I would be actually be a millionaire if I got $1.00 every time someone asked me to explain the dreaded Facebook and Instagram algorithm. A girl can only dream right?! To be completely honest with you, I don’t pay much attention to it. It’s constantly changing, evolving, and nearly impossible to keep up with. However, what I do pay attention to is making an effort in creating authentic connection using genuine engagement techniques.

Before I get into the real stuff, there is one thing I will say about the algorithm. The more engagement you put out there and receive back on your content, the more the algorithm (or ‘social elves’, as I like to call them) will help you be seen across all platforms!

Authentic engagement is fundamental in achieving growth, for building connection and for getting noticed by your target market or ideal audience. When done right, genuine relationships, friendships, partnerships and collaborations form. For many businesses, the missing piece in their marketing or social media plan is creating and managing authentic engagement. Without that missing piece, businesses are damaging the effectiveness of their overall marketing efforts. We can’t allow that to be you!

So, what exactly is REAL and AUTHENTIC engagement? Let me break it down for you. It’s the practice of reaching out and attempting to make sincere and genuine connection with your target market or ideal audience by:

• Following their accounts
• Interacting with their stories
• Sharing their content
• Sending them a friendly direct message (DM)
• Replying to their comments and direct messages
• Liking their most interactive posts
• Commenting on their posts (one word or lonesome emojis doesn’t count!)

Now, if someone you don’t know comments on your (epic) post, what’s the first thing you do? Do you look at who it is and view their profile? If you like how their profile looks and what they said on your post, you respond back, right? When this happens, it’s important to remember to stay true to who you are when you are engaging on Facebook and Instagram. Why? Because you are your own brand! When you share your messages and engage with your target market or ideal audience, you’ve got to do it in your own unique way, and not in a way that imitates someone else or feels forced. I guess what I’m trying to say is, you do you boo! It’s SO easy to tell when profiles have used a bot and when their interactions are fake, rather than heartfelt. You always want to be the latter, trust me!

In my own experience, if I give to people and share with people, they often give back and share with me later. That’s how it works at networking events and that’s how it works on social media too. Still left wondering what best practice looks like? Here are a few examples of the DOs and DONTs when it comes to engagement.

DO

• Post regularly
• Be entertaining and informative
• Use geographic/location tagging
• Give credit where credit is due
• Ask questions
• Be responsive and reply to EVERY single comment and DM
• Follow like-minded accounts that align with your brand

DON’T

• Be needy or spammy
• Complain or argue
• Use poor grammar and spelling or write your posts ALL IN CAPS
• Drop a single emoji
• Use automated responses
• Post and ghost
• Follow accounts that don’t interest you or align with your brand

If you are serious about building a loyal following and want to use Facebook and Instagram to get clients and make conversions and sales, authentic engagement is where it’s at. Yes, it does takes time, effort and energy, but it’s all worth it in the end.