Building Relationships and Increasing Engagement with Your Audience
While gaining new followers is a great way to build up your account, retaining them is what allows you as an influencer to reap a majority of benefits they provide. Here are a few tips and tricks to get you on the path to growing your account and engagement, through the power of relationships.
Trust
One of the most important, yet hardest steps to building a meaningful relationship with your followers is gaining their trust. This can be achieved by demonstrating transparency within your content and communication. Start by making regular efforts to provide honest insight into the products and businesses you are promoting. If it is something you really love and continue to promote, your audience will start to see how passionate you are about that product or business, and trust your recommendation.
Ask
When sharing a new post, product, or service, ask your followers for their take on it. This will allow them to feel more connected to you, and it will also give you insight on what they are thinking when you promote a brand or product. After some time, this feedback on your followers’ wants and needs could also lead to inspiration on different ways to document partnerships in your content.
Respond
This goes without saying, but when your followers ask questions, write their own reviews on your post of a product you promoted, or simply comment on your content, respond to them. It will not only make your followers feel seen and heard, but it will show others that you value their opinions and always take the time to respond and engage. These small actions are great ways to show your followers you care, increase engagement, and create an advantage against others in the space who focus on the same content, but don’t engage as much.
Appreciate
Another way to further build relationships and increase engagement is to show your appreciation for your followers and how much they mean to you. There are numerous ways to do this, but one popular way is hosting a giveaway. Put together a gift basket, express your thanks to everyone, and choose one lucky follower to receive the giveaway goodies.
Personalize
Personalization is a great opportunity to bolster relationships. Whether you start to personalize names on newsletters or simply write a handwritten note (this would be great to go with your giveaway goodies!), it all comes down to the saying, “it’s the thought that counts.”
Think about the way you have been building relationships and engaging on your platform. Is it working? We would love to know what other suggestions you have that can help others increase their engagement and build stronger relationships with their audience.