Audience engagement (or the lack thereof) can make or break your business. It’s not just enough to provide stellar customer service. These days, you also need to show your audience that care, respect, and value them enough to take the time to get to know them. One of the best ways to do that is to focus on developing audience engagement so that they can get to know, like, and trust you too.

Here are five reasons why audience engagement is important for your business:

Reason #1 – Audience engagement is affirming for you

When your audience engages with you either by replying to your emails, or commenting on your social platforms, it is an affirmation that you’re doing something right. By the same token, a lack of engagement can also show when you’re off the mark. Engaging with your audience helps you learn more about them. Since you should always be getting to know your audience, this is a great way to do it.

Reason #2 – Audience engagement starts the conversation

When you engage with your audience, you start conversations. What is content if not a conversation with your audience about their problems and your solutions? When you can converse with your audience intelligently, it helps them get to know you better. Plus, it gives them an opportunity to let you know what they want and need from you.

Using different types of content can help to start the conversations too. Interactive content such as quizzes and surveys give your audience a voice at the same time they’re giving you insight into what your people need and are expecting from you.

Reason #3 – Audience engagement provides brand awareness and reach

When people share the conversation you’re having with your audience via blog posts, articles, social media updates and even TikTok videos, you expand your reach and that means the awareness of your business goes up. This is one of the main reasons that keeping your social media and blog open for comments from the public is essential.

Reason #4 –Audience engagement opens the doors to your business

Joining conversations that you’re having online and offline (at events) is a way to open the doors for people to join your email lists or your business as a customer. One of the best things you can do to make audience engagement easier for them is to be ready with a good landing page designed to capture the right information that you need to work with the person or get them on your list.

Reason #5 – Audience engagement is key for improving authenticity

When people can see and hear you being yourself, they’re going to view you as more authentic than if you weren’t engaging regularly with your audience. The more ways you can find to engage with your audience, the more authentic they’ll believe you to be. “Fake it til you make it” can only take you so far. Everyone knows that people can only be fake for so long before the truth comes out.

Live conversations are great for this! Using things like Zoom or FB Live to do Q and A sessions or teach something live has a huge impact on your audience and how they see you.

Final Thoughts

If you want to ensure your business success, the best way to do that is to offer amazing products and/or services, plus engage with your audience on a regular basis in an honest and truthful way. When you do engage with them, they’ll become not only your customers but also your fans. They’ll spread the word for you about your business and sing your praises to everyone.