7 Ways to Get More Engaged Followers on Social Media Discover how to create value and attract your audience with real and engaging content.

The pressure of managing your personal branding on social media can get stressful. From planning content ideas to learning new tools and trends and keeping the audience engaged, this may feel like you have plunged into a new job role with no known skill set.

Related: 22 statistics that prove the value of personal branding

Here are seven ways to accelerate your personal branding from a mediocre to an impressive digital presence.

1. Crystallize your purpose into content

After setting an impressive profile picture and writing your bio, you would ask yourself, "What should my first post be about?" Rather than being broadly spontaneous, have a clear vision of defining your purpose to build your personal brand on the digital media and plan your social media content strategy accordingly.

● Create your website to connect with your audience professionally

● Write blogs to tell your brand story and offer valuable information

● Build trust by answering questions related to your specialization on social media platforms

● Share photos and video content regularly

Richard Branson, the Virgin Group founder, effortlessly blends his personality with his professional life by living his brand name each day. From celebrating his employees' efforts to sharing innovation stories of his business, Branson's social media content is bold, emotionally appealing, and vividly speaks of his passion.

Related: Why Building a Personal Brand is More Important Than Ever

2. Beautify content with visuals that create an impact

Your personal branding should be visually appealing to capture the audience's attention. As an entrepreneur, you are aware of the undeniable efforts of establishing a business identity, from brainstorming visual designs to writing catchy captions. Your personal branding includes similar elements.

● Create a logo that defines your brand personality

● Use a consistent color scheme that reflects your brand proposition.

● Create high-quality photo and video content

● Keep up to the latest digital media trends to enhance your visual content

Statistics prove that people make a subconscious judgment about a product within 90 seconds of first viewing, and 62- 90 percent of that assessment is based on color alone.

3. Tailor unique content for different platforms

It is wise for time-pressed entrepreneurs to be selective of their social media strategy, depending on their business goals and audience. While Facebook and Instagram are ideal for building brand loyalty and attracting leads, LinkedIn and Twitter will help to connect with like-minded people and expand your professional network.

Here are three questions to ask before you post on your social media channels:

● Is my content relevant to my target audience on this channel?

● How should I share content: photos, videos, text, or a combination of all?

● What are my expectations by posting this content?

Oprah Winfrey prefers to actively use Twitter and Facebook to engage with her viewers with live polls and questions and later discuss the responses with real-time guests. This selective technique helps Oprah to use interactive tools and techniques to her business advantage and conveniently reach out to her target audience.

Related: Your Personal Brand is Just as Important as Your Business Brand

4. Engage with your audience

Your personal branding growth is directly proportionate to the time you invest in engaging with your audience. Influencers, particularly on Instagram and YouTube, make time to respond to the thousands of comments besides sharing content regularly. Digital media today is competitive, and one of the best ways to expand your reach is by interacting with the community of followers you are building.

According to Mark Roberge, the bestselling author of The Sales Acceleration Formula: Using Data, Technology, and Inbound Selling to go from $0 to $100 Million, "Personal branding is all about building rapport at scale, and rapport is one of the most fundamental sales techniques that veteran salespeople naturally employ to close more deals with less effort."

Here are some of the simplest ways to build rapport:

● Ask questions to make the audience feel that their opinions matter to you

● Share unique stories that break conventional norms

● Use tools such as polls, questions, and quizzes to encourage participation

● Go live and spark a conversation with your audience

● Express your opinions over comments or topics that catch your attention

5. Be real

Digital media makes your personal branding highly transparent to a vast network of people who are observant of your actions, from what you share to how you engage with your audience. According to a study, 94% of customers are likely to be loyal to a brand that offers complete transparency.

Gary Vaynerchuk, New York Times bestselling author, speaker, and Internet personality, says, "You have to understand your own personal DNA. Don't do things because I do them, or Steve Jobs or Mark Cuban tried it. You need to know your personal brand and stay true to it."

Here is how you can highlight authenticity in your personal branding efforts

● Keep your tone of voice consistent across your social media channels

● Share genuine content that makes the audience feel believable about your actions

● Respond optimistically rather than reacting negatively

6. Share personal experiences with a professional approach

Personal branding in the digital space is different from your personal social media account, which is private to a close group of people. What you share on your public platform as a part of personal branding is viewed by millions of people and creates an everlasting impression about your personal brand.

Before you decide to share content, ask yourself:

● What do I wish to gain from this?

● Does this fit into my personal branding strategy?

● What values does this reflect about me professionally?

7. Consistency for the win

Planning a long-term strategy is imperative to achieve your personal branding goals. Amidst busy schedules, when you tend to lose sight of how to manage your demanding social media branding, take a step back and ask yourself "Why did I start this?"

Here is what you can do if you feel deadlocked:

● Gain inspiration from social media influencers

● Use apps and tools to organize content for all your social media platforms

● Keep your goals relevant and straightforward

● Dedicate time to create content and engage with your audience

Travel influencers such as Alyssa Ramos have turned their passion for traveling into a full-time business by consistently writing and sharing content. In 2016 alone, Ramos claimed to earn $25,000 by blogging and posting travel-related content on her website and social media platforms.

Related: How to Build a Business Plan for Your Personal Brand

With a vital purpose and a sense of direction, personal branding on digital media is one of the best ways to get closer to your audience and add value to your business. All you need is the dedication and passion for connecting your brand to the social world.