In this day and age social media is a necessary tool for all companies – big and small. And since the landscape is constantly evolving with new platforms and best practices, we know it can be challenging and confusing for brands to maintain an engaged presence. This is what you can be doing right now to be a social media star to your followers: 1. Pay to play Since Facebook introduced paid posts for brands, it’s been increasingly difficult to get organic reach for content.  Facebook uses an algorithm to determine who will see your posts and more often than not, you have to pay to see interaction. Right now, the average organic reach of a Facebook post is just 6% of its total reach. Thankfully, the cost of paying to boost a Facebook post is incredibly affordable and attainable for most brands (for now!), and we see traction with as little as $10. 2. Give the people what they want - be transparent People crave real, authentic content from brands. Especially when they are your loyal followers (or customers!). Showing what’s going on behind the scenes gives your followers more information about your company, helps you connect with your followers in a deep, meaningful and human way, and it makes your followers feel special – like they’re part of an exclusive club. We love this example of a behind-the-scenes glimpse into one of our favorite food companies – Pacific Foods. Here's another great example: 3. Engage, engage, engage There are two super simple tactics you can use to engage with followers and we’re spilling the beans. #1 – ask thoughtful questions! We mean something that seeks their opinion or feedback and can’t be answered with a simple “yes” or “no.” And #2 respond when they engage! It seems like a no-brainer, but so many brands miss this opportunity. Take the time to respond to comments, good and bad, answer questions, thank people for sharing, and partake in a little witty banter. What are your best practices or tried and true tips for social media? Share with us on Facebook or Twitter!