Social Media Marketing Tactics to Substantially Boost Engagement

It's no secret that the right social media marketing tactics can make a significant difference for your business.So why is it that a vast majority of owners and entrepreneurs struggle to make any headway on social media?Whether it’s a lack of time or understanding, knowing which tactics to employ is critical.Below are seven tips for today’s top social networks. Each one is designed to substantially boost engagement and take your social media interaction, traffic and shares from so-so to super!

Social Media Marketing Tactics for Today's Top Networks

1. Facebook Questions

Have you seen a decline in your Facebook engagement? If so, you’re not alone. In fact, there's been such an enormous uproar over the loss of organic Facebook reach that Jay Baer dubbed it the "reachpocalypse."We know that in order for your Facebook fans to see your posts, you must get them engaged with your page. The challenge is that this has become increasingly difficult to make happen.So, how can you generate enough interaction to consistently show up in the newsfeed of your audience? Through the power of questions!KISSmetrics revealed that posts including questions receive 100 percent more comments than text-based posts. While this might not be a surprise to many seasoned marketers, you could be missing a powerful opportunity.In a study by Buddy Media it was shown that the placement of the question makes all the difference. By placing the question at the end of a post, you increase your interaction rate by 15 percent. You also double the rate of comments when compared to posts where the question is added at the beginning or in the middle.While both of these surveys are a couple years old, the data is just as relevant today as it was then. I see daily that the right questions are a key component to getting fans involved in the conversation.Don't believe me? Try it out on your own Facebook post. Place attention-grabbing questions at the end of your posts. Then track the difference it makes within your engagement.A great example of this in action is Jeep. Whether it's their latest promotion or an exciting look ahead, Jeep isn't afraid to throw out a sneak peek and crowdsource for an answer.

Post by Jeep.

2. Twitter Characters

Have you ever crafted the perfect tweet only to find that no one else felt the same way? Your tweet seemed to fall on deaf ears, receiving zero interaction and no retweets.If this has happened to you, chances are you used up every last character and left no room for sharing.Your first instinct might be to use all 140 characters, but you'd be wrong. Buffer and SumAll recently found that the optimal tweet is between 71-100 characters. And those tweets under 100 characters received a 17 percent higher engagement.I tested this theory and found that one tweet at exactly 100 characters received 57% more retweets than alternative verbiage at 101 and above.

Top Trends to Dominate Your 2015 Social Media Marketing Strategy #business http://t.co/9IKcsUJKs9 pic.twitter.com/oDG5SaOInM— Rebekah Radice (@RebekahRadice) January 4, 2015

Keep this in mind as you craft your tweets, and don't forget to factor in your Twitter handle. For me, this means that my Twitter handle - @rebekahradice – eats up 13 characters before I even write my tweet.

3. Google Plus Flexibility

Google Plus has an audience too large to ignore and yet many businesses still fail to take advantage of this social media powerhouse.While Twitter embraces brevity, Google Plus is the most flexible social network when it comes to content length. Using the full expanse of Google Plus post real estate not only helps in your engagement, but also in establishing credibility.It’s also the only social network on this list that allows you to format your posts. This is another way to position your content as readable and easily shareable. Let me show you an example from Google Plus power user Peg Fitzpatrick.The post below has used several elements of formatting. The headline is bold, the sub headline is italicized, and there's a tip from the post included. It all makes it an enjoyable read and easy to consume.Don't know how to get started? Here’s a cheat sheet to formatting Google Plus posts. Try using one or more of these tools within upcoming posts to improve your engagement and interaction.

4. Pinterest Sharing Secrets

The facts are in and they speak volumes. With an estimated 70 million users, Pinterest has firmly secured its position as the 2nd largest referrer of social traffic.No matter your industry or niche, Pinterest is worth a second look. This is especially true if you're Ecommerce or a local business looking to not only drive traffic, but also sell products with Pinterest.Latest statistics show that Pinterest pins that include price tags earn 36 percent more “likes” than those without. This clearly makes Pinterest a potent tool to turn looky-loo's into buyers.Take advantage of all that Pinterest has to offer with a few secrets from Ripen Ecommerce.

5. Instagram Hashtag Strategy

Using the most relevant and effective hashtags can be the difference between Instagram success and failure.If you want to get found, you need to place your content in front of people actively looking for it. This is exactly what hashtags do for you.How can you find hashtags that make sense for your business?

• Write down the search terms or phrases people use when talking about your company, industry or niche.
• Go to Instagram and type your hashtag into search. For example, if I was looking for people posting about social media, I'd add #sociamedia into search.
• Take a look at the number of posts within that search. Are there an abundance of posts and will it be difficult to capture audience attention? You want to find a hashtag that's active, but not overly active.
• Now look at the related hashtags that Instagram offers when you run your search. Look at the number of posts found in each one and determine which hashtags will be most effective in getting your message out.

Two great hashtag tools:

• Tagboard - Tagboard searches multiple social networks and displays the most popular content within that topic. Search any hashtag and quickly interact with those actively posting content with that tag.
• Tags for Likes – This is an app available for iPhone and Android that takes the guesswork out of popular hashtags.

6. YouTube Viral Magic

Video marketing can be a lethal weapon when building an online presence. Video done right can generate audience awareness and interaction. Plus, it adds a layer of authenticity to your business.Beyond that, it can be an entry point, giving you access to a potentially untapped market. This is a market that might not read your latest blog post, but instead prefers to watch your most recent video.There are so many ways to use video within your business. You’re only limited by your own creativity.

A few ideas:

• Share your latest company news.
• Give details around a product or service release.
• Break down a popular blog post and add additional commentary around specific tips.
• Offer insight into your local market or industry, giving your viewers the chance to make an educated decision.
• Once you know your topic, it’s time to script your video with your audience in mind. Identify the most compelling angle that speaks their language. Your goal is to give them a reason to come back for more.

Jeff Sieh is a marketer brilliant in his use of video to cross-promote multiple channels. Jeff hosts "The Manly Pinterest Show," a show devoted to helping men get active on a platform that has been predominantly women based.Jeff records his show via Google Hangouts which then streams live to YouTube. He promotes this across all of his social networks, using video as his main content vehicle.

7. LinkedIn Connections

If you’re looking to grow your business through strategic partnerships, LinkedIn is the place to be. Logging into LinkedIn daily and connecting with like-minded business professionals is an effective way to raise awareness around your company, service or product.But like any other social network, building relationships on LinkedIn will take time. If you want to create better LinkedIn connections, make a point to reach out to a handful of people daily.

Here’s how:

• Go to LinkedIn contacts
• Just below your connections is an opportunity to connect with those celebrating something special. It might be a new job or a birthday. Whatever the case, it’s your chance to touch base and share in their celebration.
• Click the “say congrats” button just below their name to send a special message.

Set aside a few minutes daily to review your contacts to make meaningful connections that open the door to further communication.

Final Thoughts

No matter which tactic you decide to try within your business, it's important to continuously test the waters. Just because something works today, doesn't mean it will work tomorrow.Test, adjust and apply new and innovative strategies to your social media. It will keep your finger on the pulse of your audience, allowing you to offer what they need, when they need it.What new tactic will you try today?