During the last month of the coronavirus crisis, we’ve seen how nearly every kind of organization, business and ministry has had to alter some part of their communication strategies not only to accommodate precautions and guidelines out of their control but to continue to facilitate outreach and connection effectively. When sudden and drastic shifts hit the market such as COVID-19, the pressure to stay connected with one’s audience over the external noise can quickly mount.
Today, we’re discussing three proven methods to effectively re-engage with your audience when the conventional means of communication outreach are feeling stale.
Incorporate Live Video
“Going live,” whether on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or TikTok, is an excellent means of inviting your audience to engage. However, ensure that all live streams somehow serve viewers, perhaps by answering their common questions, providing a relevant update, or, especially in times like these, switching gears to make the audience laugh or lighten up. Live streams are a time to get more personal with your audience, allowing them to send in questions and comments to which you can react while recording.
Many influencers and corporations make live streams part of their regular engagement. Ministry leader Autumn Miles for instance continually connects to her viewers by hosting live streams on her Facebook page. As a result, her audience has grown to anticipate those unique times of connecting and engaging personally with her.
Incorporating live video, and most importantly, having fun with it, is sure to resonate with your audience in a fresh way.
2. Ask for Feedback
One of the best ways to intrigue somebody is to ask them questions, especially questions that are targeted toward learning about their opinions and preferences. Why not apply this principle to your communication outreach?
Although surveys are an effective means of getting feedback, it is not the only available method for engaging one’s audience. Several social mediums contain interactive features like polls and Q&As that encourage engagement. Giveaways are another great means for incorporating audience interaction. Instead of simply giving away a prize, find a fun way to have audiences enter for the giveaway, such as through having them play a trivia game. Additions such as surveys and giveaways that do not merely include the audience but allow them to benefit from participating personally are popular methods of communication and engagement.
3. Show More of Your Personality
Studies show that today’s consumers highly value a company’s authenticity and values, and are more likely to engage with and follow brands that transparently share their personality.
Some effective means to display more of your voice, in addition to going live on social media and asking for feedback, are to show your brand personality in social posts and advertising. To do this, consider sharing “get-to-know” content that introduces employees to the audience. Share photos of company events and birthday parties. Allow yourself to be occasionally silly online, to share a joke or to get more serious if that is more reflective of the company personality.
A great way to begin in being more authentic with your audience is to identify which individuals and brands you enjoy following and find inspiration through the ways they connect with their consumers. This can also be an excellent branding exercise to help you determine and define your unique brand voice.
Because communication is as much of an art as it is a science, there are always ways to personalize and upgrade one’s communication outreach strategies. It’s highly advisable to explore and experiment with different methods of engaging your audience, and these three steps are simple yet effective ways to get started.