Whether you’re a business manager or a publicist, professionals have to know how to engage an audience beyond newspaper ink or the internal confines of the office space. But whom can we learn from? What track records should we review?

While in college, I enrolled in the first “Social Media Management” course with no expectations with what I might get out of it. It was a virtual online course offered by a marketing professional in the Tampa Bay area, and our class was basically the guinea pigs for the effectiveness of the course. Although there was minimal hard data or a textbook of historical achievements to follow, I did take away how important social media engagement is.

Here is a running list of ways you can connect with your audience. This can apply to a brand, small business or even someone like Lady Gaga (but we all know she’s got her social media skills down! I.E. Little monsters):

• Use visuals: It could be a photo streamed through Instagram or retweeting a trending video. Followers love visuals because they can quickly review it on-the-go and keep informed of what’s happening with X, Y and Z companies.
• Be playful: The exciting part about social media is that anyone from managers to assistants can put a face on the brand and strike a conversation with their publics. So start by posing a question– maybe having people filling in the blanks in a sentence related to a category your company embodies. Post a photo with a caption contest or invite others to post photos relevant to the topic as well.  
• Reply, reply, reply: If anyone sends a message or comments on something you did, make sure to reply! Even a simple, “Thank you,” will make them more likely to comment again. Social media gives real-time information, so make these conversations count!
• Engage yourself: Follow and comment on other competitors, followers and sister companies’ activities. It casts a spotlight on a public conversation and channels two-way communication.

All in all, just don’t forget the “social” aspect of social media!