There’s no doubt that social media is a vital part of your business, for both you and your distributors. However, as you’re no doubt aware, not all social media posts are created equal. That’s because each social media platform uses their own algorithm to determine that users get to see more of what they actually want to see (at least, in theory). From a user perspective, this can be extremely frustrating, as there’s a good chance that a huge portion of your audience will never actually see your content.
Luckily, there are ways to use those algorithms to your advantage. For instance, we know that many social media platforms heavily favor organic engagement—that is, when your followers comment on/like/share content that hasn’t been promoted or sponsored. The more engagement you get with a social media post, the more people are likely to see it, which in turn can expand your reach for future posts. That’s because if someone reacts to a post, they’re more likely to see content from the poster in the future.
So, how do you ensure you’re producing content that warrants engagement? One easy way is to remember a key social principle: People love to talk about themselves, and they love to answer questions. For that reason, we’re big proponents of the social media conversation starter.
How does it work? It’s simple: just ask your followers a question and wait for their response. For example…
What was the last book you read and how did you feel about it?
If you won a million dollars, what would you do with it?
What’s your dream vacation spot?
What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever done?
Easy, right? If you’re ready to start utilizing conversation starters in your social media strategy, here are a few tips to keep in mind:
- Keep your questions on brand. That doesn’t necessarily mean that they have to be all about your business—in fact, you should avoid that as much as possible (see below). It simply means to only ask questions that sound authentic and maintain the values you try to display online.
- Keep it generic. Don’t ask questions that are obviously geared toward your business. Remember that the point of this exercise is to broaden your social reach (and possibly attract new followers), not to market your products or opportunity. If you try to turn conversation starter posts into incessant marketing pitches, your engagement rates will likely be significantly lower.
- Mix it up. By varying your conversation starters from meaningful and relevant to silly and lighthearted, you’re opening the door a wider audience.
- Don’t be afraid to illustrate. Accompanying your post with a relevant meme, photo or video is a great way to draw people in and get the conversation flowing.
Remember, your end goal with social media should always be to build authentic, lasting relationships—if you accomplish that, your sales will come naturally!