Build Your Online Audience

Would you love to know how to grow your email subscribers list from zero to 1k? That's what Catherine Gladwyn Author and Virtual Assistant did in just eighteen months.

In my latest podcast she explains why she needed to quickly create an email list and how she grew it from standing start. She shares practical tips and tactics about how she grew her list about what worked and what didn't and how you can grow your email newsletter list.

She explains how understanding your client or customers emotions and pain points can help you when planning what lead magnets and content to create. Plus why it's important to create content for each of your different audiences and why having engaging conversations will keep them on your email list.

{Click on the player above to listen to the podcast episode and/or read on for a detailed overview. Scroll down to the bottom to read the show notes including all the links mentioned in this episode.}

Podcast shownotes

• About Catherine Gladwyn's and why she set up her business (2:26)
• Why Catherine had to quickly create an email newsletter list rather than rely on on social media (4:53)
• How Catherine got people to sign up to her email newsletter list (7:03 )
• How Catherine used lead magnets to get people to sign up to her email newsletter list (09:23)
• How to use Mailchimp to segment and tag your email newsletter list (10:53)
• How Catherine created her lead magnets and why sometimes it's trial and error (13:00)
• Catherine's tips for creating a simple landing page and lead magnet (17:19)
• How to create a sign up form in Mailchimp to use on your website (23:06)
• Different strategies Catherine has used to get people to sign up to her email newsletter list (26:14)
• How to create a successful lead magnet by tapping into the pain points of your clients or customers (31:31)
• Dealing with people unsubscribing from your email list (and why you shouldn't take it personally) (35:00)

Resources

Catherine's website Delegate VA

Catherines Book How to be a VA

Connect with Catherine on LinkedIn Facebook

Follow Catherine on YouTube

Mailchimp

[333] 39 Surprisingly easy ways to increase your email subscribers (podcast) [335] How to create a high converting lead magnet (podcast) [343] The three audiences you must build to create a profitable online business (podcast) [359] How to create an email newsletter people look forward to opening (podcast) [360] How to get people to open your emails (podcast) [372] How to build an engaged online audience (podcast) [373] How to get more followers on any social media platform (podcast) [374] How to create a year's worth of content in one morning (podcast)

How to get the most out of your Social Media Diary & Planner (blog)

How to create a high-converting lead magnet course

Join the Media Diary Owners Club

Preorder your 2020 Media Diary here

Buy my book Your press release is breaking my heart

Build Your Audience Programme

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Social Media Video Engagement Playbook

Social Media Engagement Playbook

LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook

Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn

Would you love to know how to plan a year's worth of content for your business in just a few hours?

In this podcast episode, I explain how to create a year long content plan for your business.

I show you how to breaking your planning down into manageable steps: annual, quarterly, monthly, weekly and daily. PLUS how you can use awareness days and key dates to generate content ideas for your business. And how to make time for content planning - all year round.

{Click on the player above to listen to the podcast episode and/or read on for a detailed overview. Scroll down to the bottom to read the show notes including all the links mentioned in this episode.} Step 1: Schedule time for content planning

Set aside some dedicated time to create your content plan. If you can, take yourself away from your usual place of work. Find a cafe you like to work in – a quiet hotel lobby - anywhere where you can focus on this task, uninterrupted. You'll be much more productive and creative this way.

Step 2: Create your annual content plan

It can be helpful to approach your content like a videographer. Start with 'wide shot' of your business i.e. what's happening across the year. Then gradually zoom closer, until you're focusing on quarterly, weekly and daily content.

So let's start with that 'wide shot' of your year. Think about the key things that are happening in your business in each quarter of the year. When will you be launching new products/services? Are you doing any speaking? Will you be attending any industry events? List at least three key things for each quarter.

Next, write down a few key dates/awareness days that are relevant to your business. For example, if you have a pet business, you might want to create some timely content around Crufts dog show in March. If you design clothes or accessories, you could create some content around London Fashion Week in January. And if you run a food business, you might plan some content around National Doughnut day in June.

My 2020 Social Media Diary & Planner has tons to help you get started.

If you struggle with this task because you don't know what you'll be doing at each stage of the year, you don't have a content problem, you have a business problem. Which means you may need to take a few steps back and do some business planning first.

You may also find yourself thinking 'but what if my plans change during the year?'

Just because you write something down doesn't mean you have to do it. Things may change in your business during the year and that's fine. But it's much less time consuming to tweak a plan you've already worked on than to start from scratch. So just apply your best thinking right now.

Step 3: Create your quarterly content plan

Once you've created your annual content plan, you can zoom in a little closer and start your quarterly content planning.

I 'd suggest you create one key piece of content a week, whether it's a blog/vlog, podcast, Facebook Live or infographic and repurpose it into multiple pieces of content.

This means you only need to come up with a list of 12 ideas for each quarter - ideas that complement the key business activities and dates you've already identified in your annual content plan. Simple when you put it like that, right?

If you need some inspiration, make two lists. On the first list, write down the ten most common questions you get asked by your ideal customers/clients. On the second list, write down ten common questions people ask about your product/service.

That's a list of content ideas right there.

For example, my prospective customers often ask me questions like this about content planning.

• Why do I need a content plan?
• How often should I be publishing new content?
• What kind of content should I be creating for my business?
• What are the biggest mistakes people make with content planning?
• How far ahead should I be planning my content?
• How flexible should I be with my content planning? Is there any room for spontaneity?

