How to get more engagement on Twitter and FacebookYou probably know that to get the best results on Social Media, you need to engage your audience. It isn’t about simply broadcasting – even if you are posting valuable information. People will only work with people whom they know, like, and trust – and they get to know, like, and trust you through interactions, conversations, and meaningful social media engagement.

If you share the right content AND effectively engage the right people, you will increase your online visibility, impact, and influence.

So how do you engage your audience? Here are 3 tips for effective social media engagement:

  1. Keep your posts short.
    Of course, on Twitter, you need to keep your posts under 140 characters, but if you make them even shorter, you allow people to re-tweet you. Keeping them really short will encourage people to add a response while re-tweeting you, keeping the conversation going.On Facebook, a recent study showed that posts 80 characters or less in length have 27% higher social media engagement rates.
  2. Ask questions.
    Questions encourage engagement. Ask for opinions. Ask your connections to share personal stories that relate to your main subject of expertise. Ask a silly question once in a while.Don’t stick your question at the beginning or middle of your post. Posts that END with a question have a 15% higher social media engagement rate.Start your questions with Where, When, Would, or Should. These question words require short, quick responses, so they are answered most often. (“Why” questions have low engagement rates. Why? I don’t feel like answering.)
  3. Use photos and videos in your posts.
    Photos and videos show up more in News Feeds, so you’ll get more visibility. People love to comment on photos and click on videos. Post photos of your latest work, upcoming projects, your office. Encourage your fans and connections to post their pictures on your wall, as well.

Engagement is crucial for building your reputation as an expert, spreading your knowledge to more ideal prospects, and allowing your audience to get to know you, like you, and trust you.

So now you know the Rules of Social Media Engagement!