The social media buzz word “engagement” means: “a dialogue;
it’s the ability to choose how and when to engage; it’s the value each channel
represents; it’s whether or not expectations were met. Engagement in social
media means the ability to reach out to and get response from a company (as a
consumer) or an audience (as a company). For instance, if I go onto Twitter and
post a question to a specific company (@Ebay, for example), I hope to receive a
response. That’s engagement. Instant, human.” It involves participation,
listening, monitoring, and strategic bookmarking/marketing.
There are several similarities and differences between
traditional interpersonal communication within relationships and engagement on
a social media level. For example, they are similar in the sense that both of
them require building some form of relationship, consist of a dialogue and
two-way communication, and expanding your network. Some major differences might
include the fact that social media engagement all takes place online, and
therefore relies solely on Internet communication instead of any non-verbal
cues or physical touch. Social media engagement is also much easier to analyze
and it is easier to employ someone else to fulfill these responsibilities,
whereas in real life you can’t do that.
Three best practices for SMC engagement
and networking came from this
site:
1)Listen First, Then Respond
2)Remember that each interaction
is unique, don’t take a cookie-cutter approach to communicating with your
customers.
3)Don’t underestimate the power
of both positive and negative comments, and be sure to respond to both.
