Congratulations on your engagement! Not in the romantic sense, of course (that’s none of our business), but if you’re reading this post, it means that you’re committed to increasing your social media engagement.
Read on for the best tips and tricks to get more likes, comments, shares and saves on your content—it’s a big commitment, but we do crazy things for the followers we love.
Bonus: Use our free engagement rate calculator to find out your engagement rate 4 ways fast. Calculate it on a post-by-post basis or for an entire campaign — for any social network.
What is an engagement post on social media?
An engagement post on social media is any type of content that encourages audiences to interact with it, for example, by liking, commenting on, sharing or saving. Engagement means that a user is connecting with the content and taking a specific action as a result, not just being a passive viewer.
Engagement rate is one of the most accurate ways to measure your success on social media. You can find your current engagement rate by using Hootsuite’s free engagement rate calculator, and boost those numbers by trying the following strategies.
19 Engagement post ideas for 2023
1. Host a giveaway
No social media strategy is guaranteed—that is, except for giveaways. Offering free stuff and asking people to interact with you in exchange (e.g. by answering a question in a comment) is one of the simplest and most effective ways to boost your engagement. This type of engagement post is most common on Instagram and Facebook.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Sömn Sustainable Linen Bedding (@somn_home)
When you host a giveaway, first decide what your engagement goals are. Are you aiming to get lots of comments, boost followers, increase your like count? Then, decide your entry method based on those goals.
Hosting a contest or giveaway will:
* Increase your engagement metrics, like number of comments, shares, likes and saves
* Give users something to gain when interacting with your content
* Improve your relationship with your followers
2. Hold a caption contest
A caption contest is a type of contest or giveaway that requires the user to be a little creative. It’s not just about liking a post or tagging a friend; entrants need to put some thought into their answers. Caption contests are most successful with dynamic, engaging photos, like this one:
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by REMY & ARTHUR 𝖲𝗁𝖺𝗋-𝖯𝖾𝗂 (@remyandarthur)
Having a caption contest can help you:
* Encourage your followers to meaningfully interact with your content
* Boost the number of comments you have on a post
* Foster community, as entrants like and comment on other’s entries
3. Be relatable
Relatable content is very sharable. Users who connect with your posts (or know someone who connects with your posts) are likely to tag friends, share and save your content.
Source: Facebook
For example, the post above from online magazine Reductress points out the very niche (but relatable) problem of eating without watching TV. The post has a ton of comments, mostly of people tagging their friends, as well as 70 shares and almost 1000 likes.
Being relatable will lead to:
* Users tagging their friends in your comments
* Building an authentic relationship with your audience
* More diversity in your content (not every post has to be solely marketing-focused)
4. Host a poll
Who can resist a poll? Polls on social media are extremely easy to participate in. Plus, polls on Twitter and Instagram both have an added engagement incentive: users can’t see the results of the poll unless they vote themselves, which means that they need to engage in order to gain information.
Source: Twitter
The more controversial the poll, the more likely you’re going to be to generate more engagement—users may start duking it out in the comments or share the results on their own feeds.
Controversial doesn’t necessarily mean serious. For example, the old pineapple-on-pizza debate is always likely to generate some strong opinions (but as far as we know, it’s never started a war).
Hosting a poll will:
* Create a simple, easy way for your followers to engage with your content
* Allow you to get an idea of what your audience’s opinions are
* Create shareable statistics for both you and your followers
5. Ask for stitching/duets
This type of engagement post is particularly effective on TikTok, where you can ask viewers to duet or stitch your content. This is a much more high-commitment type of engagement than a like or comment, but it will often yield more valuable results.
@kaidenmiller_
#duet with @m0lnigt this was pretty cool #ReadyForHell #duetifiaccidentallydrewyou #isthatme
♬ Music For a Sushi Restaurant – Harry Styles
For example, there’s lots of artists on TikTok posting “duet this if I accidentally drew you” videos—which usually show several drawings of people with random features. Other TikTok users are encouraged to duet the video if they see themselves in the mix.
Asking for stitches or duets can help you:
* Encourage other users to make videos that incorporate your content
* Communicate clearly to your followers that you’re looking for this kind of engagement
* See what kind of content excites your followers the most
6. Reply to comments using videos
This one is TikTok-specific, too. TikTok is unique in that you can reply to specific comments by making a video that directly addresses them, with the original comment incorporated into the new TikTok.
@themarshmallowco
Replying to @sincerelysincerity Let’s make and pack this order for Sincere #marshmallow #candymaking #candytok #orderpacking #packanorderwithme
♬ Good Vibes (Instrumental) – Ellen Once Again
This example from a marshmallow making company proves how much TikTok audiences love when their comments are used in this way: a user specifically commented on one TikTok asking the creator to film their specific order.
