When I started my online business in 2008 social media was a new thing. It was a place where we went to share personal details. Then, somewhere along the way, it became a place where we started sharing our businesses and professional accomplishments.

As social media continues to expand its reach it’s vital for brands to share their brand personality with your online audience. Social media may seem big and impersonal but there are several ways you make meaningful connections with your online audience.

As a marketer, you want to be able to create a great experience for your audience to engage with you. While you may close sales through social media, keep in mind that your audience is looking for fun opportunities to socialize. That’s why it’s important for you to know what makes them tick.

Let’s examine five ways you can connect with your audience on social media:

• Ask for opinions – This is a great way for you to collect vital market research, but it is also a way for your audience to feel like they are seen, heard and understood. Everyone loves to share their opinion on topics that matter to them. All you need to do is provide the topic for them to engage with. This can easily be accomplished via a poll, survey, or a simple question.
  

• Implement what you learn – It’s one thing to ask for information, but you need to act on it to make it a meaningful exercise. Create a spreadsheet and log in all of the answers that are pertinent to creating better content or offers. Have a column for suggestions, complaints and general comments. Do it frequently so your audience knows you’re listening to what they have to say. Be sure to reach out to those with complaints so they know that their feedback matters and you’re taking steps to fix the problem.
  

• Use video – People love to see you. Keep in mind everyone likes to interact in different ways, so offering video as a way to connect with you gives people options for consuming your content. People will more often stop scrolling to check out a video and they will remember the content longer. Keep them short, educational and entertaining.
  

• Don’t be all about your business – Share information that will be interesting to your audience. For instance share inspirational articles, funny memes, or interesting videos to hold their interest. Creating a content calendar can help you keep the right balance for your audience.
  

• Be original – While sharing a mixture of different types of content, you want to make sure that your original content stays in the spotlight. Don’t just slam your audience with a salesy message. Use good writing techniques to grab their attention, shock them with new information and WOW them with the way you can solve their biggest problems.

As you build your audience, keep in mind you’re building a relationship with one person at a time. You will connect faster if you write to that one ideal avatar that you’ve created. The more personal and specific you can be, the faster you will convert fans into paying customers.

If you’ve heard me say it once, you’ve heard it a million times, the more you know about your ideal avatar, the easier it will be to create content that wins them over. Your avatar is the driving force behind everything you do and every decision you make to grow your business.