In simple terms, social media engagement is the number of interactions people have with the content on your page. Engagement leads to conversions and deeper connections with your followers, which is what every social media manager dreams of.

Have you seen a drop in your engagement on social media? You’re certainly not alone! Here’s what you need to do to boost your engagement…

#1. Grab Attention with Video content

Let’s talk about videos! It’s no secret that video content is more engaging than photos on social media. When you’re scrolling on any social platform, you’re more likely to pause on a video, simply to see what it’s about.

There are so many ways to utilize video content. Instagram Stories, IGTV, Instagram Live, Pinterest, TikTok, Facebook Live…the list goes on!

If you want to increase video engagement, even more, one of the best ways to grab more attention is by adding subtitles and on-screen texts to your videos! If people can read what you’re saying, it is more likely that they’ll stick around till the end.

#2. Ask for Engagement

You may think this will make you look too desperate and quickly want to discard it as a bad idea, but this is one of the best ways to gain your audience’s trust, respect and in turn, boost your engagement. When you ask your audience to engage your content or solicit advice and feedback, you come off as a humble and respectful brand, and people find it easier to relate with such brands because they know their responses will be valued and utilized, not discarded.

If you want engagement, you have to ask for it… don’t simply use clichés like “leave a comment” or “tag a friend.” Ask more sensible questions and take note of which of your questions resonate more with your audience i.e., which one yields more results.

#3. Engage with your Audience

While this may sound like a no-brainer, it can be easily overlooked. As creators, we often put most of our focus on creating the best content. But what happens after those contents are posted?

This is where the real work begins!

When people send DMs, drop comments, mention or even tag your brand, it means they’re interested in what you’re offering. The number one way to boost engagement is to respond to your audience speedily. When DMs hit, respond as soon as possible. Your activeness will be a determining factor in whether or not your audience will patronize or even recommend you when the need arises.

#4. Use GIFs and Emojis

Using GIFs and emojis helps bring a human element to your channels. Emojis breathe new life into captions, improves your brand voice, and helps capture your audience’s attention as they are scrolling down their timelines. So, if you want to boost your engagement, leverage emojis, GIFs, or even memes that are relevant to your brand and industry. These additions will help you stand out!

#5. Identify Big and Small Asks

 There are two different calls to action to put at the end of every post, Story, Reel, or video content: A big ask and a small ask.

 A big ask requires someone to leave the platform they are on and go somewhere else. It takes more effort, and not everyone will be inclined to follow through. Examples of big asks are:

 -Reading a post on your blog

 -Subscribing to a YouTube channel

 -Listening to a podcast

The pages you’re trying to direct them to might as well be amazing sources of valuable information, but as long as there’s a need to leave the social media platform they are currently on, it automatically causes discomfort.

 A small ask, on the other hand, is much easier. It doesn’t require leaving the platform, neither does it take a lot of brainpower to respond. Perfect examples of small asks are direct questions with options. E.g.,

 – “Tell me, are you A, B, or C?”

 – “Are you a dog or cat person?”

 – “What’s your dream vacation?”

You will notice that you get more engagement when you utilize small asks in your content than when you apply big asks.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use big asks in your content, you’re running a business after all. It just means you should use them at the right time. When you make it easy for someone to get back to you, you’ll be surprised how chatty your audience can be and that will surely boost your engagement.

Which of these tips will you use when you upload your next content? 1,2,3,4, or 5? Let us know in the comments! If you like this post, check out our previous blog post on how you can optimize your Instagram account to get more sales.