Why We Like Outbound Engagement
Why we like it, and how to do it. Cause a lot of you do it wrong!
Outbound engagement gets a bad rap. It’s seen as sales-y, cringey, invasive and just not ‘it’… Now, this is true, when you do it wrong! We love doing outbound engagement for all of our clients, so here’s a breakdown of how we approach it, our strategy, as well as a couple of things to avoid.
WHAT OUTBOUND ENGAGEMENT ENTAILS
You would think that outbound engagement only entails cold DM’ing, but it’s more than that! It’s basically you making the first move on someone else’s comments or in their DM’s! It’s you reaching out first, in any form, on social media. A lot of people (and even brands) do it wrong, which is what makes any form of outbound engagement such a land-mine for many.
OUTBOUND ENGAGEMENT ON IG VERSUS TIKTOK
On IG, outbound engagement is much less influential than on TikTok. The comment section on TikTok is the place to be! Everyone jumps to the comment section in most videos to see what others are saying as well as to interact with others. In this blog, we’re generally speaking about outbound engagement, but whenever we mention anything about comments, just know that it’s a lot more common to apply these practices on TikTok! DM’ing as a form of outbound engagement is more common on IG (which some of you know too well from being cold DM’ed, I’m sure).
WHAT NOT TO DO
Cold DM’ing: This refers to DM’ing people and asking them to buy from you, sign up to your newsletter or follow you. This is a hard no! Your DM’s should be used to build connections.
Asking people to follow you: This will immediately discredit your brand. Never ask for others to follow you. If they get something from your content, they will, and that’s not something you can decide for them.
Having selfish intentions: Yes, they can tell. When you’re engaging with the intention for them to follow you, or buy from you - you’re not engaging with them because you want to connect with them, and that’s not authentic.
An example of this is when you strike a relationship with someone in your DM’s through asking them general questions (e.g. where they’re from, how they are) and then end up selling to them. The reason why this is a big no-no is because you’re just mislead them and therefore, also lost their trust as a potential customer.
Stay respectful: It’s common for brands to get caught up in Gen-Z lingo and take it a little too far which makes what they’re saying disrespectful. Keep in mind, that you’re a brand and you always want to keep it fun and light-hearted.
OUR APPROACH
Outbound engagement should only be used for the following:
Building a connection: You want to build a connection with your audience. Comment on their photos where you are tagged, repost their stories and even respond to their DM’s. This will help them not only trust you more, but it will make your customers feel seen by you (which is so important). The DM-feature on both IG & TikTok are a great way to do this.
Raising awareness: The TikTok comment section is a great way to actually get discovered and gain traction as an individual & brand!
HOW TO DO IT
Here’s a list of specific strategies you can apply for yourself..
Set aside 10-15 minutes per day to connect with people on IG! Make sure to respond to all your comments & DM’s, leave some comments on posts within your industry, as well as with potential clients/ customers (if it applies).
Discover potential customers via hashtags and engage with their content! Remember not to be too spammy, and do this only with the intention of connecting with others. Liking & leaving comments where it’s natural and where it applies to you, is fine. But leaving generic comments like “love this!” isn’t necessary.
Entertain through the comment section on TikTok! This is common and a great way to connect with potential customers and therefore, raise awareness for your brand. Here’ s an example of fantastic outbound engagement done by Fenty’s audience (yes, brands can comment those with that tone too)!
AND IN THE DM’S?
Should you engage with people in the DM’s? The general consensus is a no for this one, especially if it’s the first time you’re engaging with them. Although, this depends, case by case, on industry & approach. Again, reaching out for the sake of connecting in the DM’s is fine (even for the sake of entertaining) but the majority of the time, people expect a sale, so they will ignore!
ALWAYS TAKE THE COMMUNITY FIRST APPROACH.
Remember that outbound engagement is all about community building and nothing to do with you as an individual or brand. Keep the focus on your audience and just like with your content, think about how you can bring value to them!