There's six content ideas right there.

They also ask me quite specific questions about the 2020 Social Media Diary & Planner:

• What are the benefits of buying the 2020 Social Media Diary & Planner?
• What's the difference between the 2020 Social Media Diary & Planner and the Media Diary Owners' Club?
• Can I see inside the 2020 Social Media Diary & Planner?
• Will the media diary help me if I have a product-based business?
• Is the 2020 Media Diary suitable for business owners based outside the UK?
• I bought last year's Social Media Diary & Planner but I didn't use it. Should I buy it again?

There's another six content ideas - some of which I've already turned into blog posts.

If it feels daunting to plan out a whole year's worth of content in one go, I'd recommend planning one quarter at a time. To make sure this actually happens, block out time in your diary for three further quarterly planning sessions across the year.

Step 4: Create your weekly content plan

With your quarterly plan complete, you can zoom in a little closer and create a weekly content plan for your business.

If you're creating one key piece of content a week (which is what I recommend), think about how you might repurpose that content to create smaller pieces of content that can be published across the week.

For example, you could record a video, strip out the audio and turn it into a podcast. You could use a resource like rev.com to generate a transcript and turn that into a blog post. Then you could pull out some soundbites from the transcript and turn them into infographics for social media (using a graphic design tool like Canva), audio trailers (using a resource like Headliner)and video trailer (using a tool like Kapwing). If you focus on making that cornerstone piece of content work as hard for you as possible (by repurposing it in different ways), you'll soon have enough content for every day of the week.

And don't be afraid to post your content more than once. People are busy and may not see it the first time round (or even the third, fourth or fifth).

Step 5: Create your daily plan

Next map out what you're going to publish on which platform on what day.

I'd suggest doing this a week or two ahead and scheduling a regular - and non-negotiable - time for weekly planning on your diary. That way, you're far less likely to skip a week.

Don't be afraid to repeat the same content on different platforms. Not everyone will see what you post. You may just need to tweak it slightly to suit.

Podcast shownotes

• How to focus on planning your content and why you should find a different workspace to do it (3:30)
• How to create a quarterly overview and plan your content based on your key business activities (4:56)
• Why you might need to rethink your business if you don't know what your key services or products will be this time next year (8:15)
• How to map out key activities and awareness days for each quarter for the year ahead (10:01)
• How to plan your quarterly content and why you should put dates in your diary for future quarterly planning (12:25)
• How to plan and create the content that you are going to write about based on the questions that your customers ask you (13:25)
• Why you should produce one key piece of content that adds value every week (and how to repurpose it) (17:36)
• How to create content if you are a product based business (20:16)
• How to map out your weekly content plan from your quarterly content plan (22:56)
• How to create your daily content plan and tie in your key dates and awareness dates (23:37)
• How to make your content planning a habit (25:48)
• How to be creative with awareness days and make them relate to your business (26:47)

Resources

[372] How to build an engaged online audience (podcast) [373] How to get more followers on any social media platform (podcast) How to create an editorial calendar for your marketing strategy (blog) Create 52 weeks of content with the 2020 Social Media Diary & Planner (blog) How to get the most out of your Social Media Diary & Planner (blog)

Join the Media Diary Owners Club

Preorder your 2020 Media Diary here

Buy my book Your press release is breaking my heart

Build Your Audience Programme

Buy your ticket for Build Your Audience Live

Rev.com*

Kapwing

Social Media Video Engagement Playbook

Social Media Engagement Playbook

LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook

Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn

Want to sell more of your products or services online? Getting more of your ideal customers/clients to follow you on social media can help - a lot.

But how do you increase your social media followers? Do you need to use different strategies for different social media platforms e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram? And how long does it take to grow your following on a particular platform?

That's exactly what I cover in this podcast episode.

{Click on the player above to listen to the podcast episode and/or read on for a detailed overview. Scroll down to the bottom to read the show notes including all the links mentioned in this episode.}

1.Share compelling content

Think about the people you follow on social media. The people whose posts always seem to pop up in your Facebook or Instagram feed. The accounts you actively check out to see what they've been posting lately.

You don't follow them because they post boring updates about their products/services. You follow them because they inspire, entertain or even challenge your thinking. In other words, they make you FEEL something.

Now think about your own account. Are you posting compelling content that makes people feel something? Or are you putting out posts so you can tick social media off your to-do list. If you're posting dull updates about your products/services, whimsical reflections about what you did at the weekend and/or 'must do' tips no one ever comments on, why would anyone want to follow you?

If you're not getting much engagement on your content - amongst the followers you already have - that's a sign you need to change something.

After all, if you can't get the people who already know, like and trust you to comment on your content, why would anyone new want to follow you?

For an example of someone who is publishing excellent social media content that inspires people to follow her, check out copywriter Jo Watson on LinkedIn.

Want to get more engagement on your social media posts? Check out my social media engagement playbook.

2. Don't follow the rules

If you're trying to build your following on a particular platform, don't feel like you have to do what everyone else is doing. In fact, sharing content that challenges the 'norm' can be a great way to stand out.

