How to Boost Online Engagement Through Microblogging
Being a marketer, social media is most likely a huge aspect of your day as well as an integral part of your business’ online marketing efforts.
We know that making sure your social media posts are reaching as many people as possible, whilst receiving the highest levels of engagement and conversion is a priority to you. Though vital, this can be a time-consuming and demanding job, so why not make your task a little easier by using simple tactics proven to boost engagement?
You may have noticed on platforms such as Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook that caption lengths are becoming longer and longer. This is called microblogging and is one of the newer tactics businesses are using to boost their online presence.
What is microblogging?
Microblogging combines traditional blogging with instant messaging allowing you to reach your audience, with the information you want to share, in a friendly succinct manner.
It is, as its name suggests, a shorter punchier blog (more on this below).
Think of it as a snack rather than a three-course dinner.
Social Media Microblogging
Microblogging works well on Instagram, where the character limit for a post is 2,200. It would be fair to argue that it’s all about the image on Instagram. True, but the accompanying caption gives context to your image and allows you to provide more details to improve your chances of engagement.
At Pixel Lab, we decided to make the most of Instagram’s word limit to see if longer captions really do boost engagement. After a week of regular microblogging on the platform, our post impressions have increased by a third and engagement levels have more than doubled.
Why not try Instagram microblogging for yourself?
Less is sometimes more
Since the development of smartphones, people are spending less time researching on desktop computers. As a natural progression, consumers are increasingly turning to apps and social media platforms to research future purchases, instead of websites.
A common pain-point amongst businesses trying to promote their products online is that people don’t want to be sold to. Micro-blogging on social platforms is a great way to overcome this as it allows you to reach people who want to interact with your business as they are already following you.
Brands need to engage with their customers where they’re at and grab their attention in the moment. Today’s consumer isn’t necessarily going to explore your website for more information, so make sure they have everything they need to know about your business, on their preferred platform. Don’t let leads slip away by not reaching them and making an impression when they are actively looking for your services.
Blogs vs Microblogs
What’s the difference between blogging and microblogging?
Microblogging is very similar to blogging, except that microblogs are considerably shorter. Microblogging is becoming increasingly popular on social media platforms, where word limits are in place. On Twitter, for example, the character limit for a post is 280 – a micro-blog can be as short as this.
Micro-bloggers also tend to post more frequently. Due to their shorter length and more chatty style creating a microblog takes less time than crafting a blog for your website. That’s not to say you should stop blogging, far from it, micro-blogging is just another tool in your social media kitbag.
Should I be blogging or microblogging?
In short, you should be doing both.
Blogging is great for your website as it allows you to rank for keywords that your target market is typing into search engines. This makes you far more likely to appear when they are searching for businesses like yours. Through doing keyword research you can create content which you know will attract and engage your audience and make them more inclined to convert on your website.
If you have a blog on your website, you could post shortened versions of these to your social media platforms to increase their visibility and reach more people. You can also give helpful tips and advice, answer commonly asked questions from your consumers or write about a new product or offer – the opportunities are endless.
Allow your leads to come to you by posting regular and relevant content where they can see it. If what you are posting truly resonates with your audience, you will make a lasting impression.
If you need help writing your own micro-blogs, or even just want some advice on how to boost your social media growth, contact us today for a free social media audit.