This is a win-win: the creator has an easy content idea, the commenter gets a little shoutout, and other followers are encouraged to comment, since they see evidence that a comment might get them a video of their own.
Replying to comments using videos can lead to:
* More comments on your posts overall, as users try to be the next person you pick to reply to
* Making your audience feel heard and valued
* Potentially more sales, especially if the comments are related to making or packing orders of a product
7. Ask for advice
Asking for advice on the internet might not yield usable insight, but it will yield plenty of engagement. The social world is full of folks who genuinely want to support each other and also folks who are pretentious know-it-alls who love the sound of themselves typing. This strategy engages both.
Source: Twitter
The tweet above from Fenty Beauty asks for lip gloss advice for a night out (and has the added bonus of asking for products specifically made by Fenty). Consider asking for advice that relates to your brand and niche in order to get relevant—and if you’re lucky, useful—responses.
Asking for advice can:
* Encourage your followers to comment on your post
* Lead to more saves (as others may want to remember that same advice)
* Yield insight into which of your products are follower favourites
8. Ask a question
This strategy is similar to asking for advice, but more open-ended: really, you can ask a question about anything. Jewellery brand Jennybird posted an IG video asking followers to guess what their latest launch would be, and generated lots of comments from guessers.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by JENNY BIRD (@_jennybird)
Asking a question can:
* Get more comments on your post
* Serve as a temperature check for your followers
* Hype up the launch of a new product
9. Ask for questions
Just like the above, but the opposite: invite your followers to ask you questions to increase your engagement rate. NASA used this strategy when streaming a live video—Twitter users could use the hashtag #AskNASA to ask questions to astronauts in space.
Source: Twitter
Asking for questions can lead to:
* Building meaningful, mutual relationships with your followers
* Learning what your followers care about
* Sharing useful information with your followers
10. Post good photos
It’s simple, but it works: just posting a great photo will lead to more comments, likes and shares. Not every photo that you share on your social media needs to be perfect, but consider sliding in a super high-quality, engaging shot every once in a while to increase your brand’s perceived value.
Source: Twitter
For example, this photo from National Geographic is a pretty stunning shot of a polar bear sleeping in a bed of flowers. It has a ton of engagement just based on how beautiful the photo is.
Posting good photos will:
* Encourage your followers to share your content based on aesthetic
* Give your brand a more professional look
* Make your overall feed appear more polished
11. Be specific to your niche
Most of your followers are likely following you because they are interested in your specific niche. They’ll be most engaged by content that fits within that niche. For instance, hair accessory brand Supercrush posts lots of hair-related photos and reels.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Supercrush | all things hair (@supercrush)
The how-to reel above is informational and super useful, but also incorporates one of the company’s products. Folks likely follow this brand because they are interested in hair, so this type of content generates a lot of saves: users can look back on it on their next bad hair day.
Being specific to your niche will:
* Ensure that your followers can connect to your content
* Lead to more saves from interested users
* Make your content focused and specific, so followers know who you are
12. Share personal news
The modern social media users likes to see the real people behind the brands. Humanize your content more by sharing (to your comfort level, of course) personal news or occasions that you are excited about.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Scandinazn Handmade Jewelry (@scandinazn)
This artist celebrated her 33rd birthday by having a 33% off sale on her work, and posted about it on her Instagram. The post likely yielded lots of website visits from people eager to get a deal, but it also has plenty of comments from folks simply wishing her a happy birthday.
Sharing personal news can:
* Give your followers a more authentic perception of your brand
* Yield likes and comments from well-wishers and users who support you
* Be a great excuse to give back to your followers (for example, via a sale or giveaway)
13. Post useful and informative content
If one of your social marketing goals is to get more shares and saves, think about creating content that is useful and informative. If your followers can learn something through your post, they may want to share that knowledge or save it for future use.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Ruby (@worrywellbeing)
For example, the above Instagram post was widely shared because the content is both comforting and inspiring…
@daniellenguyen_
I will be using this heatless curls rod forever!! Such a game changer and it gives my hair so much volume #heatlesscurls #heatlesscurlstutorial #hairhacks #thatgirl #heatlesscurlsresults #hairroutine
♬ Au Revoir – Sweet After Tears
… and this TikTok has a lot of saves from folks looking for heatless curl hacks.
Posting useful and informative content will lead to:
* More shares, as users want to pass the knowledge around
* More saves, as users file the information away for later
* More follows, as users learn that you can be depended on for practical, functional content
14. Share user-generated content
Post user-generated content to show that you’re not the only one hyping up your brand: your customers and followers are excellent sources for posts (just make sure to ask for permission to repost, if it applies).
