How to Know Your Audience Using Social Media
As much as we want to be mind readers, we aren't. When it comes to knowing what people are thinking, we can start by watching and listening to what they say, and then do our best to interpret this information. However, if we're going to know for sure what people want, we need to ask.
One way to ask your audience what they want is with opportunities provided by social media.
For example, ask a question in a post, put out a poll, and engage with people in groups. You get the answers you need, and best of all, it is free!
So let's get started! Down below are the best social media platforms and tricks to ask your audience questions
Instagram stories allow you to get creative with your content and share the real and raw moments. You have a lot of ways that you can make your stories exciting and engaging for your audience. Just be mindful that your stories only last 24 hours and then they disappear (unless you add them to a Highlight category).
Polls - Instagram polls are a simple, fun, and easy way to ask your audience a question quickly. Remember, polls only give your audience two options to answer. Once they pick an answer, they will see the current tally percentage for that poll.
Quiz - Quizzes are the most recent Instagram story feature that allows you to learn more about your viewers. A quiz is a multiple-choice sticker that gives you four lines to put in your story about whatever you want, offering your audience a chance to give one correct answer. Once someone chooses, they can see right away if their selection was correct or incorrect. Quizzes let you learn about your audience, and it is a fast and easy way for your audience to engage with your brand.
Questions - This feature allows your audience to get more personal with you. You can ask a specific question and it will give your followers a place to write their recommendations, opinions, or answer. The fun part is, you are then able to share everyone's answers anonymously so others can see. This is an excellent exercise to use if you are posting an FAQ.
Remember that long-form answers, or comments, take longer for your audience to write, so you may not get as much engagement as you would with a poll or a quiz. However, the information you receive can be quite insightful.
Polls - Facebook polls (2020) are similar to Instagram's except for a few things. Instead of only being active for 24 hours, you can keep them active for however long you want. You still only have two poll options, but Facebook gives you 25 characters for each option, whereas Instagram only gives you 21.
Facebook also allows you to input photos or GIFS that relate to each option.
Another fun thing about Facebook polls is that, just like a regular post, you can schedule your poll ahead of time to go live for whenever you want.
Community Groups - Community groups or pages are a great way to find a bunch of people all talking about the same thing or all having the same concerns. If you find a group of people that match your target audience, you can post in those groups and ask questions for them to engage. This allows you to get honest feedback and can get you noticed.
If you don't feel confident enough to post in groups, you can take some time scrolling through previous conversations and look for some frequently asked questions.
Website
Survey/Questionnaires - Most website platforms will give you the option to create a questionnaire or a survey. If you have a lot of traffic coming into your website, this might be an effective strategy to implement.
Another way to get some answers from your audience is to offer a freebie at the end (e.g. "Answer these three simple questions to receive your free download!").
If you have an online checkout system set up with your website, there is often an option to ask some personal questions before your buyer purchases your item. Don't make it too complicated for them, but this would be an opportunity to find out some things about them, such as their business name (if they have one), what area they live in, how they heard about you, etc.
There are many free ways to get inside the head of your perfect client, and all you have to do is find them on their most-used platform, ask questions and let them do the talking.