To succeed on social media you need to get people engage with you! But that’s easier said than done! There are too many people on social media! The fight for attention is real! So how to achieve higher engagement on social media?
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About Sam
@Sam___Hurley is the global digital marketing influencer and social media marketer. He specializes in growth hacking, CRO, PPC and Analytics.
Connect to Sam on Linkedin
Questions we discussed
Q1 How did you become a social media marketing expert and influencer? What’s your career path?
A1: Time! Dedication. Passion. Drive. 6+ years in #DigitalMarketing employment was invaluable. Experience counts for everything!! ? #vcbuzz pic.twitter.com/D1SSY7TZEV
— Sam Hurley ??? (@Sam___Hurley) October 25, 2016
Working both sides of the coin (in-house + agency) for companies small and very large, provided me with the necessary skills.
I always loved #SEO but also delved into the entire scope of #DigitalMarketing. Then I built my personal brand in 15 months!
A1 I remember my social media adventure started from Twitter. I couldn’t figure out Facebook first but Twitter was instant love #vcbuzz
— Ann Smarty (@seosmarty) October 25, 2016
Twitter is just THE BEST!!! Unbeatable for reach and engagement. Forces you to be concise too! ?
I couldn’t get Twitter for a couple of years lol RT @seosmarty: Twitter was instant love #vcbuzz
— Jessy Troy (@jessytroy) October 25, 2016
@seosmarty Twitter was my first love too. Although now I really love Instagram. #vcbuzz
— Lindsay Griffiths (@LindsayGriffith) October 25, 2016
A1: Continuous learning. I enjoy using all of tools for a complete #digitalmarketing package. @LInkedIn @Twitter #blogging #vcbuzz
— Michael D. O’Brien (@mikedobrien) October 25, 2016
#vcbuzz I started out as blogger and later fall in love with Pinterest
— Jameela Bibi (@jameelabibi101) October 25, 2016
@DonSturgill It helps to use @Klear to know who is friendly and likely to answer. Tweet something of substance they can answer. #vcbuzz
— Gail Gardner (@GrowMap) October 25, 2016
A1: I don’t consider myself a professional, but I use it every day to extend my personal brand. Learned by engaging people like Sam #vcbuzz
— Gary McIntire (@garymcintire) October 25, 2016
Q2 Why is social media engagement so important?
#SocialMedia is all about experience – not a one-way street for promotion. Nobody will listen if you’re just shouting! I’ve based my brand on a tightly-knit social community. These great people help each other + help me….without question.
A2: Engagement builds trust and connectivity when done correctly. It’s like a great party you never want to go home from. #vcbuzz
— Gary McIntire (@garymcintire) October 25, 2016
A2. Social media is important because everyone have a perfect product, but it takes few bad messages to burry it. #vcbuzz
— G.Mezetis ?? (@GMezetis) October 25, 2016
Aside from great relationships, engagement on #SocialMedia indicates influence. Influence = social proof. Social proof = sales.
A2: Like @garymcintire said, I tell people its a #networking event that never ends. Ask about others first. @Sam___Hurley #vcbuzz
— Michael D. O’Brien (@mikedobrien) October 25, 2016
Q3 How to increase your engagement on social media?
Guest blog on credible sites. Thank everyone who shares your material. Follow those you respect + strike up REAL conversation!
A3: Use the best GIFs + emojis wherever you can!!! Think: what would capture your attention? Boring text…or this tweet??? ???? #vcbuzz pic.twitter.com/eMS0mUW5OC
— Sam Hurley ??? (@Sam___Hurley) October 25, 2016
Post industry-leading material. Not just your own! Curate great articles, send them out and mention the author + brand.
#Use #hashtags #but #not #like #this! ? Research via @RiteTag to find the best hashes for your posts. Be selective!
