Getting your social media followers to engage with your content when you’re a tech company can be a lot like trying to get middle-school students to like math. What your content is providing them can be incredibly necessary but, especially when it comes to B2B focused content, the granular nature of the information you’re sharing can be dense and boring. Not every tech company can be selling sleek-looking electric cars or a sexy new phone app.
So how do you catch—and keep—your audience’s interest if you’re selling refurbished network switches instead of Teslas? By using these messaging techniques, you can create social media content that is both educational and entertaining.
Ask Questions
The most straightforward way to engage your audience is to address them directly. If you were, for example, sharing a blog post that debates the pros and cons of two different types of data storage, the main body of your post can be followed up with a simple “which method do you prefer and why? Let us know in the comments below.” By inviting them to join the conversation, you are openly encouraging them to think of your social media content as an interactive medium.
Give it a Face
No, this doesn’t mean “use emojis.” (Though if your audience responds to that, more power to you.) Giving your content a face means attaching a real person to the story of your content. This is humanizing content that focuses on a person instead of things or abstract concepts. For example, you could share a customer success story that demonstrates how they benefited from interacting with your company. You could even follow one of your employees for a day to let your audience connect with the people behind the brand. Customers connect with people, not logos.
Lead With the Benefits
Write content that gets to the point: what does your product or service do for the customer?What does your product or service allow them to do that they couldn’t before? Sometimes known as a “concept sell,” this approach engages your audience because it appeals to their desire for an improved life. If you try to sell refurbished network switches on their merits, they aren’t as powerful or shiny as brand new equipment. But if you sell the concept of how much extra money they’d have to do other things if they bought their equipment refurbished instead of brand new? That’s something that will catch their attention.
Use Your CTA
At Infinity, we have a bit of a test for telling if a piece of content is ready for publication or needs more editing. We check that each piece of content addresses three points: here’s what I have, here’s what it does for you, and this is what you do next. That last point is what’s known as a call to action, or CTA. It’s the part of your post or tweet that reads something like “read our blog” or “download our new white paper.” The CTA literally tells your audience what they should do after reading your post.
If you want them to engage with you, use the CTA to direct them toward engagement. CTAs like “follow us to stay up to date,” “share with your friends” etc. will direct your audience to complete that task. Sure, some may still ignore the call-to-action, but it will still put the idea of following, sharing or commenting in their mind—and bringing that possibility into focus will be enough to motivate new engagement.