For example, Baggage Reclaim founder Natalie Lue's following on Instagram only really took off when she stopped worrying about 'posting pretty pictures' and starting posting hard-hitting quotes from her blog and podcast. As Instagram is a visual platform, this was a brave move on Natalie's part - but doing the opposite of what everyone else was doing - and doing it consistently - is what helped her reach her first 10k followers.

3. Spend more time on other peoples' accounts than on your own

What's the first thing you do when someone new comments on one of your posts - a name you don't recognise? You go and check out their profile of course. And that's exactly what other people do when you comment on their content. They just can't help but check you out.

This is why something as simple as making a list of your ideal customers/clients and committing to spending half an hour a day commenting on their content can be so effective.

Alternatively (or additionally) you can use the Gary Vee $1.80 strategy.

• Step one. Find the 10 most relevant hashtags in your niche and follow those hashtags
• Step two. Reach out and comment on the top nine posts in each of the 10 hashtags
• Step three. Continue to like and comment on posts each day

The $1.80 strategy gets its name because you're giving your two cents on nine posts for 10 hashtags every day. If you add that up, it equals $1.80 per day.

4. Use hashtags on all your posts

As Chris Taylor explains in how to grow your Instagram following to 27k - fast, hashtags are like the index in the back of a non-fiction book. People search hashtags to find content on the most relevant topics to them - just like they would if they were looking something up in a non-fiction book.

While expert opinion varies, current advice commonly suggests that using up to 30 hashtags on Instagram (which is the maximum), three on LinkedIn, two on Facebook and two on Twitter is the optimum number.

You could even create your own hashtag and awareness day like dog photographer Kerry Jordan did. This helped her go viral on Twitter.

5. Cross-promotion

Running joint competitions can be a great way to get more followers. For example, dog photographer Kerry Jordan hosted a joint competition with Quirky Campers founder Lyndsey Berresford and added 1.5.k new email subscribers, along with tons of new social media followers, to her audience.

6. Collaboration

Creating content for or collaborating with other business owners e.g. guest blogging, podcast interviews, Facebook Lives, Instagram takeoevers can be a great way of getting in front of other peoples' audiences. This will help you grow your social media following.

Be smart about who you collaborate with though. It's best to target people with a similar or slightly larger audience than your own - ideally those who have a similar audience to you, but serve them in a different way. That way, there won't be a conflict of interest.

If you do want to target the big hitters in your niche, think carefully about how you can add value to them. If they've already built a large online audience, they probably don't need to get in front of your audience, so why would they want to collaborate with you? So before you ask, think carefully about what's in it for them. If your 'pitch' is all about you - and what you hope to gain from the collaboration - they're far less likely to say 'yes.

7.Secure press coverage

Getting press coverage can be a great way to increase your online following. For example, Baggage Reclaim founder Natalie Lue gained 2k followers after she was featured in Cosmopolitan magazine recently.

However, stories like this tend to be the exception rather than the rule. While it's rare to get thousands of followers from a single magazine article or radio/TV appearance, over time, regular press coverage will help you grow your following.

Find out: how to get press coverage for your business.

8.Work with bloggers/influencers

Asking bloggers/influencers to promote your products/services can be a great way to grow your following. Ideally they need to have a larger audience than your own. But they don't need to have a massive audience for this to be effective. This can either be done on a paid basis or in exchange for free products/services.

Find out more about working with bloggers/influencers.

9. Speak at live events

Every time you stand up and speak in a room of your ideal customers/clients, you will attract new social media followers. So if you don't mind public speaking, why not give it a go?

Find out how to land more speaking opportunities.

10. Post the links to your social media channels everywhere

The more places you post the link to your social media profiles, the easier it will be for people to follow you. So make sure they're on your email signature, website, any landing pages you create...and basically anywhere you show up online.

Podcast shownotes

• Why you need to post engaging content that makes people feel something (2:48)
• How to get followers by posting memorable, inspiring content (7:08)
• Why your social media bio needs to be compelling and understandable (10:44)
• Why you should break the 'rules' of the platform and post your own original content (11:35)
• Why you should spend time on other peoples' social media accounts (19:59)
• Hashtag strategies you can use to increase engagement and followers (25:05)
• How to grow your followers by collaborating with other social media accounts (28:50)
• How to use press coverage to get more followers (but it needs to be consistent coverage) (33:30)
• How to work with influencers that have a bigger audience to reach new followers (37:34)
• How speaking opportunities can help grow your social media following (40:11)
• Where to put your social media platform links so that people can find you (40:29)
• Why follower numbers are a vanity metric and sales and engagement are more important (40:54)
• Why you need to build an engaged audience before using Facebook ads (44:08)

Resources

John Espiran LinkedInJo Watson LinkedIn Natalie Lue InstagramSimon Bourne LinkedInCath Janes FacebookKate Lister LinkedInNeon MarlAriiJourno request Five easy ways to get press coverage (blog)

[161] How to work with bloggers and influencers with Kat Molesworth (podcast)[309] How to go viral on Twitter with Kerry Jordan (podcast)[329] What's working on Facebook right now with Liz Melville (podcast)[348] How to write social media posts that sell (podcast)[358] 13 ideas for engaging social media posts (podcast)[362] How to grow your Instagram to 27K- fast (podcast)[363] Five ways to bust through an audience growth plateau (podcast)[369] Why opinionated content works well for your Facebook page (and how to do it well) (podcast)[370] How sharing personal experiences can boost engagement on your Facebook page (podcast)[372] How to build an engaged online audience (podcast)

Preorder your 2020 Media Diary here

Buy my book Your press release is breaking my heart

Build Your Audience Programme

Buy your ticket for Build Your Audience Live

Rev.com*

Kapwing

Social Media Video Engagement Playbook

Social Media Engagement Playbook

LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook

Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn

If you want to sell your products or services online you need to build a following. More social media followers, more website visitors and more email subscribers. So when you do have something to sell you have an 'audience' of people who already know, like and trust you - which means they're far more likely to buy. But building an engaged audience takes time, With that in mind, here's the answers to the most common questions I get on asked on building an online audience.

