The simple science of Facebook engagement.

Was doing a consultation this morning with a new client who couldn’t understand why his footprint socially wasn’t growing by all the care and feeding he felt he was giving the company’s platforms. He said he carried on a great conversation about the company on Facebook, their brand socially, but when I asked how he engages as his page, and if it was a part of his daily strategy, he responded,  "I don't like or comment on people's post, if they never like or comment on my post.”  

Well now…I think we can figure out this mystery as to why he struggles with engagement numbers.

That digital marketing strategy doesn't build your personal brand at all. In fact, that's a brutal way to go at social media, branding or life in general. Dale Carnegie said it very well, "You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get them interested in you."

Social strategy should be crafted with the notion of how YOU enjoy engaging with your own friends. Do you really want to keep having lunch with the friend who monopolizes every conversation and brings everything right back to themselves? “Yes, that’s interesting but back to me” type of social strategy is an engagement killer. What you think is a somewhat benign comment to a page of someone in your community where you do business, or other user creates a connection, and that energy of positivity I believe flows your way. You get what you put out. No one would be engaging with any of my clients socially and less people would support causes that they care about, if they did the same thing, talked only about themselves, and used social only to push that “Me..Me..Me..” idea. We truly rise by lifting others and people remember who helped them as much as they remember who didn't. Make your social strategy healthy and reciprocal by liking, commenting, and sharing, when you see something you truly like, or want to support. Set aside 10 minutes each day, just engaging as your business page.  Engagement starts with you engaging with others in a way that solicits a response. I could make a million posts about great causes and great ideas all day long, but there would be no response, if I wasn't really engaging. More people will follow your business or help raise awareness for your nonprofit if you help more people. If your social strategy is all about using your page as a broadcast system, you and your brand are going to end up pretty lonely. Give it a go and #EngageAsThePage.