Introduction
This assignment requires defining a technical term of interest for a specific “non-technical” audience using three definitions: a parenthetical definition, a sentence definition and an expanded definition. The learning objective is to discover the importance of different definitions in technical writing and their individual roles. By doing this, an understanding of the appropriate amount of detail required per definition and the correct usage of each definition depending on audience and purpose is gained.
I have selected the term “engagement” in the social media context. The purpose of defining engagement is for individuals who want to learn how to build their social media platforms in order to understand the function and purpose of engagement which is a crucial component to growing and monitoring a social media platform.
Parenthetical Definition
In the context of social media, measuring engagement (the number of likes, comments and shares) requires a post on a social media account.
Sentence Definition
Engagement is a common metric for evaluating performance on social media through interaction between a user and an online brand.
Expanded Definitions
Visual
FIGURE 1 Description of Instagram Engagement
The visual provided is a screenshot of the insights tab on an Instagram post. Engagement is found and calculated by looking at number of likes, number of comments, number of direct messages, number of saves and number of profile visits/clicks.
Negation
While engagement does refer to a connection between the user and the brand, it does not necessarily translate to sales (Chen, 2020). Furthermore, interaction is required for engagement, which is not to be confused with impressions or reach. Impressions are the number of times your post is displayed and reach is the total number of people who view your post, both of which are not associated with the number of likes, comments and shares your post receives (York, 2020). Unlike most individuals will state, an engagement in the social media context does not refer to an agreement to marriage.
Operating Principle
Engagement is used for evaluations and performance of your account. On social media platforms, the more your followers engage with your posts, the more likely your account will show up on their feed/timeline (Bellavista, Foschini, & Ghiselli, 2019). Additionally, engagement by followers systematically increases the reach of your account which in turn will boost engagement, assuming your content is geared appropriately to your target audience and demographic. Therefore, the overall purpose of engagement is to increase the exposure to your brand and ensure active interaction by followers.
Required Conditions
In order to have active engagement, time and effort are required on your part. First, you determine and cater directly to your target audience (McLachlan, 2020). This means generating content that is adapted specifically to the group of individuals you are marketing towards. When your target audience is determined, you must post in a language/voice suitable for your demographic (i.e. a relatable tone; you would not use a professional tone if your demographic is teenagers). Secondly, proactive interaction is vital for engagement. When a follower posts a comment, you must take the time to respond, especially if it is a question. The goal here is to not only initiate further interaction, but form a long-term relationship with the user so that they continue to engage with your posts (Odynokova, 2019).
Examples
Social media platforms have their own examples and mechanisms for evaluating engagement with their posts (Chen, 2020). For example, Twitter measures engagement through retweets, likes, and replies; Facebook uses reacts to posts, shares, comments, and impressions; Instagram uses likes, comments, shares, saves, and profile clicks (Odynokova, 2019). All of the different methods of measurement are used systematically to determine overall user engagement.
Works Cited
Bellavista, P., Foschini, L., & Ghiselli, N. (2019). Analysis of Growth Strategies in Social
Media: The Instagram Use Case. ResearchGate. doi:10.1109/CAMAD.2019.8858439
Chen, J. (2020). What Is Social Media Engagement & Why Should I Care? Retrieved
January 22, 2021, from https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-engagement/
McLachlan, S. (2020). How to Increase Social Media Engagement: A Guide for Marketers.
Retrieved January 22, 2021, from https://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-engagement/
#:~:text=What%20is%20social%20 media%20engagement,not%20just%20a%20big%20one
Odynokova, T. (2019). What Is Social Media Engagement and Why Is It Important?
Retrieved January 22, 2021, from https://promorepublic.com/en/blog/glossary/
what-is-social-media-engagement/
York, A. (2020). Reach vs Impressions: What’s the Difference in Terms? Retrieved January
22, 2021, from https://sproutsocial.com/insights/reach-vs-impressions/
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