{Click on the player above to listen to the podcast episode and/or read on for a detailed overview. Scroll down to the bottom to read the show notes including all the links mentioned in this episode.}

1.What exactly is an online audience?

Your 'audience' is the people who engage with your online content e.g. social media, blog/vlog/podcast, email marketing.

2. Why do I need to build an online audience?

You don't NEED to have an online audience. You can choose to market your business completely offline if you wish. But if you want to to do business online, you do need an online audience - otherwise who are you going to sell your products/services to?

3. When's the best time to start building myonline audience?

If you want to sell online, the ideal time to start building your audience is way before your product/service goes on sale. That way, you'll already have built relationships with prospective customers/clients - which means you're far more likely to make sales.

4. What size does your online audience need to be?

This depends on your sales goals. The average conversion rate for online sales is 1-2%.

Which means for every 100 people on your email list, only a small number will actually buy from you.

If you're a coach selling 1-2-1 coaching and need 20 clients a year, you may only need a thousand or so on your email list. If you sell lower-priced products or online courses/memberships you'll almost certainly need to shoot for 10k or beyond. So whatever it is you're selling…you almost certainly need a much bigger audience than you think.

To find out what size your audience needs to be right now, check out my audience calculator

5. What is the best way to measure your audience numbers?

Some people think your audience is the number of social media followers, readers of your blog or listeners to your podcast. But while you may make the odd sale on social media - or from your blog/podcast/Youtube channel - the majority of sales will happen in your inbox. PLUS it's almost impossible to reliably predict and track income from sales on social media.

This is why building your email list is the single most important thing you can do in your business. Which means the number of engaged email subscribers you have on your list is the most reliable measure of audience size.

In order to build your email list, you need an audience of people who engage with your content (otherwise how are you going to get people to join your email list?). This is why I recommend starting by building your audience on social media, then moving on to content (e.g.blog, podcast./Youtube) before tackling email marketing. And that's exactly what I cover in my Build Your Online Audience Programme.

6. How do I find out where my ideal audience is hanging out online? (so I can find more people like them)

Just ask them. Find 10 of your ideal clients/customers and ask them where they spend time online. Then start sharing some content on that platform and test and tweak accordingly (see the next question).

7. How do I find out what kind of content my audience would like me to share?

Just ask them. Find 10 of your ideal clients/customers and ask them what they would like to hear about. But don't just leave it at that. People sometimes tell you what they think you want to hear. Which means you'll need to test and tweak different types of content until you figure out what works best (i.e. what gets the most engagement). And do remember that it's not about numbers of followers/likes. Your best measure of success is comments and conversations.

Bonus tip: Making a list of your most frequently asked questions is an easy way to generate content ideas for your audience. This can be turned into ten blog posts/podcast episodes/Youtube videos and/or social media posts. Also look at your competitors - those who are have a bigger audience than you. What the more you understand about the type of content that captures your ideal clients' attention, the better placed you'll be to create your own engaging content.

8. I want to launch an online course/membership programme or a live event. Do I need to build my audience before I launch?

Ideally yes. Otherwise who are you going to sell to? People often think they can use cold ads. But ask yourself this: when's the last time you invested in an online course/membership or live event after seeing an ad? While there are always exceptions, most of us need to get to know, like and trust someone before we hand over our hard-earned cash. Which is why it's generally best to start building your audience organically before you start using advertising. If you have the budget to hire a strategist and/or a testing budget for ads, a Facebook ad campaign can work, but you'll still need to 'warm up' your audience before they'll buy from you with content.

Find out: how to build an audience for an online course/membership.

9. Do I need to be active on every social media platform to make online sales?

While it's tempting to think you need to be active on every single platform, it's much better to start with one or two. Once you've mastered those, and understand what works, you can replicate your strategy on other platforms. Spread yourself too thin, and could wind up being ineffective on multiple social media platforms (and wasting time and money in the process).

Podcast shownotes

• About this podcast (2:47)
• What is an 'online audience' (and why it needs to be bigger than you think) (3:11)
• Why an email list is essential if you want to make a regular profit in your business (8:10)
• Why you need more than social media to build an engaged online audience (09:05)
• How to build your online audience without overwhelming yourself (10:10)
• How to find out where your online audience is (13:34)
• Why finding out your audiences problems will help you create content that will engage your audience (15:22)
• Why sharing personal content will engage your online audience (22:20)
• How to create engaging content for a product based business without being selly (24:15)
• Why you should think about building your online audience as early as possible in your business (26:01)
• Why you should start with one social media platform to build an engaged audience and then think about other platforms (29:45)

Resources

[333] 39 Surprisingly easy ways to increase your email subscribers (podcast) [334] How to build a large audience without paid advertising with Callie Willows (podcast) [335] How to create a high-converting lead magnet (podcast) [337] The tools I am using to build my online audience (podcast) [339] How to build an audience for an online course or membership (podcast) [358] 13 Ideas for engaging social media posts (podcast) [363] Five ways to bust through an audience growth plateau (podcast)

Audience Calculator

Build Your Audience Programme

Buy your ticket for Build Your Audience Live

Order your 2019 Media Diary

Rev.com*

Kapwing

Social Media Video Engagement Playbook

Social Media Engagement Playbook

LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook

Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn

Want to improve your Facebook page engagement?

