Making your social channel a lively and vibrant community, isn't such an easy task. It’s great you read best practices from other brands, but just copying these is not enough to stand out from your competition.

Doing good on social media won’t be enough to grow your audience and level of engagement. Let me put it his way: if you play by the rules, ROI won't be the logical next step.

Not to worry though: we give you 5 powerful ways to boost your social media presence. They will guide you to find your own 'social media flow'.

1. Provoke engagement

Social media requires a brand to be social. Using it as your megaphone for one-way communication won't work. If you want to keep your audience interested, fill your feed with a mix of different content and include interactivity on a continuous base. Examples like caption contests, surveys and questions will improve social engagement.

“My brand operates in a serious/boring industry” is not an excuse. Even insurance companies can find ways to engage with their audience.

2. Be human (so is your audience!)

Consumers join social media to follow people, not brands. That is why you should give your social media channels a personal touch. This will make your brand much more authentic.

In an age where consumer empowerment is is all the rage, your real identity is only a Google search away. So it’s definitely not a good idea to pretend to be something you’re not.

Brands tend to underestimate the value of being human, while the power of social media lies in being close to your audience.

3. Don't be afraid to add some 'fun'

Running a company is always serious business, but this should not necessarily be reflected in your social media channels. Social media offers you the perfect opportunity to add a 'fun factor' to your business, no matter what industry you're in.

Being witty helps you connect with the community, and can make people fall in love even with the most unsexy brands.

4. Support charities people care about

Brands are important cultural influencers. The devastating event on the Philippines proves it again: social media is the perfect channel to support a good cause. Show support for what consumers care about, without focussing too much on your own brand.

Merely encouraging sales on your social channels is a big no-go! Try connecting with your audience in an emotional way and take a break from promoting your own brand every now and then.

Showing your audience you truly care about something, is also a good way to nourish customer engagement.

5. Get out of your comfort zone

One final way of boosting customer engagement is by stepping out of your comfort zone. Explore new ideas and new territory people wouldn’t normally associate with your company. This will definitely give people something to talk about!

Source: http://socialmediatoday.com