Published on: 12 Sep 2023

5 Ways to Engage New Customers with Your Social Media Presence

Source: depositphotos.com

While it may seem like it’s practically impossible for people to be spending more time on social media, global usage data keeps proving that assumption wrong. In fact, as of March 2022, the average daily social media usage for internet users worldwide is 147 minutes.

In 2022, the most popular social networks include Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.

Source: statista.com

If you look at these numbers, it quickly becomes evident that social media presents the perfect space to use if you wish to reach new audiences and nurture relationships with leads and existing customers. 

So, if you’re prepared to do the work, the following are the best strategies for engaging new customers with your social media presence.

Be Authentic

The essential thing you must do when trying to grab (and hold onto) the attention of your target audience is to be authentic. And unfortunately, plenty of brands are failing at this one task.

According to TINT’s 2022 State of User Generated Content report, as many as 78% of consumers feel like they can tell when a brand is advertising to them. And almost one-half (45%, to be more precise) are ready to unfollow brands that practice too much self-promotion.

So what does this mean for your social media strategy?

It’s simple, actually. The best way to engage new customers with social media is not to treat these channels as sales platforms. Instead, use them as the most effective way to interact with your audience and show them what your brand is truly about.

Bay Alarm Medical does this beautifully by basing its presence almost entirely on posts that celebrate the company’s customers. The result is a refreshing Instagram feed that doesn’t just discuss the company’s product range. More importantly, it appeals to the brand’s target audience by actively showing them that they belong in the Bay Alarm Medical community and that the brand is happy to welcome them into the family. 

Source: instagram.com

Educate

Another impactful thing you can do with your social media presence to get new customers to notice your brand is to invest in educational content.

Producing educational posts is a superb tactic for several reasons.

First and foremost, educational content converts. One study discovered that consumers are more than twice as likely to buy a product after reading an educational post about that item.

Secondly, distributing educational content can do wonders when attempting to build authority, credibility, and trust for your brand.

And finally, don’t forget that educational content provides your audience with value, making it more likely that they’ll remember your brand as a company they can rely on to solve their pain points.

Just take a look at how well SomniFix does at presenting its TikTok followers with educational posts. 

You’d think the short video format doesn’t leave much room to communicate value. But, the brand proves the contrary is true. SomniFix uses the platform to share helpful tips and tricks with its audience, helping potential buyers learn more about the importance of nose breathing and shortening the time it takes for them to go from the awareness stage of the sales funnel to a conversion.

Source: tiktok.com

Inspire

Did you know that 27.7% of internet users use social media to find inspiration for things to do and buy? That’s right, most of today’s online audiences are searching for inspiration. 

And further research shows that people expect brands to deliver that dose of inspiration they want. A recent study discovered that as many as 72% of consumers want brands to be inspirational. And yet, most businesses fail to do this, as only 53% of internet users experience brand inspiration.

So, how can you use your social media presence to bridge that inspiration gap and engage new customers? Well, it depends on your industry, niche, target audience, and brand personality.

For example, you could do something similar to KURU Footwear and use YouTube to distribute a variety of short-form and long-form content that calls your audience to action. This brand, in particular, encourages people to enjoy movement regardless of age, fitness level, or favorite outdoor activities.

KURU BRAND – Unleashing the joy of movement for all!

Source: youtube.com

Or, you could go with something similar to Manili Suites & Villas and use visuals and CTAs to invite your followers to enjoy life (and your products) to the fullest.

Source: facebook.com

Finally, if neither of these approaches to inspiring your customers seems like the right choice, why not choose an alternative social network to inspire your audience? 

Fire Pit Surplus, for example, chose to conduct a significant portion of its social media marketing on Pinterest — the network users are bound to come looking for visuals to inspire their backyard renovation. Pinterest naturally lends itself to showing off the brand’s products organically and engagingly.

Source: pinterest.com

Entertain

Since the early 80s, scientists have been trying to figure out why humor works so well in advertising. 

Along the way, they’ve found that humorous ads improve brand perception, are more memorable, appeal to consumers’ emotion-driven decision-making processes, and are an excellent strategy for standing out from the competition.

You’re probably well-aware of companies that have successfully employed entertaining content to stand out. The Dollar Shave Club is a fantastic example of a brand running self-aware, funnily scripted campaigns to attract new users.

DollarShaveClub.com – Our Blades Are F***ing Great

Source: youtube.com

But here’s the secret about utilizing humor in your social media marketing campaigns: there’s no single way to do it. 

So, if producing expensive long-form videos is not your thing (or simply exceeds your budget constraints), you can still find ways to be funny on social media and get people to like you.

Just check out how well Wendy’s does it on Twitter, where it posts funny one-liner jokes, interacts with customers and its competition, and creates memes that its audience is 100% sure to relate to.

Source: twitter.com

A word of caution about using humor on social media: While making jokes is a great way to engage customers, ensure that you stay away from insensitive ones. After all, there’s no more efficient way to drive your potential buyers away than to joke about matters they do not find funny.

Stay on Trend

Finally, as you look for strategies that will allow you to engage new customers with your online presence, don’t forget that the world of social media is moving at a rapid pace. 

What’s hot today will be yesterday’s news tomorrow. So do your absolute best to keep up with trends and carefully choose which ones to follow.

Stay on top of current topics, monitor your followers’ response to your posts, and adjust your social strategy based on KPIs like reach, impressions, engagement, number of followers, and website traffic acquired through your social media profiles.

Of course, if addressing current topics is not your thing, understand that you don’t have to sacrifice trendiness. There’s more to engaging your audience than using popular hashtags or making viral TikToks.

For example, you can ensure your brand’s relevance online by being present on the right platforms — TikTok is showing continual growth. Or, you can do it by choosing the formats that appeal to your audience — short-form video is very popular with social media users right now.

Final Thoughts

As you start taking a deeper dive into your social media presence with the goal of engaging new customers, don’t forget that, just like with any marketing strategy, there are some ground rules you have to follow.

First and foremost, always stay true to your brand’s identity. Don’t try to use social to paint a misleading picture of your organization, as it’s only bound to backfire.

Secondly, be diligent about keeping an eye on analytical data, which will inform you about the effectiveness of your approach.

And finally, don’t fall into the trap that a social media presence is enough to drive business growth. True, it can be of great help — especially as you’re trying to build relationships with your audience. But, remember that a beautifully designed and functional website, coupled with well-thought-out SEO and content marketing strategies, will be just as (if not more) important as building an entertaining presence on socials.