Ever find yourself in a crowded room where you only know about half the people around you? Some people walk up and directly talk to you, others you reach out to, but there’s always that one group of people that you can’t seem to meet. You linger around the food table overhearing small phrases here and there, wanting to jump in but just never knowing the right time. Just like a crowded party, social media engagement can sometime seem like you’re always waiting for the right time to jump in. In the social space and especially when using social media monitoring platforms to do your research, many of the keyword matched mentions you’ll see and be looking for ways to engage with will not be direct @mentions to you. Engaging with the “about” conversation is an art and not always paint by numbers.

“To” vs “About”
The big difference between these two types of conversation is that one has the direct intention of wanting a response from you. When you @mention someone you are walking up to that person, tapping them on the shoulder and saying ‘Hey, talk to me.’ If someone is talking about you or a subject you’re interested in, they may want you to jump in but they’re not expressly setting you up to. Think back to our crowded party and imagine someone who stands beside you talking about taxes all night long and you’re an accountant.

Inviting Yourself to the Conversation
If you see a conversation happening that is about your subject matter of interest or even mentions your name, there are times when it’s okay to jump in for these reasons. Just remember to be polite about it. Nothing kills a party vibe more than someone interrupting and saying ‘Talk to me, talk to me!’. If they’ve mentioned your name, offer to help with any questions they might have first or even simply ask if it’s you they are talking about. If the subject matter is what you’d like to engage with, have a reason ready why they should care about what you are saying. If they are talking about taxes and you’re an accountant, say that. Be transparent so your interest in engaging with them is clear.

Friendly Following & Lovely Liking
If you’re not ready to step up and dive into conversation just yet, considering giving someone a nod from across the room when you hear them mention your favorite sports team. Following or liking something someone says is a great way to acknowledge you’ve heard them, without running over and screaming ‘Go Team!’ in their face.

Private Message
If you are able to send a private message to the person, this can be a way to start a dialogue without interrupting their current flow. Think of if you were at a party and waited until someone had gone for another drink before approaching them. It gives you a place to engage one to one without invading the space of the group.

Follow Up Email
Maybe they’re one of your customers and you already have their contact information or maybe through your private messaging, they choose to share that information with you, whatever the case continuing a conversation that you saw in the social space over to a follow up email is another way of continuing the engagement. It’s like making a new friend and giving them a buzz after the party to go to a ball game, at the next party you’ll be able to talk to them directly since you’ve spent some time together.

Whatever way you choose to engage with the ‘about’ conversation, make sure you are aware of it and it varies from how you handle the ‘to’ conversation. Taking the time to plan these interactions will help to make sure you are the one at the party everyone wants to talk to!

How do you engage with the ‘about’ conversation? Do you respond to mentions that don’t directly @mention you? Do you treat all of these conversations the same?

Tags: online presence, Social Etiquette, Social Media