A3 Talk to people, tag them, reply to them, quote them! You’ll see them talk back pretty soon! #vcbuzz
— Ann Smarty (@seosmarty) October 25, 2016
A3. Currate content you share. Realy read before sharing. Find niche around buzzwords. #vcbuzz
— G.Mezetis ?? (@GMezetis) October 25, 2016
Post industry-leading material. Not just your own! Curate great articles, send them out and mention the author + brand. #BOOM! Don’t just send out posts. Spend hours each day actually COMMUNICATING with people! I do ??? It ignites your presence.
a3 By being Social! Engaging with people behind the tweet, sharing, re-tweeting & truly caring #vcbuzz https://t.co/n6wR5LnVrD
— Debi Norton (@BRAVOMedia1) October 25, 2016
Solidify relationships with #influencers who can propel you to new heights by sharing your material; #vcbuzz helps this process! Finally – experiment with #SocialMedia engagement ads!!! The visible interaction generates further organic engagement.
A3: Interact with people who reciprocate and appreciate.Create insights WORTH sharing.Anyone can create crap (happens all the time!) #vcbuzz
— Gary McIntire (@garymcintire) October 25, 2016
A3 Have intelligent conversations with people instead of only sharing content; participate in Twitter chats like #vcbuzz
— Gail Gardner (@GrowMap) October 25, 2016
A3. If your first outreach to an influencer is asking something when you’ve never given to their community…. #epicfail #vcbuzz
— Carrie Morgan (@morgancarrie) October 25, 2016
Q4 Are the rules the same for brand accounts? How to get people engage with a brand on social media?
Slightly different. Brand accounts need to be a tad restrictive – Professional personal accounts can display individualities.
For engagement – no change in tactics. BUT: 92% of us trust recommendations from people…while only 33% trust brands!
That said – it’s a good idea to encourage employees and fans to become brand ambassadors ? This ups engagement by miles
A4: This is complicated. Rules are similar for the brand, but expectations vary for the customer. Depends on sensitivity of issue. #vcbuzz
— Gary McIntire (@garymcintire) October 25, 2016
A4: While many of the same rules apply for brands, it’s important to leverage #socialmedia to improve customer service as well #vcbuzz
— Michael D. O’Brien (@mikedobrien) October 25, 2016
A4. It is very important for employers to allow their employees to shine. But most employers are insecure. #vcbuzz
— Cheval John (@chevd80) October 25, 2016
Useful read:
- 22 Statistics That Prove the Value of Personal Branding
- 16 Employee Advocacy Statistics to Guide Your 2016 Marketing Strategy
Q5 Social media is overwhelming! What are your favorite social media productivity tips?
It certainly is! I turn off ALL notifications to avoid getting thrown off task. Then I check social platforms 3 times per day.
Track your time! Use the digital productivity tool “@rescuetime” to analyse your activity each day. Hold yourself accountable!
Use a social #CRM tool such as @nimble to effectively manage your relationships. I will be using it as I grow my brand!
Check out @buffer, @PostPlanner, @IFTTT, @MeetEdgar, @quuu_co, @Bundlepost & of course @vcbuzz
Q5 Act with purpose and strategy on social media to avoid massive time-suck! #vcbuzz
— Carrie Morgan (@morgancarrie) October 25, 2016
A5: You’ve got to prioritize, which tools meet your goals & are where your audience is. Then focus on those. #vcbuzz
— Lindsay Griffiths (@LindsayGriffith) October 25, 2016
Be methodical. Use #SocialMedia for a reason. Don’t just treat it as an accessory. It is now a critical component of business!
A5 Twitter is my favorite social network, so I share my Twitter Best Practices https://t.co/OtsYblFFwA #vcbuzz
— Gail Gardner (@GrowMap) October 25, 2016
A5: I try to stick to the 30-30-30 plan that @M3JrGrowth advocates. 30 min in the morning, afternoon, and night #vcbuzz #SMM
— Michael D. O’Brien (@mikedobrien) October 25, 2016
A5: I agree with @mikedobrien – it’s good to limit yourself. 90 minutes would be too much for me these days, but find what works! #vcbuzz
— Lindsay Griffiths (@LindsayGriffith) October 25, 2016
A5: Designate specific times to be on. Assign a job description for EVERY platform you use, then inspect what you expect. #vcbuzz
— Gary McIntire (@garymcintire) October 25, 2016
Our previous social media engagement chats:
- How Switching to Viral Content Buzz Pro Plan Boosted Our User’s Traffic and Engagement
- How to Increase Content Engagement Twitter Chat w/ @SEO_Hacker of @Qeryz #VCBuzz
- Twitter Management Chat with @KirksFletcher of @swftsocial #VCBuzz
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