Everyday I hear the same thing over and over again –

“I just don’t know how to engage with people online!”

Why is that? What is so different about engaging with people online than in real life?

Look at the similarities:
In real life:
You narrow in on who you want to talk to.

You go up to them and introduce yourself.
You start a conversation.

Maybe it goes beyond that space, maybe it doesn’t, regardless, you’ve made contact!
Online:
You narrow in on who you want to talk to.

You go up to them and introduce yourself.
You start a conversation.

Maybe it goes beyond that space, maybe it doesn’t, regardless, you’ve made contact!
Oh, look at that. EXACTLY THE SAME. :)
Even if you’re not the type to make the first move in a new relationship, you should at least know how to engage with people on a personal level. Why is that lost in a digital world?

True, it is much easier to listen than it is to reach out and engage. So if your mission online is to listen and you’re not trying to build a business or brand, then more power to ya! There’s A LOT going on.
But if it is your mission to build a brand online, you’re going to have to start balancing your listening with engaging.

Start small

– Connect with one person at a time. Don’t try to go after a bazillion people. And especially don’t try to go after influencers straight out the gate. Start with someone who has a smaller audience, smaller blog, someone who’s maybe just starting out as well. You can bond a lot more with someone who’s going through the same struggles as you are. You can share experience and tips with each other, you can share each other’s blog posts, etc.

Share what you’re listening to

– You never know who else might be interested in what YOU find interesting.

Make lists

– Of your favorite people, of your favorite blogs, of your favorite YouTube channels, Facebook pages/groups, of your favorite Pins, whatever the case may be, make lists of all your favorites and then visit those favorites couple times a week to see what’s new.

Give, give, give

– I can’t stress this enough. If you want to gain someone’s attention then share their stuff, comment on their blog, interact with their tweets, like their Facebook posts, share their YouTube videos, WHATEVER. It truly works. I know that when I see someone consistently, I like that person a lot more than just the one-stop-shopper. Think about it, who do you remember more, that barista who never makes eye contact with you when they take your order, or the barista who engages in a real life conversation with you?

If it is your goal to get noticed within the social media realm, then get out there and start engaging! Don’t think, just go!!!