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10 Tips of Effective Social Media Engagement

The following are ten tips adapted from Meritus Media that should help you sort out the where, when and why:

  1. Listen to Conversations 
    Tap into the online conversations to find out who is talking about you, what they’re interested in and where they’re saying it. Tap into conversations that are related to your field but not about you to develop a persona that others can relate to and engage with.
  2. Establish Share of Voice 
    There are millions of conversations online every day.  When you tap into the ones about your area, what share of voice (the total percentage that you possess in the conversation about the particular niche or market you’re active in) do you have?  Are you listening and responding or trying to dominate and broadcast?
  3. Set Goal/Benchmarks 
    Use the information and insights you get to set the goals you should pursue in social media.
  4. Find Bloggers and Communities 
    You have to know where the conversations and discussions are taking place so you can allocate your resources for best ROI.
  5. Identify Influencers 
    What/who influences people has changed dramatically in the last few years.  Who does your audience trust?  Can you interact with them to develop relationships with others and achieve a credible reputation and voice?
  6. Develop a Content Strategy 
    Success in social media depends on the quality of your content.  It’s about engaging people with useful information and interesting dialogue.
  7. Pick Tools 
    Should you have a Facebook page?  Should you be on X?  Do they achieve the same goals for you?
  8. Create and Deliver the Content 
    Once you have a content strategy, bright ideas will naturally flow about what to create and how to deliver this content.  Be sure your delivery is as engaging as the content.
  9. Engage and Facilitate Conversations 
    Social media is about a two-way flow of conversation.  People are no longer willing to be passive bystanders—they want to be part of the conversation.  Act as though you’re participating in a great cocktail party. It’s not always—or even most of the time—about you.
  10. Measure Results 
    Having mountains of data is all very well … but “what does this mean?” is the crucial question.  Social media can be measured. What are your priorities?

For more information or questions, please contact University Communications at 858-534-3120.