Social media is about being social.
92% of people are more likely to trust a company whose CEO actively uses social media, making it nonnegotiable for executives. Creating content is how most people think of using the platforms, but community management is one of the most underrated parts of a social media strategy.
Community management involves liking and commenting with other users. Those who engage with others in their comments see a boost in the post’s engagement by:
- 30% on LinkedIn
- 21% on Instagram
- 9% on Facebook
The algorithm on each platform rewards users who don’t just post, but are an active part of the networking community. Here are three ways you can get started and boost content – for free:
Stay Consistent
Consistent activity is a major factor in experiencing a boost in engagement. LinkedIn and Meta’s algorithms are designed to identify you as a connector, and they will likely give your distributed content a boost if they notice you consistently engaging with others. Inconsistent activity is less likely to be noticed.
Our team recommends following the 1-3-5 strategy. Every week, you should make:
- One original post
- Three comments on other posts
- Five reactions
With our clients at Media Minefield, we see this lead to around a 4X increase in engagement. We encourage blocking out 15 minutes a week for each element of that strategy. It doesn’t need to be much, but that consistency will lead to better engagement.
Be Intentional
Online platforms want you to be authentic, engage with others and share your thought leadership. The easiest way to do this is to find and engage with content that resonates to you.
This should include professionals who fit your network, whether they are leaders in your industry or they align with your leadership qualities. Doing so will make it more likely that these professionals will notice your content and even engage with it, which is what social media apps are looking for.
This strategy will lead to a more personalized feed that aligns with your interests and leadership qualities. LinkedIn’s algorithm will notice this and feed your content to these people, allowing you to reach your target audience.
As you continue to do this, it will also be easier to find content that resonates with you and efficiently use your time to be active on the platform.
Spark Conversations
Social media algorithms are looking for you to spark a conversation and move the connection forward. That means substantive comments that add to the conversation, even if that means pushing back on someone’s idea. It’s okay to have a respectful back-and-forth conversation in a social media post.
This strategy can help increase your content’s reach to larger audiences in your industry. At Media Minefield, we strategically use community management to help our clients get in front of ideal business partners or clients. If you are engaging in their content with a thoughtful comment, there’s a high likelihood they will respond.
The same applies to your comments. You should like almost all positive or neutral sentiment comments on your post, and we encourage you to reply to over half of your well-intended comments, including contrarian comments.
Social media is about being social, and that’s a two-way street. Imagine being in a room with other leaders and talking loudly but not listening to anyone else. People would be more likely to tune you out and avoid networking with you.
Social media operates in the same way. You can’t be social by just posting and not engaging with others. Community management is about using the platforms as they are intended and connecting and engaging in thoughtful conversation.
Recap:
- Community management is a crucial element of social media strategy and can lead to significant boosts in engagement.
- Stay consistent by regularly engaging with content, following the 1-3-5 rule to make one post, three comments and five reactions each week.
- Be intentional and engage with others who resonate with your industry or leadership qualities, curating a feed that suits your interests.
- Spark conversations by liking comments and replying to over half of those on your posts, encouraging replies to reach wider audiences.