This document discusses how brands can create more engaged communities through social media conversations. It emphasizes that engagement is built on authenticity, transparency, and trust. Brands should ask questions to spark conversations and engage with customers respectfully. While there are no hard rules for social media, brands should avoid being too promotional, personal, or polarizing. Building engagement takes time and effort to create an online community through both conversations and shareable content.

1. nick westergaard | branddrivendigital.com
engagementHow Social Media Conversations Create More Engaged Brands

2. #UIMKTG
@nickwestergaard

4. rudyard kipling
I keep six honest serving men (They
taught me all I knew): Their names are
WHAT and WHY and WHEN and HOW
and WHERE and WHO.”
“

5. unpacking the “serving men”
‣ WHY are we doing this?
‣ WHAT are we doing?
‣ WHEN does this happen?
‣ WHERE does this happen?
‣ WHO does this involve?
‣ HOW do we get it done?

6. conversations
& Content
what is social media?

7. social media conversations
‣ Why Engagement Matters
‣ Building Engaging Conversations
‣ How Questions & Answers Spark Conversations
‣ The Rules of Engagement
‣ Creating a Campfire

8. Why Engagement Matters
1

9. social media?
why is ‘engagement’ always tied to

10. engagement
noun
1. the act of engaging or the state of being engaged.
2. an appointment or arrangement: a business engagement.
3. betrothal: They announced their engagement.
4. a pledge; an obligation or agreement: All his time seems to be taken up
with social engagements.
5. employment, or a period or post of employment, especially in the
performing arts: Her engagement at the nightclub will last five weeks.

11. engaging
verb (used with object)
1. to occupy the attention or efforts of (a person or persons): He engaged her
in conversation.
2. to secure for aid, employment, use, etc.; hire: to engage a worker; to engage a
room.
3. to attract and hold fast: The novel engaged her attention and interest.
4. to attract or please: His good nature engages everyone.
5. to bind, as by pledge, promise, contract, or oath; make liable: He engaged
himself to repay his debt within a month.

12. engagement is a key trait of new media
Photo via Flickr user Enid Martendale

13. strong brands have engaged communities
Photo via Flickr user Eran Sandler

14. engagement
conversations yield

15. Building Engaging
Conversations
2

16. conversations are built on
‣ Authenticity
‣ Transparency
‣ Trust

17. authenticity

18. conversations showcase authenticity

19. Finding your authentic voice
Photo via Flickr user hidedevries
“Thank you for your feedback.
We appreciate your support.”
vs.
“Thanks!!! You rock :)”

20. how does your brand voice sound?

21. humor can be potent

22. a creative voice
Source: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

23. an integrated voice

24. a visual voice

25. showing your authenticity by signing on

26. oscar wilde
Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.”“

27. you are you
authenticity =

28. Photo via Flickr user Pete
transparency

29. you are honest
transparency =

30. david b. srere, Siegel+gale
If you lie, you die.”“

31. can you do
what you say?
transparency =

32. 90%of online consumers
TRUST PEER REVIEWS
33%of online consumers
TRUST advertising
Source: Nielsen

33. transparent = mission-focused opportunities

34. transparent = backstage opportunities

35. TMI?
transparency =
how much sharing is too much?

36. when you think, “We can’t be transparent …”

37. the golden rule
As a marketer, do unto others as
you would want done to you

38. disclose everything
transparency =
more on that in a few weeks …

39. TRUST
authenticity + transparency =

40. trust measured

41. trust matters

42. peer-driven media drives trust

43. peers, employees more credible than leaders

44. Photo via Flickr user Thomas Cloer
ceo trust on the rise

45. case study: ford

46. shift: more social leadership (slowly)
Source: Fortune

47. millennials are more trusting of digital

48. TRUST
social media engagement =

49. How Questions & Answers
Spark Conversations
3

50. how can you be engaging?
Photo via Flickr user Dennis Brekke

51. daniel H. pink
Questions, by their very
nature, elicit an active response.”
“

52. questions are the building blocks
Photo via Flickr user Steven Depolo

53. 6xmore engaging than informational posts
Source: Likeable Media
question posts are

54. questions spark conversations

55. ask and you get answers

56. relevant question ideas
‣ “Why did you like this page?”
‣ “What kind of conversations do you want to have here?”
‣ “What was your first experience with our product?”
‣ “Can you tell us a story about you and our product?”
‣ “What can we do better?”
‣ “What did you like best about your new product?”
‣ “Did you like our new ad?”

57. other post ideas
‣ “Click Like if you agree!”
‣ “My favorite thing to do in the summer is _____________”
‣ “What other tips would you add to this list?”
‣ “True or False ...”

58. 5xmore engaging than informational posts
Source: Likeable Media
click-t0-like posts are

59. 1:1 commenting
Photo via Flickr user Dave McLear

60. 1:1 in action

61. 1:1 in action

62. leave no customer behind

63. don’t forget …
Photo via Flickr user Free for Commercial Use

64. What about …?
Photo via Flickr user Free for Commercial Use

65. engagement = others sharing

66. The Rules of Engagement
4

67. but there aren’t any, right?
Photo via Flickr user r. nial bradshaw
WRONG!

68. don’t broadcast – watch your ratio

69. don’t get too personal
Photo via Flickr user Ross Catrow

70. don’t cross-post

71. don’t be polarizing
Photo via Flickr user flickrfavorites

72. do – show some personality
Photo via Flickr user Duncan Rawlinson

73. easier for some

74. do – relax

75. do – remember it’s an improv
Photo via Flickr user Mulling It Over

76. do – break the rules (long vs. short)

77. do not delete (dnd) rule
Unless a comment is obscene, profane, bigoted, or contains someone’s personal
and private information, never delete it from a social network.
Source: Likeable Social Media, Kerpen

78. steps to dealing with upset customers
‣ Answer the Social Telephone — Quickly! 24 Hours
‣ Respond with Humanity & Humility
‣ Take the Matter Offline
‣ Deliver a Resolution Swiftly
‣ Don’t Feed the Trolls
‣ Leave a Record of Resolution Online

79. happy fans will tell the world
Photo via Flickr user floeschie

80. conversations + content = community

81. Creating a Campfire
5

82. “if you build it, they will come.”
Photo via Flickr user decarr66
WRONG!

83. takes time to build
Photo via Flickr user Jameel Winter

84. key take-aways
‣ Engaging brands create an engaging community
‣ Engagement is created through authenticity, transparency, and trust
‣ Remember the key conversational ingredients — questions and answers
‣ Rules matter — especially the “mom rules”

85. conversations
& Content
next up?
Content

87. #UIMKTG
@nickwestergaard

88. nick@WESTERGAARD.COM
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