Proactive Engagement: What It Is and Why Your Brand Needs It

Social media is no longer just a place for broadcasting content — it’s where cultural moments are discussed, shaped, and amplified. When a video goes viral, you'll likely see brands present in the comment section, eager to join the conversation.

This shift highlights the need for brands to stay culturally relevant and connect authentically with their audiences. This is especially crucial for younger generations, who view social media as a place for connection, meaningful discussion, and exploration. According to TikTok’s 2023 What’s Next Trend Report, 67% of Gen Z TikTok users engage with the platform not just for entertainment, but to learn, explore, and discuss topics that matter to them.

What is Proactive or Outbound Engagement?

Proactive brand engagement, also known as outbound community management or outbound commenting, involves stepping beyond your social media accounts to participate in broader conversations.

While inbound engagement focuses on responding to comments and messages on your own content, proactive engagement is about actively seeking opportunities to connect with new users in meaningful ways.

Inbound vs. Outbound Engagement

• Inbound Engagement: This refers to community management, which consists of replying to comments on your posts or engaging with direct messages sent to your account. This is key to building trust, engaging customers, and improving customer experiences.
• Outbound Engagement: This involves proactively commenting on posts from other accounts when it makes sense for your brand—not just chasing every viral moment. By engaging thoughtfully, your brand can enhance its visibility and brand affinity.

Why Proactive Engagement Matters

Proactive outbound engagement serves as a powerful “billboard” for your brand, attracting potential customers and new audiences. Proactive engagement offers a refreshing alternative to traditional ads by guaranteeing new eyeballs while emphasizing relevance.

• Ensuring Visibility. Participating in conversations around trending topics that align with your brand’s values makes your brand stand out, drawing users back to your profile and content.
• Building Authentic Connections. Proactive engagement strengthens relationships with your audience, enhancing brand affinity. When your brand demonstrates an understanding of the world through smart commentary, users begin to see your brand as more human and relatable.

How to Find Opportunities to Engage

To find opportunities for proactive communications, brands can leverage several strategies that keep them connected to their audience and the broader conversation. Here are key tactics to implement:

1) Follow and Track Trending Hashtags:

Regularly monitor and track trending industry-related hashtags to discover popular and relevant content. Engaging with posts that utilize these hashtags positions your brand as an active participant in meaningful discussions. You can use tools like BrandBastion to track trending hashtags on Instagram, which helps identify conversations that resonate with your target audience.

2) Identify Relevant Influencers:

Create a curated list of influencers and content creators who resonate with your brand’s values and aesthetics. Engage with their content by commenting, sharing, or collaborating. Influencers often have dedicated audiences that align with your target market, so their posts present valuable opportunities for meaningful engagement.

• Engage with Other Brand Accounts:

Engaging with other brand accounts can be a strategic way to increase visibility and build connections. Depending on your niche, this approach can vary significantly. Sometimes, engaging directly with your competition can lead to fun interactions that resonate with audiences and even go viral. For instance, playful banter or collaborative comments between rival brands can create buzz and draw attention from followers of both brands.

If such bold interactions don’t align with your strategy, you can still find value in commenting on posts from other brands outside yopur direct competition. For example, if you’re in the makeup industry, engaging with department stores where your brand products are sold or fashion brands can be highly effective. Commenting on a fashion post with insights about how your makeup complements the latest trends not only highlights your products but also shows your brand’s awareness of the broader lifestyle context.

• Connect with Your Target Customer:

To find the target audience for your products or services, engage with posts from users who actively participate in conversations relevant to your brand. Utilize trending hashtags to identify users from your potential customer base. Commenting on their content can help establish connections and draw them to your brand. Understanding who your audience is will guide you in crafting thoughtful comments that resonate with them.

• Tap into the Cultural Zeitgeist:

Stay attuned to current events, trends, and cultural moments. Engage with content related to these zeitgeists, as they can provide rich opportunities for connection. By participating in discussions around popular culture or trending topics, your brand can showcase its personality and align itself with what’s relevant in your audience’s lives.

• Explore Meme Accounts:

Keep an eye on meme accounts within your niche. These accounts often have high engagement rates and can provide humorous contexts for your brand to join conversations.

Implementing an Effective Outbound Commenting Strategy

To fully leverage the power of proactive engagement, brands must adopt a clear and strategic approach to outbound commenting. Here are five recommended steps:

1) Establish a clear brand voice

Have a clear brand voice that reflects your identity and values. Whether your brand's social tone of voice is more playful, direct, or empathetic, having a well-defined voice helps guide your engagement and makes your interactions feel authentic.

2) Know when to join the conversation

When considering outbound commenting, it’s essential to ensure that your engagement is appropriate and relevant. Here are key conditions to keep in mind before joining the conversation:

• Relevance: Ensure your comment aligns with the post's content and resonates with your brand’s values. Comments that feel forced or out of place can detract from your brand image.
• Context Awareness: Understand the context of the post you’re commenting on. If there's any chance your comment could be perceived as insensitive, problematic, or out of touch, it's best to avoid commenting altogether.
• Avoid Sensitive Topics: Steer clear of commenting on religious or political content unless your brand operates within that niche. Such engagements can trigger potential crises or backlash.
• Inappropriate or Sensitive Content: Do not engage with posts that contain hate speech, controversial topics, or other offensive material.

3) Engage authentically

Here are some tips for engaging authentically:

• Add Value: Don’t just reword the original post. Instead, contribute with original thoughts, insights, or humor that enhance the conversation. Your comment should enrich the dialogue rather than simply reiterate the post.
• Avoid Self-Promotion: Focus on being genuine and relatable rather than self-promotional. Comments that come off as too commercial can alienate users. Instead, aim to create a positive connection with the audience.
• Be Thoughtful: Again, asses the context before issuing the reply. A thoughtful or funny reply that aligns with the tone of the conversation will be much more appreciated.

4) Monitor and analyze engagement

Regularly review the performance of your outbound engagement efforts. Pay attention to engagement metrics, such as likes, replies, and overall sentiment. This data will help you refine your strategy and focus on what works best. Here are key metrics to report on:

• Engagement Metrics: Track the number of comments made and responses received, including likes and replies to your comments.
• Follower Growth: Monitor changes in follower count that could have resulted from your engagement activities.
• Profile Visits: Record the number of visits to your profile, which may increase with outbound commenting.

5) Stay consistent

Maintain a consistent commenting schedule and be persistent in your engagement efforts. Consider hiring a full-time community manager for this purpose or utilizing social media solutions like BrandBastion's Proactive Engagement. Over time, your brand will become recognized as a relevant player in conversations, leading to increased visibility and community growth.