Beyond hashtags and daily posts, what can you do to raise engagement in your social media channels? Most people focus on the more outwardly aspects of social media such as what to post, which filter to use, and how to write the best caption. While these are all very important in successful and engaging content creation, there are multiple behind the scenes “hacks” that you can do to grow your social media presence.
Utilize Location Services
Using location services is one of the most underrated ways to reach a wider audience. Using geofilters on Instagram and checking in in Facebook or Yelp let others know where you are. Since these location centric aspects of social media platforms are narrowed down by audience and place, you have a very clear cut path to reach an intended audience.
For example, by tagging the location in an Instagram photo, your photo is now filed away under that location. Whenever others look at photos from that location, your picture may show up which raises your photo reach. The people who tag their photo’s location are people who already enjoy that certain area or have at least been there. By going through a location’s photos, you can directly communicate with these people. Like and comment on photos and chances are, those people will be led back to your own account. This works especially well in high volume areas such as major cities or popular restaurants.
Crunch the numbers
Using Google Analytics or any other kind of social media tracking site is a great way to stay informed on the success of your social media posts. Iconosquare is a great resource for Instagram users because it lets you track your follower count, photos, likes, and more.
By using these resources and paying attention to the numbers, you’ll learn more about what is performing well and what could be improved. By seeing which posts are doing better than others in terms of engagement, you can cater new content to fit what your audience enjoys the most. It’s important to understand what your audience wants or reacts well to in order to continue making relevant and valuable posts.
Check out the Competition
See what the competition is doing! If you’re new at social media, this is especially helpful to see what works and what doesn’t. Sift through a couple social media pages you admire and consider how you can implement similar ideas to match your own goals.
Even if the accounts you look through aren’t in the same industry as yours, you can still take inspiration. For example, are there certain colors you think look really great together and can fit your aesthetic? Is there a certain pattern of photos that you think would work for you? When doing this, it is important to take notice of not just what kinds of content are being posted but also things like the layout, colors, cohesiveness, and even the flow.
With the constant updates and changes on the various platforms, being successful on social media is a never-ending game. You need to constantly be updated on what’s new and what no longer works. Practice these quick tips and tricks and raise your own social media engagement.
