One of the primary reasons that people flock to social media is to feel connected to those around them. Not only can they use it to learn more about their interests or keep up-to-date with their friends, influencers, or celebrities, but people also love to share about themselves on social media. One of the easiest ways for people to engage with accounts as well as individuals on social media is through the use of asking questions, particularly on the Instagram platform. Many influencers, corporations, and events who utilize Instagram to promote their brand have found that asking engaging questions in social media posts increases user engagement, fosters conversation between users, and makes individuals feel a part of a greater conversation.
In order to create the desired experience for most users, the account must make the user feel like they are engaging in a conversation. This is why the act of asking questions that users are inclined to answer in comments or via DM’s is so effective. In the case of travel blogs or accounts, the act of asking engaging travel questions can also help to foster excitement about travel or various locations. Users want to feel like they are important to the account or company that they are engaging in, and by asking questions through social media platforms, this can be a vehicle for the user to feel like they are being invited to share things about themselves and become more personally invested in the post and the greater account experience at large.
According to Fluid Marketing Tips, the best questions to ask to a social media audience are open-ended so that users feel free to share openly whether it be through comments, DM’s, or other chat features. In doing this, not only are users sharing with the account itself, but in more public comment features, they are also opening up conversation with other users as well. This creates a sense of community and fosters connection between other users with the shared interest of travel. Utilizing this concept in the travel industry is very intuitive, asking engaging travel questions, especially those with an open-ended format inspires heightened levels of engagement. By doing so, the users will then associate the travel posts, blog or account with a feeling of a positive interaction and community, and will then be more inclined to engage with posts in the future.
Social Media Today outlines several reasons why posing questions on social media posts is proven to increase user engagement and capture followers’ attention and interest. For starters, it helps the account understand followers better and in the case of travel, see exactly where followers might be interested in traveling. When followers share about themselves or their experiences and opinions through answering questions, it allows the account to gauge what it is the followers are looking for, and how to better provide this content for followers. This proves to be useful when being mindful of what and how the account posts in the future, as the information followers choose to share about themselves allows the account to better understand its demographic.
By creating an online community where followers feel like their voice is heard, the account is improving their brand reputation and setting a standard that their followers are valued and important. This creates extremely positive feelings toward the account, and will encourage followers to engage with future posts, or even share posts with their friends.
A question posted on a social media post serves as a launchpad for the follower to engage. Rather than scroll past the post, it invites the follower to spend several moments longer with the post, and essentially puts the ball in their court to respond to the question posed. It calls for an action response, rather than a passive response of a simple “like” or ignoring the post completely. If the follower feels like there is a reason for them to engage with the post, the likelihood of them doing so increases tenfold.
There are several ways that Instagram can allow for engagement through posing questions. The first is through the caption of a post, or including a question in the graphic of the photo itself. Through this method, users will feel free to answer the question in the comments section, where their responses will be visible for all other users to see, and they will be able to see other users’ answers as well. This is the quickest and most common way to spark conversation and engagement between users and foster a sense of community.
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Another way that an account can pose a question on Instagram is through the “Story” feature. When an account or influencer poses a question on their Instagram Story, followers have the opportunity to “swipe up” and respond with their feedback, and this response will go directly to the account’s Direct Message inbox. Although this feature does not allow for as much community interaction with other users, it’s a great way for accounts to get individual feedback from users. This feature can be used when accounts are looking to receive feedback, gauge reaction to something, or are open to suggestions regarding something about their product, services, or user experience. This is also a way for the account to interact more closely with followers, by creating a segue to conversation via the question on an Instagram Story.
Another feature that Instagram that has that allows users to be engaged in conversation is the “Post a Question” sticker on the Story feature. This allows the account to post a question that followers can respond to, and the account can then post followers’ responses to their Story. This allows followers to view other followers’ responses, as well as create a sense of excitement and interest among followers to see if their response will be re-posted. This excitement and interest not only encourages followers to be more likely to interact with the question posted, but it also helps to foster that sense of community and makes followers feel like they are being heard and that their opinion is valued. Again, this all contributes to the followers’ likelihood and desire to interact with posts in the future, as well as stay tuned in upcoming content.
In order to make the conversation that is created by posing a question on social media feel like it is not just one-sided, accounts can further interact with followers by responding to their comments in the comment section of a post. When followers receive a response from the account, they will feel like their comments and interaction are valued, and will therefore feel valued by the account, company, or organization as a whole. This will of course make them more inclined to interact with posts again in the future, increasing engagement on posts. By having a persona behind the account that interacts with followers on a regular basis, it humanizes the account and creates the feeling of communication and community between followers.
The beauty and draw of social media is its ability to make people from anywhere in the world feel connected through shared interests, passions and hobbies. Accounts who are able to foster community and create these connections through their content are most successful in providing their followers what they are looking for and having an engaged, interactive following base. One of the simplest and most effective ways to get followers involved is through posing questions on social media, and displaying to followers that their answers are heard, valued, and important. Try posing a question on your next social media caption and see how followers are excited to share and engage!
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