Creating a strategy that sets out what you're going to post, when and where will help a lot.

This doesn't need to be complicated. You just need to decide on the following

• How regularly you are going to post on your Facebook page
• What days and times you are going to post
• What kind of content you are going to share

{Click on the player above to listen to the podcast episode and/or read on for a detailed overview. Scroll down to the bottom to read the show notes including all the links mentioned in this episode.}

Remember that creating a strategy is just the first step. You'll need to post consistently. And you'll need to experiment - tweaking and testing your content to improve your results. You may also wish to start experimenting with other things e.g. best days and times to post your content and tweak accordingly.

Do this one thing

Write down the answers to the following questions (what gets written down gets done).

1. How regularly are you going to post on your Facebook page (I'd recommend at least 3-5 times a week)
2. What days and times are you going to post? (you can always change this)
3. What kind of content are you going to share?

Personally I would recommend scheduling on Facebook or posting organically rather than using a scheduling tool.

For accountability, share your answers to these three questions in the Facebook group (we have a dedicated thread for this).

Take part in my 7 day Facebook challenge here

Join the Facebook Challenge group

Podcast shownotes

• How to take part in the Facebook page engagement challenge when it has finished (01:15)

Previous Facebook Challenge Podcasts

1. I need to know this [367]
2. I know about that [368]
3. This is what I think [369]
4. I know how that feels [370]

[365] Day 1 Why your Facebook page isn't getting enough engagement (and what to do about it) (podcast) [366] Day 2 What to post on your Facebook page to get more engagement(podcast) [367] Day 3 Why 'value' posts are not enough to get engagement on your Facebook page (podcast) [368] Day 4 How asking questions can help you get you engagement on your Facebook page (podcast) [369] Day 5 Why opinionated content works well for your Facebook page (and how to do it well) (podcast) [370] Day 6 How sharing personal experiences can boost engagement on your Facebook page(podcast)

Resources

[329] What's working on Facebook right now with Liz Melville (podcast) [334] How to build a large audience without paid advertising with Callie Willows (podcast) [352] How to sell in a Facebook Group without annoying your members (podcast) [357] How to transform your Facebook group from ghost town to garden party(podcast) [358] 13 Ideas for engaging social media posts (podcast) [361] 15 post ideas for your Facebook group (podcast)

Build Your Audience Programme

Buy your ticket for Build Your Audience Live

Order your 2019 Media Diary

Rev.com*

Kapwing

Social Media Video Engagement Playbook

Social Media Engagement Playbook

LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook

Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn

Over the past few days, I've shared with you the four types of post that will attract engagement on your Facebook page. These are:

1. I need to know this
2. I know about that
3. This is what I think
4. I know how that feels

Over the past few days you've tackled the first three types of content. Today I want to go a bit deeper on the fourth kind of content and get you to publish an engaging 'I know how that feels' post.

However there is an art to getting engagement on this kind of content and in this podcast episode I'll show you how.

{Click on the player above to listen to the podcast episode and/or read on for a detailed overview. Scroll down to the bottom to read the show notes including all the links mentioned in this episode.}

People also love to share their experiences/advice, which is why more vulnerable, personal content works well. This is why posts on my training for the London Marathon (including injuries and setbacks) tend to get more engagement than any of my business posts.

When you share personal content, over time, you build up a narrative and take people on a journey with you - something that can be very powerful.

Remember this does not mean you have to share your deepest, darkest secrets - one of the most popular 'I know how that feels' posts I created was round-up of my most embarrassing headshots (we all know how it feels to look at an embarrassing old photo of ourselves).

But people like to do business with people. If you're willing to share a little of the person behind the business you'll get much better engagement on your page. And when people feel connected to you through a shared experience - or just being able to relate to your feelings - they're far more likely to want to be your customer.

Do this one thing

Create a short 'I know how that feels' style Facebook post which encourages people to share their thoughts/experiences. Ideally, choose a topic you can people will actually care about and make it easy for people to respond (as shown in the example above).

Many of the engagement strategies I share above (e.g. asking questions, giving a narrow range of choices) can work for this type of post, but if your post is powerful enough, you may not need to use them at all. Experiment and see what works.

Tip:Photographs, video and images are all great for engagement.

Next, chivvy up your Facebook Engagement Tribe and get them commenting on your post. While no one truly knows how the algorithm works, many believe that comments made in the first 15 minutes of posting have the biggest impact (and that's certainly been my experience) so get to work!

Finally, share your post in the Facebook group to get feedback from myself and others in the group (we have a dedicated thread for each day).

