Be Interesting by Being Interested

One of my clients asked me what the secret to engagement was.

Many bloggers talk about engagement but you hardly ever see people actually write down the secret to engaging your audience. I think it may be because secretly a lot of people are not interested in actually engaging readers, they just want it to seem like they do.

What is engagement?

Anything that shows your audience is actually paying attention and is interested. Mostly it shows in getting some sort of feedback or action from your visitor:

Blog comments
Contact form submissions
Competition entries
Retweets
Bookmarks
Poll answers
Survey submissions
… and so on

As you might tell from the headline, I think the secret to getting greater engagement is the same regardless of if you are having a conversation face to face or in social media, and that is to be truly interested.

Rather than using social media as a “broadcast” mechanism, actually be interested in your audience and truly get to know them. As a group and as individuals. Ask questions, yes, but more importantly seek out answers and follow up on them.

We always can tell when someone is faking interest. Some are better than others at hiding their true intentions, but eventually I think it leaks out in behavior when someone is on the level and really looking to have actual discussions with visitors.

I am sure you have had the experience where a friend is allowing you to talk just while they line up another opportunity for them to hold the floor and bask in the delights of their own voice. Your turn to talk is just a breathing space for the one-person show that is their spotlight.

Don’t be this person in social media.

Seeking answers to your questions should be about the person responding as much as the content of what they have to say and certainly way more than an excuse to get everyone referencing you and your name.

Squash the temptation to engage purely as a branding exercise and start becoming authentically interested in your audience. They will reward your efforts tenfold. After all, everyone’s favorite subject is yourself, much as many would deny it!

How do you engage readers? Can you name anyone who does it particuarly well in your niche? Please share in the comments …