super)fans!
5. Create valuable and fun social media (engagement) posts
Think of content as a two-way conversation. You start the conversation by posting a video, image or text and your audience responds through engagements; comments, likes, shares etc. But this will only happen if your audience finds something of value in your content. Always look out for ways to give your content a winning edge, whether it’s trending music from Lickd, awesome locations or surprise features make sure your content sparks emotion and conversation.
You can also encourage your audience to respond more by using some social media engagement questions. Think of questions like those you probably hear a lot on YouTube or see on influencers’ or brands’ social posts. For example: “comment below with your opinion on x”, “tag a friend to win x”,
Built-in platform features have made it easier than ever to go further than the standard post. These are essentially social media engagement posts – posts created specifically to encourage engagement. For example you can create polls, hold competitions, and do live Q&A sessions. These kinds of interactive formats create value for your audience and in turn can help you understand your target audience better. It’s a cyclical process that can lead to better engagement and growth.
Eleana Overett, Social Media and Community Manager at Lickd gives her comments on how to increase social media engagement:
“The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given is “Don’t optimise for ‘The Algorithm’. Optimise for people, because the algorithm is trying to work out what PEOPLE like to watch. The more you tweak your thumbnails, your titles, and your content to tug at the heartstrings of real people, the more successful you’ll be at ‘beating the algorithm’.”
Now you know how to increase social media engagement! But.. who is Lickd?
Lickd gives you access to a massive library of mainstream music that’ll help you grow your audience in no time. Plus, Lickd creates customized quotes that adjust based on the size of your fanbase. So, if you’re a new YouTuber, you won’t have to pay superstar prices.
Plus, if you sign up today, you get 25% off your first track!