Take part in my 7 day Facebook challenge here

Join the Facebook Challenge group

Podcast shownotes

Previous Facebook Challenge Podcasts

1. I need to know this [367]
2. I know about that [368]
3. This is what I think [369]
4. I know how that feels [370]

[365] Day 1 Why your Facebook page isn't getting enough engagement (and what to do about it) (podcast) [366] Day 2 What to post on your Facebook page to get more engagement(podcast) [367] Day 3 Why 'value' posts are not enough to get engagement on your Facebook page (podcast) [368] Day 4 How asking questions can help you get you engagement on your Facebook page (podcast) [369] Day 5 Why opinionated content works well for your Facebook page (and how to do it well) (podcast)

Resources

[329] What's working on Facebook right now with Liz Melville (podcast) [334] How to build a large audience without paid advertising with Callie Willows (podcast) [352] How to sell in a Facebook Group without annoying your members (podcast) [357] How to transform your Facebook group from ghost town to garden party(podcast) [358] 13 Ideas for engaging social media posts (podcast) [361] 15 post ideas for your Facebook group (podcast)

Build Your Audience Programme

Buy your ticket for Build Your Audience Live

Order your 2019 Media Diary

Rev.com*

Kapwing

Social Media Video Engagement Playbook

Social Media Engagement Playbook

LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook

Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn

People love to share their ideas - particularly on divisive topics. That's why content that asks people to state their opinions generally works well on your Facebook page.

I generally refer to this as 'This is what I think' content.

This is one of four types of content that generate lots of engagement.

1. I need to know this
2. I know about that
3. This is what I think
4. I know how that feels

However there is an art to getting engagement on this kind of content and in this podcast episode I'll show you how.

{Click on the player above to listen to the podcast episode and/or read on for a detailed overview. Scroll down to the bottom to read the show notes including all the links mentioned in this episode.

People love to share their opinions, but they're also busy, so the trick to getting engagement on this kind of content is to make it as easy as possible for people to comment by giving them a narrow set of choices, as in this example where Rosie asked her followers where they stood on using reins with toddlers.. If you can't see it, click here.

The crucial thing is to pick subjects people actually care about and avoid sitting on the fence. Making a bold statement like 'Reins for toddlers. Essential or evil?' commands attention.

Do this one thing

Create a short 'This is what I think' style Facebook post which encourages people to share their opinion on something. Choose a topic people will actually care about and make it easy for people to respond (as shown in the example above).

Don't forget a single call for action.

Next, chivvy up your Facebook Engagement Tribe and get them commenting on your post. While no one truly knows how the algorithm works, many believe that comments made in the first 15 minutes of posting have the biggest impact (and that's certainly been my experience) so get to work!

Finally, share your post in the Facebook group to get feedback from myself and others in the group (we have a dedicated thread for each day).

Take part in my 7 day Facebook challenge here

Join the Facebook Challenge group

Podcast shownotes

• How to take part in the Facebook page engagement challenge when it has finished (01:04
• How to create a 'This is what I think content' post for your Facebook page (2:35)
• Why you need to make it easy for people to engage with your Facebook post (2:58)
• How to choose a topic for a 'This is what I think content' Facebook post (4:14)
• Why making it simple for people to respond will increase engagement on your Facebook page (4:21)
• How being bold in your opinion can really help you get good engagement. (4:40)
• How to link your content topic back to your product or service (6:02)
• What you need to do for the challenge for this podcast (7:01)

Previous Facebook Challenge Podcasts [365] Day 1 Why your Facebook page isn't getting enough engagement (and what to do about it)(podcast) [366] Day 2 What to post on your Facebook page to get more engagement(podcast) [367] Day 3 Why 'value' posts are not enough to get engagement on your Facebook page(podcast) [368] Day 4 How asking questions can help you get you engagement on your Facebook page(podcast)

Resources

[329] What's working on Facebook right now with Liz Melville (podcast) [334] How to build a large audience without paid advertising with Callie Willows (podcast) [352] How to sell in a Facebook Group without annoying your members(podcast) [357] How to transform your Facebook group from ghost town to garden party(podcast) [358]13 Ideas for engaging social media posts(podcast) [361] 15 post ideas for your Facebook group(podcast)

Build Your Audience Programme

Buy your ticket for Build Your Audience Live

Order your 2019 Media Diary

Rev.com*

Kapwing

Social Media Video Engagement Playbook

Social Media Engagement Playbook

LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook

Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn

Asking questions can be a great way to get engagement on your Facebook page.

People love to share their ideas, so content that asks people to state their preferences generally works a treat. This can be anything from asking people which version of your new logo they prefer, to whether you should stock the blue or red handbag in your Etsy shop to whether they like to have an iron provided when they stay in a holiday cottage.

I generally refer to this as 'I know about this' content.

This is one of four types of content that generate lots of engagement.

1. I need to know this
2. I know about that
3. This is what I think
4. I know how that feels

However there is an art to getting engagement on this kind of content and in this podcast episode I'll show you how.

{Click on the player above to listen to the podcast episode and/or read on for a detailed overview. Scroll down to the bottom to read the show notes including all the links mentioned in this episode.}

If you want people to respond to 'I know about this' posts, you have to give them clear choices

e.g. A, B, C or D, yes/no, agree/disagree - or even ask them to respond with emojis.I generally refer to these as short/two tap answer posts.

