With the deluge of content that audiences are bombarded with these days, PR agencies must always be on the lookout for new methods for reaching out to target audiences through social media.

If you’re currently suffering a bit of a slump with the number of people viewing or interacting with your posts, follow these tips to help put you back on track.

Conduct Ask Me Anythings

Initially gaining popularity on Reddit after generating very high levels of engagement, Ask Me Anything (AMA) events have now branched across to Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

The concept is very self-explanatory. It is simply a space where the audience can ask the host any question they like. This could be a brand manager for a product, a celebrity ambassador for a charitable cause or even a CEO.

An AMA can be conducted through the live features on Instagram Story and Facebook, which offer real-time responses, or the use of custom hashtags on Twitter to generate questions before – and during – the event.

AMAs offer a refreshing change to the normal scripted brand content that audiences are more accustomed to.

Run surveys and polls

Surveys and polls are very much the current in-thing on Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter. They allow you to learn more about your followers which, in turn, enables you to post content that will resonate more with them.

Post at peak hours for maximum exposure and keep topics relevant, such as questions about a social problem a client’s initiative might provide the answer to.  While the whole world will likely stop by to vote on whether Die Hard is a Christmas film or if pineapple belongs on a pizza, make sure you’re only asking questions that you actually want the answers to.

Get visual

It may not be particularly new advice to suggest using photos within your posts, but it’s something a lot of organisations still neglect to do. Research from Sprout Social revealed that image posts are still the most popular among consumers, with 68% liking to engage with them, compared with 50% for video and 30% for text-based posts.

It’s not enough to just use any image though, so ensure that you’re incorporating the right picture into your posts by fulfilling some of the best practices for social media visuals. Ensure you have a clear subject that helps portray your message, keep it simple and resist the temptation to over-edit your images.

Position company spokespeople as thought leaders

Organisations that are able to utilise gifted spokespeople can massively enhance their social media output, as they can articulate insight and  brand values quickly and easily. They can also engage in industry commentary and debate around social issues. 

Establishing a client’s expertise and credibility is a powerful way to ensure an increase in media and customer attention.

Organise giveaways

A well-run campaign promising a giveaway will boost awareness and engagement, because who doesn’t love free stuff?

In fact, Tailwind stated that running Instagram contests and giveaways can help to grow accounts about 70% faster in three months than not running them. Posts that are focused around contests earn nearly 64 times more comments and 3.5 times more likes compared to regular posts.

Use social media management tools

Social media can be overwhelming for even the most battle-hardened user, especially when it comes to business profiles. However, with the correct tools, you can make best use of your time and achieve more with less effort.

As well as growing followers and engagement, tools such as Monday.com, Buffer, and Sendible also allow for the scheduling of posts. This can be further enhanced by creating a social calendar for consistent posting, which will also allow you to schedule holidays and particular days – i.e. International Women’s Day or a health awareness day – so you can pre-empt any relevant hashtags and further enhance the potential reach of your posts.

Many social media management tools also collate analytics and reports, to allow you to see how your output is performing and what posts generated the most engagement. By keeping tabs on what works and what doesn’t, you can use this information to adapt your strategy accordingly.

Engage with emojis

Emojis can help you say less while increasing interaction,  as you can make best use of your space and say something quickly, without losing the meaning behind your message.

Social media networks even have entire features built around them that you can take full advantage of, such as Twitter creating hashtags with emojis attached to them that show up automatically when the hashtag is used. This then allows audiences to use them as well, to join in the fun, creating more of a buzz around the hashtag and increasing the likelihood of added engagement for your content.

A study by Adobe earlier this year revealed that 76% agree that emojis are an important communication tool for creating unity, respect, and understanding of one another. Some 42% of global emoji users stated that they’d be more likely to purchase products which have been advertised using emojis.

However, it is important that you only choose relevant emojis and you fully understand their meaning to avoid any potential mishaps.

Twitter Spaces

Launched in October, Twitter Spaces allow users to meet at and contribute to conversations regarding issues that are relevant to them, making them very effective for increasing both following and engagement.

You only have to look at how last month’s #SingYourDialect movement took over Twitter to see the potential. Some 150,000 people, including Barack Obama, Nigel Farage and numerous official football team accounts, tuned into 18-year-old Jacob McLaughlin’s space to hear personalities such as KSI and England footballer Declan Rice giving their renditions of songs in their own accents.

While those levels of engagement are an anomaly, using these recordable live audio rooms will help you to build deeper connections with those participating in your conversations.

Experiment with different types of content

Facebook Live and Instagram Story offer a compelling platform for more immediate content, or even vlogs, and should certainly be employed to enhance your PR campaign. According to Sprout Social, people spend up to three times longer watching Facebook Live videos than pre-recorded content.

The only limitations with these platforms are down to your ideas of how to best make use of them. Make an announcement or share breaking news as it happens, conduct a weekly roundtable, do an Ask Me Anything with a company expert or industry specialist or even showcase your current portfolio and sell to a live audience. It’s completely up to you.

As Instagram Stories expire after 24 hours, this shorter shelf-life also allows for the testing of content that may not translate over your main feed. It pays to remember that there aren’t any definite rules about how to post on social media, as long as you stick to your brand values and overall business strategy.

Social media is a continually evolving landscape. Try something new and, if it doesn’t perform as well as you hoped, it’s still a lesson learnt regarding your audience and how they engage with you.

Curzon PR is a London-based PR firm working with clients globally. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our Business Development Team [email protected]