“I get lots of likes and comments on my photos and posts!” How many times have you heard this before or maybe you have even said it yourself? Kudos to you for taking a great photo or creating a stellar post that created engagement. Is that really what social media engagement is all about…likes, comments, and shares? These are all forms of engagement, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. Now that you have the attention of the audience you can connect with them. Social Media Marketing gives you the ability to speak directly to your audience. It’s a more direct and personal type of marketing and if done correctly, will enable you to turn that “like” into a client or customer.
Creating that attention grabbing post by knowing your audience
When we log on our social media sites, we encounter our newsfeed. At times, it can be overwhelming. Think about what makes you stop your thumb from scrolling. What grabbed your attention? Was it the vibrant photo? The crafty wording? Something that you have been searching for? One of the main things to remember when creating a post is to make your audience stop and look. Post something they want to see, something that sparks interest. A good question to ask yourself is, would I stop and look at this post?
Knowing your audience is key. What does your audience like? Who else is your audience following? Understanding your audience and what they do also makes a huge difference. If you know your target is a hairstylist, chances are they will also be following Armstrong McCall, Modern Salon, and other beauty industry related social media sites. From this you also know that they will follow certain hair products, celebrity stylists, and beauty blogs or vlogs. Spending some time researching will give you a better understanding of your audience. Reviewing social media sites that they follow will give you ideas on how to create captivating posts.
They “like” me, they really “like” me
Now that we created the post that demands a “like” or even a heart emoji, what happens next? They just paid you a compliment by liking your post, take the time to reply and say “thank you”. This small gesture will gain a positive reaction. You have made it personal by acknowledging them for taking the time to look at your post. Engage with your audience that is interested in what you posted. You especially want to engage with your audience if you post about an opportunity, ie. salon suite ownership, house for sale, etc. Something in that post made them stop and take the time to read it. They are showing interest, now it’s your turn to start a conversation and find out why they reacted the way they did. This information is great when researching your audience. As a marketer, we are always discussing the target audience – who are they, what are their demographics, etc. So many statistics and analytics come into play to find our perfect target audience when we are creating a marketing strategy. What you just did was find your target audience and they are responding to you, talk to them.
Making it sizzle
When I first started my career in media close to 20 years ago, I had to learn to sell “the sizzle”, not the steak to our advertising clients. In social media, you always sell that sizzle. You make your posts and your photos sizzle in a way that stops traffic; news feed traffic. When people buy or invest in something it’s based on emotion. When your audience engages with you on social media it’s because you triggered an emotion in them that made them stop and read. They connected with you on your post. Make that connection with them and engage away!
Salons by JC Social Media Blog Series
