8 Types of Social Media Content to Get the Most Engagement

As far as social media marketing goes, overall engagement is often the go-to indicator of how well a brand is doing.

Naturally, more followers usually means more likes and comments, but higher numbers do not necessarily translate into solid engagement rates.

Some social media pages go as far as purchasing fake followers to appear large, but when you look at their engagement rate, it becomes clear that such a page is more or less useless from a business point of view.

It is all about building your follower numbers organically, and the growth starts with an established content strategy.

Social media users browse the platforms seeking interesting posts they can interact with, and it is your job as a social media content creator to come up with engaging ideas.

Below, we will cover some of the most popular social media content types so you know where to look in case you feel lost.

1. Infographics

Image source

Let’s start with infographics. They are an excellent alternative to walls of text that used to be quite prominent in the early days of social media.

These days, however, people do not have the attention span necessary to read long texts on the internet. Instead, they want content that is easy to digest.

Infographics combine visuals with little bits of text to cover the main points a piece wants to tell.

It is much easier to digest such content because it brings a more optimized readability. Not to mention that the visuals themselves are appealing and attract attention.

2. GIFs

GIFs have an edge over static images. It is more attractive to view something in motion, and social media content is no exception in this regard.

GIFs have become popular as a way to engage content from users. Instead of typing a comment, they look for GIFs that are appropriate for the occasion.

As far as content publishing goes, social media brands can combine GIFs with text snippets or dedicate some resources to create a high-quality GIF that works as a tutorial, for example.

3. Images

Static images have been around since the first days of social media. Many pages continue to publish photos with inspirational quotes, which is a trend that does not seem to go away.

Editing and improving the image is a good piece of advice, but you do not need to go overboard. Considering how modern smartphones have high-quality cameras, taking one and publishing it on your social media feed has never been easier.

Since images are easier to digest, use them to send an important message to the followers or ask questions. Instead of a generic wall of text, use a background image for your text and publish it as a photo.

4. Videos

Video popularity can be justified with the rise of platforms like TikTok. In addition, it took a while for Instagram to recognize how engaging videos are because they introduced it in 2013, 3 years after the platform went live.

Instagram reels were another feature that became accessible in 2020, copying the formula of short videos that are so successful on TikTok.

The videos you plan to publish depend on what you want to achieve. Some brands focus on tutorials and explanations. Others, meanwhile, try to engage the audience with storytelling or interviews.

5. Live Streams

Live streams are arguably the best way to engage with your audience. You get to show them the people behind the brand and respond to their comments in real-time. It builds trust and brand loyalty.

Of course, depending on how many people are watching the stream, responding to everyone might prove too difficult, but you should still be able to cover most of the questions.

To get more traction and viewers on your stream, it is recommended to announce it in advance so more people are aware. Let them know the time and place so they can plan in advance to watch it.

6. Contests and Giveaways

Contests and giveaways are another example of social media content that receives a lot of engagement.

People love free stuff, so entering a simple contest with next to no effort is an appealing proposition to them.

They will participate even if they do not necessarily need the thing you are giving away. It is all about a chance of winning something free by liking and sharing a post.

Giveaways have the highest chance of snowballing. The more users share the post, the further it will go, reaching more people who will want to participate as well.

7. Exclusives

Exclusives can come in the form of behind-the-scenes footage and various teasers. Stories, a form of social media content that stays up for 24 hours, is worth a shout as well.

It encourages people to interact with the content before it goes down because they are afraid of missing out.

8. User-Generated Content

User-generated content is beneficial for a social media page because it introduces more than just engagement. There are fewer worries about coming up with content ideas if users themselves cover some of the content cadence and schedule.

The interest shown by the brand to encourage users to share their content works in favor of becoming more likable. Bridging the gap between the followers and your brand is a sound strategy for long-term gains.

For regular content providers, you can look to get their contact information to have an easier time staying in touch. If necessary, learn how to sync phone contacts to Mac, for instance, so you can have a backup in case something goes wrong with the smartphone.

Worst case scenario, you will still be able to reach out to them via social media directly or go back to a communication channel that you used to contact them originally.

Conclusion

All in all, any of these content ideas can work and boost your engagement. However, you need to understand that quality comes first, particularly for things like infographics and videos.

Content quality dictates engagement. It will not take too long for your followers to lose interest if you produce lackluster pieces.