Most small businesses have gone through the motions of setting up social media accounts. Maybe they’ve even peppered a few posts on the feed from time to time and gained a few followers. However, that’s usually where they stop paying attention. While it can be hard to see the return on the time you put into your social media account, trust that it can make a significant impact on your brand and how people perceive your business. Here are a few ways to get your business more social so you can start seeing conversions from places like Facebook and Twitter.

Engage with the right people

If you aren’t engaging with anyone at all, that should be the first place you start. After all, it is called social media! Get caught up with the dialogue of your customers and start responding, commenting, and liking what they have to say.

Once you’ve begun to engage with people on a regular basis, then start looking for your ideal customers on social media. If you sell sporting goods, you want to find athletes and individuals who enjoy spending times outdoors. Have a Facebook competition where the winner gets a free pair of hiking boots or a gift card. Soon you’ll start attracting the types of people who will be repeat customers.

Be consistent

It can be unnerving to people when you are full on engaged with them one month and then completely disappear the next. Consistency goes a long way online. Even with the large amount of competition on the web, you’ll find that the people that follow through for the long haul are few and far between. Make a posting schedule and stick with it.

Don’t be afraid to use humor

While you want to be informative and add value to your posts, don’t be afraid to throw in a little humor. Many people use social media to get a break from their day and lighten the mood. Why do you think cat videos are so popular?

People also respond to inspirational stories and quotes, as well as to posts that relate to current events in the media. Pay attention to what’s going on around you and what stories are trending online, and you can work them into your posts.

Invite people to get involved

You can post three times a day and still get no response from your customers. Why? One reason might be because you aren’t inviting them to get involved with your page. Ask people to pin on your Pinterest boards, use Facebook shares as a way to enter contests, and ask people questions that are fun to respond to. Brainstorm with your staff about what they think your customers would respond to, and start testing out ideas!

Be patient

It takes time and a lot of hard work to develop a social media campaign that gets people motivated and interested in your brand. While the payoff is worth it, this just isn’t something that you can rush. Every business has a different audience they are engaging, and the more you learn about them, the more refined your social media plan will become.