Do you converse with or talk at your audience? Do you post just to hear yourself talk or to generate a conversation? Knowing the proper way to engage with others is crucial in social media. This one of the basic steps in Social Media 101.

A common misconception about social media is that if you continue to put yourself out there, you will go viral right away. The truth is, social media takes patience, persistence, and knowledge. Sure, some people may get lucky and go viral with a certain tweet or video, however chances are slim. Most of the time you have to put in work to see a return – and that means listening and engaging your audience.

Another mistake is to make social media a “one man show”. Without that genuine interaction and engagement with your audience, it will become more difficult for you to reach others. You can relate it to real life – no one wants to go to a cocktail party to meet someone who constantly talks about themselves. Finding your target audience, listening to what they are talking about, and engaging in conversation will put you a step ahead.

Think of it as a friendship, and use the capabilities of liking, sharing, retweeting, etc. to show your appreciation to your followers and audience. In time, they will reciprocate. Be valuable and share what your audience wants to hear. Hint: this will also assist you in content curation and topics.

As a general rule, your engagement should consist of the 80/20 rule – 80% of content that interests the audience, shares, retweets, and so on, while 20% is content to promote your brand. In that case, you will not become an online sales pitch. Instead, you will become intriguing, others will want to learn more, and they will be more inclined to read your blogs or information you post.

On top of that, have consistency and human. Not many people want to have a robot as a friend. Be yourself or be that personable voice behind a brand. The more connections you can build with your audience relates to the strong relationships that may form. Don’t make it social MEdia, but rather social YOUdia.

Do you practice social MEdia or social YOUdia?

Social Media Facelift, LLC provides social media account setup & management, consulting & strategy, content creation, education & training, and insights & analysis for businesses, large or small.  Social Media Facelift, LLC wants to take your business to the next level by integrating social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, Google +, YouTube, and more to help establish your business and connections.

Contact Social Media Facelift, LLC today for a social media consultation at (480) 231-5582 or socialmediafacelift@gmail.com.