By Simone Cormack
Whether you run a personal blog or a website for a business, there is no doubt that social media is vital to its success. Social media platforms allow you to interact with your customers in a way that was previously unheard of, and this includes the ability to ask questions. Having an engaged social media audience can help take your business to the next level by promoting products and services, and expanding your customer base.
Here are seven strategies to consider when asking questions to engage your social media audience.
1. Ask for Advice
Everyone likes to feel that their opinion matters and this is no different on social media. When you are creating posts on social media, occasionally ask for tips that may better the services or products that you offer. You may be surprised at the constructive ideas that come from your audience. In the end, these tips can serve as a starting point for future endeavors and they will help you decide which paths should be taken.
2. Use Surveys
There are few ways to get critical feedback in a manner that is as easy to analyze as that of a survey. To implement a survey, come up with a list of questions about your services and ask your audience to answer them honestly. Not only will this show the audience that you value their opinion, but it will show if there are any areas of your business that need addressing.
3. Have the Audience Fill in the Blank
A fill-in-the-blank question may seem very simple, but it can help gather a lot of valuable information. Consider posting fill-in-the-blank questions that relate to the services that you are promoting, and keep in mind that they do not have to be too specific. As these small pieces of information add up, they can go a long way in showing the tendencies of users.
4. Time Posts Around Popular Events
It is no secret that relating to your audience is very important in social media. One way to do this is by timing posts around popular events, such as holidays or sports events. For instance, when Halloween is getting near, post a message regarding “staying safe while trick-or-treating.” This will show the audience that behind the façade of social media there is a level of human emotion and this could help to gain followers.
5. Pose a Factual Question
Asking factual questions can help keep your audience engaged, while at the same time teaching them valuable pieces of information that they can pass on to others. In fact, many food service corporations use this tactic by printing quick facts and questions on food wrappers and drinking cup lids, and these same techniques can be applied using social media.
6. Ask for Opinions
As mentioned, asking for tips can be a sure way to keep your audience engaged, and similarly, getting their opinions about changes that you are considering can make users feel like they are valued. It is important to remember that your audience are the ones that are using your service and they may be able to provide valuable insight on questions you may have.
7. Stick with a Simple Yes or No
Asking yes or no questions will give your audience a chance to interact with minimal effort. Instead of having users type out multiple sentences or answer a bunch of questions, which can turn off some of them, a yes or no question can be answered in a split second. And while a yes or no answer may be very simple it can provide a lot of information about the preferences of your customers.
Posting questions on your social media account is one of the best ways to keep your audience engaged. As it has been shown, there is an array of different question types that can be used when trying to keep users engaged, and many of these questions will also help to provide valuable insight regarding the products or services that you offer. Furthermore, asking questions is a way of showing that the opinions of the audience are important. When you are interacting with your social media audience consider these question strategies and you are sure to keep your users engaged.