True social media engagement shouldn’t just mean a few “likes” on Facebook. There are many people on social media who will “like” pretty much anything they see. True engagement has to be meaningful – it’s comments and shares that really show if whatever you’re posting has resonated with your audience. So, what sort of content will get you the most engagement?

1) Helpful blog pieces

The emphasis is on helpful here – blog pieces that are essentially just a sales pitch for your product or service won’t make the cut. However, if you create useful content that will help make your audience’s lives a little easier, they are much more likely to engage with you. This could be anything, from industry news your target audience might find interesting to showing them unique ways they could use your product (rather than simply talking about the product itself). 

2) Videos

Facebook generates an average of 8 billion video views per day, according to Social Media Today. This means there’s a staggering amount of video content being created, and businesses need to start keeping up with their consumers.

There are a few routes your video could go down. If you want to create something helpful, demonstrating unique ways a viewer might use your product is a good idea. You should think a little outside the box for this. For example, if you’re a travel agent, you could pick a particular angle that might encourage someone to travel. What about a video detailing the best places to surf or snorkel in Australia, for example? Or creating a cool road trip route and putting this in video format?

Videos could also be used for events or to help show your audience what it’s like to work in your company. This is a great way to build trust in your brand and help consumers put faces and people to a brand. 

3) Webinars

Webinars are a really good way of positioning your business as a thought leader or industry expert. Live presentations about movements in a particular sector, for example, is a great way to inform your audience. Including a feature whereby viewers can ask questions and you answer them either live or not long afterwards will help to increase engagement. Evergreen content like this will also last for a long time on your website, and show new customers that you are here to help them, not simply to push a product or service. 

4) Infographics 

We’ve all heard the stats about the value of visual media and marketing, and infographics in particular are a great way to convey information while keeping your audience’s attention. These are combinations of text and pictures. They work especially well for B2B marketing and conveying statistics, so are a great option if you want to position yourselves as industry experts. In fact, infographics are liked and shared on social media three times more than any other type of content, according to HubSpot. 

The world has moved on from paid advertising and aggressive sales pitches. Instead, people want content that really resonates with them. It has to be helpful, interesting and informative. Only then will you get true audience engagements on social media. 

For more information on communication trends, please visit our Insights page.