Engage your fans through Social media

The rise of social media has changed the way people process information. They want to be more engaged and become a part of social conversation. Your organization’s fan and supporters expect to hear your ‘voice’. Consider your experience as a student in the college listening to the professor talking for two hours in a lecture hall full of students. You can also recall your experience working in a smaller group discussing various topics with your co-learners. I am sure the smaller class which gave you an opportunity to actively engaged in talking, thinking and discussing must have been more fruitful. It is very obvious that people learn when they are engaged and feel connected with each other.

Social media can foster a better dialogue between your organization and your followers and between your followers and one another. Writing and commenting on your own post/article is an effective way to engage readers. An organization must create and develop conversation with its followers to build a stronger relationship. A few thoughtful comments can certainly go a long way. Comments are a great way to build relationships and advance discussions. Comments can offer valuable information/ opinion thus, naturally encourage traffic to your site/blog.

Once your organization posts something on any social media platform, ask readers to leave a comment or share their ideas/views to get the conversation started. It may take some time to foster an online social community. It takes commitment and focus to connect with people. In case you don’t receive a comment for a while ask people within the organization to start the conversation.

There are few things to keep in mind while engaging your followers:

• Respond to as many comments as you reasonably can because there may be many recurring questions or reactions.  . 

• Don’t be robotic or mechanical! Comment should add to the conversation and expand the narrative.

• Leave a thoughtful and insightful comment.

• Don’t forget to mention your name, email address, and link.

• Welcome divergent opinions. People might not agree with you or lead to different conclusion.

• Never add any negative comment. Carefully regulate your  ‘speech’ making sure it meets the legal guidelines.