What is all the chatter about social media and engagement?

The days of bashing people over the head with a hard sales message are over. The internet has put megaphone marketing out to pasture and social media has made communication a two-way process. With this new dawn of interaction – the ability for people to talk back – comes engagement.

When a company pays attention to their clients and customers, they are engaged in a conversation. By providing relevant, insightful information, they become a trusted source of knowledge, so when the time comes to buy, customers instinctively go to them.

Delivering rich, interesting content that connects with your audience has a range of benefits. For a start, if people engage and respond positively they will promote on your behalf. And if you find out what your customers want, you can develop products that will pretty much sell themselves.

Having a conversation can also help improve the way people view your brand. Proctor and Gamble engage with women through Vocalpoint to find out what mums are interested in, so they can learn about their audience and promote to them in the hope they’ll tell everyone in their network.

Blogs, social bookmarking, reviews and ratings, and photo and video are excellent ways to reach out and engage with your audience. It’s important to plan your campaign and decide which channels are right to reach your audience. And don’t think you have to use every available social media tool; you don’t. The trick is to try and see what works for you, and adapt your strategy accordingly.

For a relatively small financial investment, you can easily engage with your clients and customers. Start a conversation. You might be surprised by how well people respond.