What is directed engagement?

Directed Engagement is how you meaningfully connect with your audience by engaging them where they are, in ways they love in intentional ways that generate actions & insights.

Directed Engagement is a marketing strategy that focuses on driving the actions that create the most value for your brand where your audience spends the most time (usually social media these days).

For example, one of the top-performing methods of Directed Engagement is giveaways on Instagram. Why do Instagram giveaways perform so well with Directed Engagement? Three reasons:

1. Instagram has 4X higher engagement than any other social media network.
2. Giveaways specify how to engage with you for a chance to win.
3. Existing platforms with billions of users like Instagram empower you to engage people where they spend the most time.

What's the result? Meaningful, targeted engagement at scale. We also get the welcome side effect of growth by reaching lookalike audiences due to social media's viral nature (e.g., I share with friends like me).

What does this look like in practice? Here's an example. If I run an Instagram giveaway, I might specify four entry criteria, each with a specific purpose:

• Like this post: Creates engagement.
• Follow me: Grows your audience and seeds future engagement.
• Comment about your favorite X (flavor, color, model, or whatever is relevant to your offering): Creates positive patterns of association with your brand in a fun way.
• Tag 3+ friends for bonus entries: Exposes you to new prospects, especially lookalikes (people most often share with friends like them).

Example Instagram giveaway entry rules from the free POPSMASH Instagram giveaway app designed to drive Directed Engagement.

It's not often that you get the opportunity to specify how customers engage with you in such a cost-effective and scalable way, so give Directed Engagement a try with Instagram giveaways. The free POPSMASH Instagram giveaway app makes it a breeze. Here's an in-depth Instagram giveaway guide to get started.