So you are ready to share content with your customers? That’s great. But before you start throwing posts out there, it’s good to remember that you are in the driver’s seat when it comes to consumer engagement and building your social media marketing. With that in mind, there are a few things to think about before you get started.

It’s safe to say we all want engaged consumers. We want customers who are excited about our brand and who want to share that excitement with their friends. After all, that’s the way social media works its magic and leads to more car sales for dealers. But do you know how to make that work for you? Here are a few important things you can do to engage your consumers and get them working to fire up your brand:

Know your audience.

It’s ok if you don’t have a huge audience to start. After all, most of them aren’t grown in the blink of an eye. But whoever you have listening to you, you should know a little something about them. What are their likes, interests, needs? What motivates them? The answers to these questions are important, because they will guide you as you select content that is authentic and that truly speaks to your consumers.

It’s not all about selling.

You want to sell more cars—everyone who is selling anything needs to eventually sell products in order to make a living. But—and this is a BIG but—if you continuously inundate your audience with nothing but hard-sell content, you will lose friends faster than snow melting in the desert.

Listen to your customers.

Don’t tell your story all the time. Allow your customers to express themselves and show their personalities. Online forums are famous for engaging followers with quizzes, surveys, simple questions, or even requests for photos (think “Throwback Thursday”). If you really want to boost your engagement, interact with your consumers instead of just talking to them. Ask them a question, or request feedback, comments, or pictures.

Provide quality content.

While your online site may be loads of fun, the thing that will continuously bring your customers back to you is the content you create and share. Do your research, and make sure your article is well-written and proofread so you are able to avoid errors. Provide content that is rich in subject matter and is of interest to your audience, and they will keep coming back for more.

Remember, you are creating a community. Much like the community that surrounds your brick-and-mortar store, your online community looks to you to provide the content they are looking for. As a smart business owner and marketer, you hold the keys when it comes to engaging your consumers—and in today’s digital world, consumer engagement is key.