UGC could be anything from sharing a post from a person who tagged your brand to finding a positive review and making it into an Instagram post (or, as in the example below, finding a positive and slightly bizarre review and making it into an Instagram post).
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by BÉIS (@beis)
Sharing user-generated content can:
* Build your brand’s authenticity
* Encourage your followers to post about you, because there’s a chance they’ll be featured
* Increase your number of shares, when users inevitably repost their own content once you share it
15. Post timely content
At work and in the social world, being timely pays off. Following a current trend or posting something that is relevant to current events is a great strategy for increasing engagement—and all you really need is to spend some time on your platform of choice to get inspiration.
HAMILTON x RIHANNA #HamiltonAU #Rihanna #Superbowl #MariaReynolds pic.twitter.com/VfVSqsjD40
— Hamilton (@HamiltonMusical) February 24, 2023
The cast of Hamilton Australia got it right in this post. It was tweeted right after the 2023 Superbowl, when professional and amateur dancers alike were doing their best impression of Rihanna’s halftime show. It was liked, retweeted and quoted thousands of times.
Posting topical content will lead to:
* Appearing up-to-date and knowledgeable about current trends
* Make your brand more relatable to your audience
* Plenty of inspiration, as there’s a new viral internet trend practically daily
16. Reply to comments
How to get your audience to engage with you? Engage with them. Consistently replying to comments establishes a mutual form of communication with your followers—they’ll be more likely to comment on your posts if they think you’ll reply. Crate and Barrel does this well via replying to customer inquiries on their Facebook.
Source: Crate and Barrel Facebook
This isn’t a post idea in and of itself, but it does open up more possibilities for posts you already have. Monitor comments closely (a tool like Hootsuite’s Inbox can help you) and reply as much as possible.
Replying to comments will:
* Establish a meaningful relationship with your followers
* Make your followers more likely to comment on your posts
* Increase the overall number of comments you have on each post
17. Post memes
A little meme can go a long way. Consider sharing popular internet memes (and, when possible, relating them to your brand) to appeal to millennial and Gen-Z followers.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Girls (@girls)
Memes are relatable, community-building, and overall give off the impression that you’re not taking your work too seriously—you’re not a regular brand, you’re a cool brand.
Posting memes can:
* Attract younger audiences to your content
* Result in lots of shares
* Let your followers know that you’re hip and with it
18. Copy (or challenge) a competitor
Okay, don’t actually copy a competitor—we’re looking to get some fun social media engagement, not get involved in a lawsuit. But a friendly nod to others in your industry can be a great way to get viewers to interact with your work.
@thehockeyguys
#duet with @thesavbananas Hockey vs. Baseball pt.2. The Bar is RISING
♬ original sound – sped up songs
When the Savannah Bananas baseball players made this (truly spectacular) lip-synch TikTok, The Hockey Guys answered with their take on the song. Viewers were encouraged to comment on who did it better, resulting in thousands of comments.
Copying or challenging a competitor will:
* Encourage followers to pick a side and voice their opinion
* Create a drama (real or constructed) that audiences love
* Foster relationships between your brand and others in your industry
19. Share a hot take
Post an opinion you have (serious or silly) to spark conversation in your comments. Audiences often can’t resist sharing their opinion on controversial topics, regardless of how important the topic actually is.
@reevcon
looking back I think poodles are more maximalistic but the eclectic type of maximalism — im dead set on the brutalistic choice though
♬ original sound – Reeves Connelly
When this TikTok creator started assigning dog breeds to various interior design styles, the platform went nuts: the video is going on ten million views, but it’s the 14 thousand comments that are truly impressive.
For example, one comment that says “I feel like cottage core is a cocker spaniel that’s just me though” has 39 replies. Hundreds of comments argue that the true maximalist dog is the poodle. Does this matter? Not really, but it’s extremely fun to discuss—that’s what makes this content so engaging.
Sharing a hot take will:
* Encourage those who agree to voice their support
* Encourage those who disagree to voice their rebuttal
* Overall, spark lots of conversation in the comments and build your brand’s personality
FAQs about engagement posts
What are some good engagement posts?
A few effective engagement posts for social media are contests or giveaways, polls, and posts that ask specific questions. Posts that are visually beautiful or super funny also generally have high engagement.
How do you write an engagement post?
If you want more engagement, ask for it. Prompt your followers to comment on your posts, post interactive polls or quizzes that are easy to participate in, or share something informative that your followers will find useful. Make it as simple and clear as possible for your audience to engage with your content.
What should I post on social media for engagement?
To increase your engagement on social media, post content that is interactive. This can be from a built-in tool on the platform (for example, the Q&A feature on Instagram or the poll feature on Twitter) or just by encouraging interaction in your regular content (via asking a question or prompting your followers to comment or tag their friends).
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