Slowly but surely, it is becoming more difficult to read anything about marketing these days without reading about engaging potential customers. But what does that really mean?

Engaging means capturing someone’s attention – connecting – and having a conversation. Not easy to do on the internet, particularly when there are millions of other things clamoring for attention at the same time.

However, that doesn’t mean its something that can’t be obtainable. It just means we need to try harder.

The thing is, your customers want to talk to you. They want to know what you think, and most importantly, they want to believe that you care what they think.

It’s not too hard despite what might be thought. Here are 7 simple conversation starters to get your audience talking to you.

#1: Express an Opinion about Industry News

It’s important to build authority within your industry or niche? One of the best ways to do that AND start a conversation with followers is to express an opinion – particularly if it might be new or controversial. Of course, this should only be done with a prepared opinion to back up the proposal.

A good way to get started with this tactic is to follow relevant publishers and influencers in an industry. When seeing a post of a piece of news that’s relevant to followers, read the article (or watch the video) and figure out what can be added to the conversation. Then share it – and make sure to include a call to action that encourages followers to chime in with their own opinions.

#2: Ask for Stories and Experiences

Everybody has a story to tell – and when speaking to an audience who all have something in common with you, then it’s easy to think of a topic that may inspire people to share their stories.

The key here is to share first-hand stories and then ask followers to share their best stories with you. For example, say you own a travel agency. You might tell a story of a trip you booked for yourself before you were a travel agent and how it went wrong. Then, you could ask your followers for their travel horror stories.

The benefit of this type of sharing is that it provides you with an opportunity to respond, express sympathy or amazement, and build a bond with potential customers online.

#3: Get Recommendations

People might love to tell stories, but what else do they like? Giving advice and making recommendations! And asking them for recommendations is a great way to get them talking.

What kind of recommendations should be asked for? Ideally, they should be relevant to the desired product or service. For example, marketing personnel might ask:

  • What are your favorite marketing podcasts?
  • What publications do you follow on Facebook and Twitter?
  • Which marketing technique is your favorite, and why?
  • What marketing apps would you recommend?

This is the generalized idea. The main key is not to stray too far from the brand and product. Instead, keep a tight focus and encourage followers to share their experiences and recommendations other.

#4: Promote Your Events and Your Community

Appearing at a local street fair or charity event can provide benefits? Sharing made involvement is a great way to remind people that you stand for something other than making money – and to underscore your involvement in your community and industry.

Even if there is no history of appearing at an event, there’s a benefit to letting followers know what’s going on in the community. Giving a nod to other businesses or to local charities can help build trust and earn the admiration of followers. Encourage conversation by asking questions like these:

  • Will you be attending the Fourth of July celebration?
  • What the last community event you attended?

Another option is to include an open call to action at the end, something like “We hope you’ll stop by and check out our booth! There’s a free gift in it for you!”

#5: Ask about DIY Projects

Whatever industry or niche you’re in, the chances are good that followers have some DIY experiences that are relevant. Asking about them is a great way to learn about potential customers and build a warm rapport with them by responding to what they share.

Ideally, a DIY project should be something that uses (or could use) your products. However, it doesn’t have to be. The key is to find a way to make what you post relevant to your brand – and then stand back and let your followers do the rest.

#6: Ask Open Questions

Asking questions is one of the best ways to get followers talking. It’s especially helpful to get them talking in a way that helps to learn more about them – because that’s information can be use to create future content.

For example, if you’re targeting small business owners, you could ask questions like:

  • What’s your biggest challenge as a business owner?
  • What problem do you wish someone would solve for you?
  • What product or service has helped you the most?

The answers to these questions can help in writing blog posts, creating a social media strategy, or even develop new products that are ideal for your target audience.

#7: Ask for Testimonials

It’s fact that reviews and testimonials are hugely important in the world of marketing. What better way to get some new testimonials to share on a site than to ask customers to provide them on social media?

Not only will asking for opinions help to get some positive testimonials, but it may also help to discover potential issues and nip them in the bud before they become big problems. Now be prepared for some surprises – but if the request is approached with the right mindset, this technique can help in learning a lot about customers.

Look who’s talking… 

The bottom line is that your audience wants to talk to you. They don’t read a blog or follow social media because they’re looking for a lecture. The key is to give them the encouragement they need to share their thoughts, experiences, and opinions with you – and then, to stand back and listen to what they say.