Here is an example of a post I shared which attracted 115 comments (can't see the image, click here). All respondents had to do was state whether they were interested in getting a copy of my social media engagement playbook when it was ready (with a 'Y' or 'N').

In this example, I asked for feedback on the artwork for an upcoming masterclass (which was available for members to buy) stating a preference of 1, 2, 3 or 4.

Not only do short/two tap answer posts make it super quick for people to engage, they don't have to think too hard about what to say - which means they're far more likely to respond.

Occasionally someone warns me that the Facebook/LinkedIn algorithm penalises content like this i.e. content that encourages short/two tap answers. I have no idea if this is true, but I actually think it's pretty irrelevant. Once someone has responded to you, you can - and should - go back and ask them an additional question/encourage them to give you more information e.g 'Interesting…why does that one appeal the most (if you don't mind me asking').

So it's easy to turn a short/two tap answer posts into a conversation. And conversations are exactly what you should be aiming for with all your social media content.

I wouldn't advise you to use short/two tap answer postsall the time -it's definitely important to vary your content - but they can be a great tool to encourage engagement, particularly when you're trying to boost the engagement in your page.

Do this one thing

Create a short 'I know about this' style Facebook post where you share a useful piece of content which encourages people to share their opinion on something.

Next, chivvy up your Facebook Engagement Tribe and get them commenting on your post. While no one truly knows how the algorithm works, many believe that comments made in the first 15 minutes of posting have the biggest impact (and that's certainly been my experience) so get to work!

Finally, share your post in the Facebook group to get feedback from myself and others in the group (we have a dedicated thread for each day).

Take part in my 7 day Facebook challenge here Join the Facebook Challenge group

Podcast shownotes

• How to take part in the Facebook page engagement challenge when it has finished (1:04).
• Why asking questions is a great way to get engagement on your Facebook page (2:37)
• How to create I know about that content for your Facebook page (3:10)
• How to create posts with short or two tap answers for your Facebook page (3:40)
• Why you should make it easy for people to respond to your Facebook posts (4:30)
• How to get engagement with your audience by using quick short tap answers (5:05)
• How to use short quick tap answer posts to create a buzz around a new product or service (5:55)

Previous Facebook Challenge Podcasts

[365] Day 1 Why your Facebook page isn't getting enough engagement (and what to do about it) (podcast) [366] Day 2 What to post on your Facebook page to get more engagement (podcast) [367] Day 3 Why 'value' posts are not enough to get engagement on your Facebook page(podcast)

Resources

[329] What's working on Facebook right now with Liz Melville (podcast) [334] How to build a large audience without paid advertising with Callie Willows (podcast) [352] How to sell in a Facebook Group without annoying your members (podcast) [357] How to transform your Facebook group from ghost town to garden party (podcast) [358] 13 Ideas for engaging social media posts (podcast) [361] 15 post ideas for your Facebook group (podcast)

Build Your Audience Programme

Buy your ticket for Build Your Audience Live

Order your 2019 Media Diary

Rev.com*

Kapwing

Social Media Video Engagement Playbook

Social Media Engagement Playbook

LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook

Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn

Creating content that solves a problem for people is a great way to get engagement on your Facebook page.

This can be anything from a vlog on how to pitch yourself as a podcast guest, an important piece of industry news,an amusing cat video (making people laugh is definitely solving a problem).

I generally refer to this as 'I need to know this' content.

This is one of four types of content that generate lots of engagement.

1. I need to know this
2. I know about that
3. This is what I think
4. I know how that feels

However there is an art to getting engagement on this kind of content and in this podcast episode I'll show you how.

{Click on the player above to listen to the podcast episode and/or read on for a detailed overview. Scroll down to the bottom to read the show notes including all the links mentioned in this episode}

Sharing content that solves your customers' problems - or just makes their day easier - can be a great way to get engagement on your Facebook page.

But it doesn't matter how useful your new blog post is or how funny your cat video is, if you don't create curiosity you'll be lucky to get a few likes, shares and/or comments.

One really easy way to create curiosity is to ask a question that relates to the content you want to share. So, for example, I published a really podcast episode entitled 15 post ideas for your Facebook group.

Although this is a useful episode, when I just post a link to the episode I don't get very much engagement. If I ask a question that relates to the subject of the podcast episode, I get far more engagement. I can still share the link to the episodes in the comments.

Other ideas for generating curiosity.

• Share a short clip from your podcast/vlog (rather than the whole episode) and ask people to predict what happens next
• Share a divisive quote from your blog post and ask people if they agree/disagree
• Share a blooper from your vlog
• Share a still/photograph and invite people to write a caption
• Summarise a piece of industry news and ask people if they agree/disagree

Do this one thing

Create a short 'I need to know this' style Facebook post where you share a useful piece of content that helps solve a problem for your audience (remember that entertaining people can be solving a problem). Instead of just posting a link, think about how you can create curiosity about your post using some of the strategies I've shared above (sure you will also have loads of your own - can't wait to see them!).

Don't forget to include a call-to-action

Next, chivvy up your Facebook Engagement Tribe and get them commenting on your post. While no one truly knows how the algorithm works, many believe that comments made in the first 15 minutes of posting have the biggest impact (and that's certainly been my experience) so get to work!

Finally, share your post in the Facebook group to get feedback from myself and others in the group (we have a dedicated thread for each day).

