We're constantly interested in how best to engage with customers. After all, it's the main business we're in here. What is advertising but delivering the right message to the right people at the right time? 

So it was with some interest that we recently came across this article by Brian Solis at the Harvard Business Review: "Social Media's Impending Flood of Customer Unlikes"

Darts-blindfolded
Brian's main point is that, while companies are attempting to build equity through social media, they are essentially delivering content that falls on deaf ears. Companies are still stuck in the broadcast model: throwing untargeted messages at consumers and expecting a lot of enagement in return. But because one of social media's abilities is to allow a customer to listen only to things that interest them, brands' are increasingly being tuned out and unfollowed.

So, it's up to brands to make sure that their messages are interesting, engaging and most importantly, useful. Research shows pretty consistently that consumers follow brands that give them valuable offers/discounts or in order to make purchases. 

Strategy is the key here. Finding out what a brands' customers want from their social media stream and giving more of it. This can create what social media is ultimately all about, a conversation, and that's the true meaning of engagement.