Take part in my 7 day Facebook challenge here

Join the Facebook Challenge group

Podcast shownotes

• How to take part in the Facebook page engagement challenge when it has finished (01:06)
• How to create engaging content for your Facebook page that adds value and solves a problem (2:40)
• How to turn your Facebook post into a conversation and create curiosity so that people engage (3:10)
• Ways that you can create curiosity and start a conversation on your Facebook posts (5:20)
• What you need to do for the Facebook challenge for this podcast (07:27)
• Why you should just include one Call to Action at the end of your Facebook post (07:59)
• Why you need to get engagement in the first 15 minutes of a Facebook post (08:40)

Previous Facebook Challenge Podcasts [365] Day 1 Why your Facebook page isn't getting enough engagement (and what to do about it)(podcast) [366] Day 2 What to post on your Facebook page to get more engagement(podcast)

Resources

[329] What's working on Facebook right now with Liz Melville (podcast) [334] How to build a large audience without paid advertising with Callie Willows (podcast) [352] How to sell in a Facebook Group without annoying your members(podcast) [357] How to transform your Facebook group from ghost town to garden party(podcast) [358]13 Ideas for engaging social media posts(podcast) [361] 15 post ideas for your Facebook group(podcast)

Build Your Audience Programme

Buy your ticket for Build Your Audience Live

Order your 2019 Media Diary

Rev.com*

Kapwing

Social Media Video Engagement Playbook

Social Media Engagement Playbook

LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook

Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn

If you're struggling to get engagement on your Facebook page, you may be confused about what kind of content you should be posting.

In this episode I share four types of Facebook page posts that generate lots of engagement.

{Click on the player above to listen to the podcast episode and/or read on for a detailed overview. Scroll down to the bottom to read the show notes including all the links mentioned in this episode}

Having tested hundreds of different types of content - on both my own account and my clients' I've noticed there are four types of post that generally get more engagement.

1. I need to know this
2. I know about that
3. This is what I think
4. I know how that feels

You may have spotted already that there's a common theme: relatability. If you want people to engage with your content, it needs to be relatable - something that either solves a problem for them, they have experience of and/or an opinion on.

Let me break that down for you.

'I need to know this' content

Creating content that solves a problem for people is a great way to get engagement. This can be anything from a vlog on how to pitch yourself as a podcast guest (link to blog post), an important piece of industry news (link to article on Twitter change of terms) to an amusing cat video (link to amusing cat video) (making people laugh is definitely solving a problem). However there is an art to getting engagement on this kind of content, which I'll share with you tomorrow.

'I know about that' content

People love to share their ideas, so content that asks people to state their opinions/preferences, generally works a treat. This can be anything from asking people whether you should stock the handbag in blue or read to whether they like to have an iron in a holiday cottage to what they think of new laws that affect your industry.

In the example below, I asked my audience which cover they preferred for my media diary:

N.B. You do need to be specific to get engagement on this kind of content and I'll show you how to do that on Day 4 of the challenge.

'This is what I think' content

People love to share their opinions - particularly on topics that are divisive. This is why posts like this one on whether you should put toddlers on reins tend to perform better than other posts.

'I know how that feels' content

People also love to share their experiences/advice, which is why more vulnerable, personal content works well. This post on picking up an injury during my London Marathon got more engagement than any of my business posts (as did many of my other marathon related posts).

It's worth remembering that Facebook is, primarily, a 'friends and family' platform - which is why personal posts - of the kind you might post on your own Facebook wall - often do better on your Facebook well than business related posts. This is not to say you need to share your deepest, darkest secrets, but people like to do business with people. If you're willing to share a little of the person behind the business you'll get much better engagement on your page.

Do this one thing

Brainstorm at least five ideas for each type of content.

1. I need to know this
2. I know about that
3. This is what I think
4. I know how that feels

Be brave and share them in our Facebook group so you can get feedback from myself and other members of the group (we have a dedicated thread for your ideas)

Podcast shownotes

• How to take part in the challenge when it has finished (01:05)
• The four types of posts that will generate Facebook page engagement (2:55)
• How to create content for your Facebook page that adds value or solves a problem for your clients or customers (3:11)
• How to ask people's opinions to generate content and engagement (4:34)
• How to create content by getting people's opinions (especially if they disagree) (5:33)
• How sharing relatable personal stories will increase engagement on your Facebook page (6:08)
• Why you'll get better engagement if your content is personally relatable rather than just about your business (06:58)
• What you need to do for the challenge for this podcast (08:08)

Resources

Take part in my 7 day Facebook challenge here

Join the Facebook Challenge group

[365] Day 1 Why your Facebook page isn't getting enough engagement (and what to do about it)(podcast)

[329] What's working on Facebook right now with Liz Melville (podcast) [334] How to build a large audience without paid advertising with Callie Willows (podcast) [352] How to sell in a Facebook Group without annoying your members(podcast) [357] How to transform your Facebook group from ghost town to garden party(podcast) [358]13 Ideas for engaging social media posts(podcast) [361 15 post ideas for your Facebook group(podcast)

Build Your Audience Programme

Buy your ticket for Build Your Audience Live

Order your 2019 Media Diary

Rev.com*

Kapwing

Social Media Video Engagement Playbook

Social Media Engagement Playbook

LinkedIn Content Strategy Playbook

Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn