17 Tips on How to Increase Social Media Engagement

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Understanding the differences between content creators and influencers can help your business grow and succeed in the fast-paced world of online marketing and social media. For example, if you're a brand trying to decide which kind of creator to partner with for a new campaign, it's easy to get lost in the details. Both groups create engaging content for social media, but their goals differ. A creator will produce content for your brand to help attract an audience and achieve specific business goals.

An influencer will promote your brand to their existing audience to help increase your visibility and reach. While both can help your business, understanding the difference can help you achieve your goals and choose your next creator marketing campaign. If you want to learn more about how to leverage either group for creator marketing, read on! This guide will help you boost organic engagement on your LinkedIn and X accounts.

As you read, remember that Megaphone's viral on-demand platform can help you achieve your organic engagement goals. The software connects you with trending creator content to help you go viral on social media, which can increase your visibility and help you get noticed by the right audience.

Social media engagement helps brands build authenticity and connect with customers on a human level. Customers want to know who they’re buying from. Actively responding to their inquiries and comments on social media helps put a face to the brand and humanize its presence. This is especially important for the cannabis industry, which has been stigmatized for decades. Social media can help brands combat this stigma by showcasing transparency and a genuine commitment to customer satisfaction.

For example, when a cannabis company responds to a customer’s negative review on social media, it can address the issue publicly, provide valuable information to others, and foster a more human and relatable connection with its audience.

Social media engagement also helps boost brand credibility. Regularly participating in industry discussions, sharing valuable insights, and addressing customer feedback contributes to positioning a brand as an authoritative voice within its industry.

This builds trust among the audience and establishes the brand as a reliable source of information and expertise. For example, suppose a cannabis company shares a post on social media discussing the results of a recent study on the effects of a particular cannabinoid on human health. In that case, it can help educate its audience while improving brand credibility.

One of the most significant potential benefits of meaningful social media engagement is customer loyalty. When brands actively listen to their audience, respond to their needs, and create a sense of community, it cultivates a loyal customer base. Engaged customers are more likely to advocate for the brand, making recommendations and contributing to positive word-of-mouth marketing that can't be bought for any price.

Social media engagement is also instrumental in improving brand awareness. Active participation in conversations, sharing relevant content, and leveraging UGC contribute to increased reach and visibility. Engaged audiences are likelier to share brand content with their networks, amplifying the brand's presence and attracting new followers.

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1. Utilize Megaphone for Enhanced Engagement

Megaphone is a viral on-demand platform designed to boost your online presence authentically and organically. Our software connects you with influential creators in your niche, helping you grow impressions, followers, and leads without relying on paid ads. Key features include:

A sophisticated engagement network,

Private engagement pod service (coming soon),

Diverse creator partnerships for sponsored posts, X spaces, and newsletter ads (coming soon).

Megaphone caters to startup founders, marketers, emerging creators, and ghostwriting agencies seeking to amplify their digital footprint and social proof. Our complex matching algorithm ensures you partner with your field's most suitable and valuable creators. Go viral today with our viral on-demand platform.

2. Establish Clear Goals and Understand Engagement Metrics

Setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound social media goals is crucial to increasing engagement on social media. SMART goals come with a key metric you want to refer to when assessing results across different social media channels.

For example, you could set a goal: "Increase the engagement rate on Instagram by 15% within the next three months by posting interactive content twice a week and responding to comments within 12 hours.” Actual metrics help boost your social media engagement strategy. Understanding key metrics like engagement rate, reach vs. impressions, and follower growth rate reveals how well your content resonates with your audience.

3. Get to Know Your Audience

The key to improving your social media engagement is understanding your audience and talking to them, not at them. You can only create content that resonates deeply if you know your audience inside and out. Determine their interests, core pain points, and how they consume content. This allows you to speak the same language, ensuring your content feels relatable and tailored.

And just… be social! To increase your social media engagement, keep the lines of communication open. Include clear calls to action to invite your audience to engage, such as asking them to share their thoughts, answer a question, or participate in a poll. Most importantly, listen to what your audience says in response. Engagement is a two-way street: if you encourage engagement, be sure to engage back.

4. Be Authentic

Many customers decide which companies they like and support based on their attraction to a brand’s voice and personality. One of the best ways to increase social media engagement is to be more authentic. Find a social media marketing voice that embodies your brand and stick to it while interacting with your audience online.

Many people prefer funny content, so consider using humor through trending memes or GIFs to improve your shares, comments, or likes. Customers also respond well to honest brands. Whether acknowledging mistakes or sharing your company values, integrity can go a long way in building trust with your audience and encouraging them to continue supporting your brand.

5. Know the Platform and the Algorithm’s Impact

Social media platforms prioritize different types of interactions and calculate engagement rates differently. So, when you optimize your strategy for engagement, pay attention to the peculiarities of each social media platform. For instance, LinkedIn calculates engagement rates on posts using likes, comments, shares, clicks, and impressions, so every click on “see more” counts as a separate engagement.

On the other hand, Instagram doesn’t consider clicks an engagement. Instead, it concentrates on likes, saves, comments, and shares. Each platform’s algorithm assigns different “weights” to these engagement actions, influencing how content is displayed and prioritized in users’ feeds. Direct messages, replies, and story interactions count towards engagement numbers, but their impact can vary from social media platform to social media platform.

6. Engage First

Social media engagement goes both ways, particularly on platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn, where how you interact with other people’s content can affect how much your posts get seen. Jeremy Linaburg — social media content strategist and community builder — let us in on an incredible social media engagement tip during his chat on the Socialinsider podcast. Before he posts anything, he spends 30 minutes interacting on the platform.

And we’re not talking mindless scrolling here — it’s about actively liking and commenting. Before you publish a post, your interactions within the platform can significantly impact how the algorithms rank your content for engagement and who sees it. Proactive engagement tells the algorithms that you’re not just a broadcaster but a genuine part of the conversation.

7. Respond to Followers

A conversation requires input from both sides, and social media interactions are no different! By replying to incoming mentions, comments, and direct messages, you can show your followers that your brand cares about them — and that you’re interested in continuing the conversation. This attention to customer service will likely be rewarded with more mentions, comments, and direct messages. When responding to followers, address positive and negative feedback — all preferably within 24 hours. And don’t be afraid to redirect the conversation to DMs for a more responsive and personalized interaction!

8. Post Consistently

Regarding social media, consistency is key — more so than quantity. It’s better to post three times a week on a regular schedule than to post daily and then disappear for a week. Social media algorithms favor users who are active and consistent. This helps keep your content in the loop and visible in your followers' feeds, preventing your engagement rate from dropping. While there are general recommendations on how often to post on each platform, the real focus should be on how much high-quality content you can consistently produce. It’s crucial to find a rhythm that works for you without compromising the quality of your posts.

9. Craft Effective Posts

Knowing the anatomy of a social media post is helpful when sharing social media content. No matter how unique your content is, nobody will read it if your headlines aren’t engaging, so that should be a big priority when crafting a post. The body of your post (whether a copy or a visual asset) should contain useful information or provide entertainment. And if you want your audience to take further action after engaging with your social media post—such as clicking through to your website or signing up for a giveaway—you’ll need to end with a strong call to action.

Among this year's social media best practices for increasing your engagement is the balance between business and social. What grabs your attention more on platforms like Instagram or LinkedIn? A constant sales pitch or something that makes you laugh, think, or nod in agreement? People don’t like to be sold things. They want to be entertained, educated, or amused — but not sold to. Sure, hitting business goals is crucial.

But if every post screams "buy this," you will turn people off. Great examples of social media engagement among brands are Monzo, HubSpot, and Semrush. They mix up their feeds by throwing in memes, gifs, and fun social media engagement posts that feel personal, not just promotional. By focusing on creating posts that educate or entertain, you'll naturally draw your audience closer, making those business goals more achievable without overwhelming people with sales pitches.

11. Use Hashtags Strategically

Hashtags make finding your social media content and channels easier for your target audience. Gritt discusses how she uses hashtags for clients, suggesting, “You can be more liberal with tagging multiple keywords on Instagram, whereas Facebook uses hashtags much less. And TikTok is all about using hashtags efficiently. Typically, I look for the highest trending tag and choose the most applicable ones to increase exposure on all three platforms. ‘#fyp’ (for your page) should be added whenever possible on TikTok as it’s consistently a high-trending tag and can bring raw traffic to your account.

Some platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram allow users to follow hashtags, which means you can join ongoing conversations and become more visible to users beyond your followers. Let’s say an Italian restaurant in Omaha opened and came to Hurrdat as a client. Here are the hashtags I might use for them: #businessname #italiancuisine #newinomaha #supportlocal #omahaeats #omahafoodlovers.” Whether new to town or an old staple, brands looking to increase engagement on social media platforms should consider using a mix of popular and branded hashtags to extend reach, gain more followers, and better optimize each post.

12. Create Interactive Content

Encourage engagement not only through CTA but through content formats, too. Think polls, quizzes, and trivia that spark curiosity and invite participation. Instagram has the most interactive tools for creating Stories. In addition to classic polls and action buttons, you can use “Add Yours” stickers to encourage story chains or design engaging templates that followers can fill out and repost.

Polls are also available on LinkedIn, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter). But don’t limit yourself to polls only: play with different reactions as voting options on LinkedIn and Facebook, or leverage dueting to create better content on TikTok. Such interactive elements help you increase engagement with your audience and include them in the conversation. This lets you gather insights about your audience's preferences, enhancing your future content strategy.

13. Create Shareable Content

If there’s one kind of content that can truly amplify your engagement rates alongside your reach on social media sites, it’s the kind people feel compelled to share. Shareable content boosts your engagement rates and attracts more eyes to your account. Consider what makes content worth sharing — it often provides value, entertains, or sparks emotion. One of the most effective content formats for boosting engagement is Reels. Instagram Reels are short, engaging videos that capture viewers' attention quickly and encourage interactions.

Due to their dynamic nature and prominent placement in social media algorithms, Reels often receive higher engagement rates compared to other content formats, as our Instagram benchmarks study confirmed. You can also start creating Instagram carousels that layout tips or ideas visually appealingly, videos that showcase your team or what goes on behind the scenes, or relatable memes that strike a chord within your industry. Such content invites viewers to engage by sharing your posts with their network, essentially doing the heavy lifting of spreading your message.

14. Incorporate Visual Assets

When your audience is scrolling through social media, you only have a few seconds to grab their attention before moving to the next post in their feed. Visual assets like videos at the ideal length, photos, and infographics are more likely to stand out in the feed and grab your followers’ attention, leading to more engagement overall. In particular, video has become essential to most content strategies, with 90% of marketers stating their branded videos have given them a high ROI. Whatever you choose, look for ways to work more visual posts into your social media content calendar.

15. Follow a Post Schedule

When and how often you post on social media impacts the engagement levels you see. To maximize engagement, figure out the best time of day to post for your audience. Your posting schedule should change depending on when your audience is most active online and which platform(s) they use.

16. Comment Bump

The comment bump is an interesting technique to boost engagement on social media posts. Any post's lifespan is short in the sea of social media content. Posts quickly lose visibility as newer content floods in. The comment bump helps you fool the algorithm in a totally lawful way by timing your responses to comments strategically. After posting, it's crucial to let the post gather organic exposure.

During the first critical 20 minutes, the algorithm assesses the post's engagement rate. Most user interactions happen during this phase. But instead of responding to comments immediately, hold off until this initial flurry tones down. Start engaging with the comments approximately 20–30 minutes after posting. This activity effectively "bumps" the post back into the news feed and triggers the algorithm to re-evaluate its engagement, potentially showing it to a broader audience.

17. Use Stories, Short and Live Videos

Stories, short videos, and live videos are effective ways to increase engagement on social media. Short-form videos don’t need additional introduction. They continue to dominate as the most engaging content across social media platforms, allowing brands to capture attention quickly and convey their message before the viewer moves on. Stories allow for creative, fleeting interactions — think polls, quick tips, or flash sales — that keep your audience coming back for more.

They are perfect for capturing quick, engaging content that doesn't clutter your main feed. Live videos crank up the interaction to another level, offering real-time engagement. You can answer questions, showcase products, or just chat with your followers, making them feel a part of your brand's story. Combining stories, shorts, and live videos adds a layer of authenticity and immediacy to your content, helping you reach a higher engagement rate.

1. Megaphone: A Platform to Quickly Boost Engagement

A sophisticated engagement network,

Private engagement pod service (coming soon),

Diverse creator partnerships for sponsored posts, X spaces, and newsletter ads (coming soon).

Agorapulse is a social media management platform that offers scheduling and task management functionalities. What sets Agorapulse apart from other social media tools for agencies is its range of marketing-adjacent niches, from analytics, keyword monitoring, and social listening to project management.

Best Features

Visual content calendar

Shared calendar add-on for external collaboration

Covers a wide range of social media marketing tasks

Solid social media project management functionalities

Limitations

No multi-level approval Steep learning curve UI can be improved.

Sprout Social is a social media management tool designed for agencies. Sprout Social allows you to easily manage multiple accounts in one platform and collaborate across teams. You can also measure the success of your campaigns with its detailed analytics and reporting features. Finally, another great Sprout Social feature is its expansive asset library.

Since agencies are, by definition, asset-reliant, Sprout’s asset library provides tons of value by offering an entire sub-platform where agencies can share, manage, and distribute assets with teams and clients.

The best feature

It is a smart inbox that allows users to quickly sort through requests and work on the asset library with two ways to view it.

It allows for quick and easy asset management, rich analytics, social listening, and monitoring features.

External collaboration is easy.

Limitations

Steep pricing for small-sized agencies

Cannot group posts in the calendar

There is no drag-and-drop option in the calendar.

4. Buffer: A Streamlined Scheduling Tool

While Glimpse has made a name for itself thanks to its many integrations, they are also a powerful tool for agencies of all sizes. Buffer lets you easily create and schedule posts across multiple social media accounts. Its excellent analytics enable you to track post performance, report on your progress, and compare yourself to competitors. Its bulk scheduling feature is perfect for agencies with a high client roster.

Best Features

There are many integrations, including Canva Campaign tracking and management; you can create content in the campaign window and track scheduled, published, draft posts, and approvals.

Has a pricing plan literally for agencies.

Limitations

No labels and tags for posts are essential in large-scale social media initiatives.

Doesn’t allow collaboration with external teams.

Next on the list is Sendible, a powerful tool designed to help agencies manage their social media accounts. Sendible offers a decently diverse array of features, including content calendars, automated messages, and reporting capabilities.

Additionally, Sendible allows users to collaborate with clients and team members on projects in real-time. Sendible has features that set it apart from similar tools, such as DM monitoring and a client dashboard. The latter does an excellent job of streamlining team-client management. Also worth mentioning are the built-in image editor and topic suggestions.

Best Features

Users can sync and edit posts across multiple social media platforms instead of editing each post individually.

Intuitive social media calendar that is very easy to use DM monitoring

Client Connect enables clients to connect their socials to the Client Dashboard without giving away their login credentials

Custom approval workflows for clients and social media teams

Limitations

The mobile experience can be improved.

6. Later: A Popular Tool for Visual Planning

Later is an excellent choice for any agency that wants to take its social media management to the next level. Its intuitive scheduling system enables users to plan and post content across multiple channels in one place, saving time and effort. It also offers powerful analytics features and SEO tools.

Additionally, Later’s visual media library makes storing and organizing visual content easy, enabling users to quickly find the perfect photo or video for their next post. With powerful features like these, it’s no wonder Later has become one of the agencies' most popular social media management tools.

The best features

Are integrated with WordPress, ease of use, and a clean interface.

The robust media library makes asset management for teams and client management easier.

It supports links in bio limitations, has no Google profile (previously Google My Business) integration, and has somewhat inflexible pricing.

For example, the Starter and Growth plans set limits to 30 and 150 posts per social, respectively. Starter plans limit analytics data to up to three months of data.

Planoly is another excellent choice for agencies looking to optimize their social media workflow. This popular scheduling platform works with Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, and other major platforms. Planoly provides a simple visual interface that helps you collaborate, plan campaigns, track performance metrics, and analyze results. Planoly also makes it easy to create stunning visuals by offering over seven million stock photos, graphics, and branded fonts.

Best Features

Support Link in Bio Robust, in-app TikTok video planner

Supports cross-posting between platforms (for example, TikTok videos to YouTube shorts)

Limitations

The free trial period lasts only seven days

Small agencies may find Planoly inaccessible because the Starter Plan puts a cap on the number of monthly uploads

Loomly offers an intuitive user interface that makes scheduling and publishing posts effortless, allows users to preview posts across all channels, and sets up automated approval processes with customizable roles and permissions.

The latter feature gives agency teams greater control over their clients’ content while ensuring brand consistency. Using Loomly, agencies can also analyze their content’s performance with detailed reports on engagement, reach, and other metrics. All of this makes Loomly the ideal choice for agencies looking to improve their efficiency in social media management.

Best Features

Support Snapchat integration

Customizable team workflows for approving and publishing social media content

Suggested post ideas and RSS feeds to inspire your team

Limitations

No workspaces or folders Manual Instagram and Facebook post publishing UI issues with filters

9. Albert.AI: An AI-Powered Marketing Tool

Albert.ai is an AI-driven marketing platform designed to manage and optimize digital campaigns across social media autonomously, paid search, and programmatic display channels. It uses machine learning and predictive analytics to handle tasks like media buying, audience targeting, and creative optimization, freeing marketers to focus on strategy.

Albert.ai's best features

Automate key aspects of digital campaigns, such as targeting, bidding, and budget allocation.

Use the platform to test and optimize creative assets in real time, ensuring ads perform their best across different channels.

Integrate data from multiple platforms (like Google and Facebook) to optimize ad spend across channels.

Albert.ai limitations

The integration process needs significant support and training, making it challenging for small businesses to adopt without technical resources.

It relies too much on the quality and quantity of historical data and might struggle if the company lacks it.

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How to Find Influencers on TikTok

1. Sparking Conversations Through Simple Questions

One effective way to boost social media engagement is by asking simple questions. Questions are relatable and straightforward, making it easy for users to respond. For example, you might ask, “What’s one app you can’t live without?” This question invites users to share their favorite tech tools while opening the door for discussion about why those apps are essential in their daily lives. Another example could be, “Morning coffee or evening tea—what’s your go-to?”

Here, you’re tapping into daily rituals and personal preferences, which can lead to light-hearted debates about the merits of caffeine at different times of the day. These relatable and easy-to-answer posts encourage participation by lowering the barrier to engagement, making it easy for people to chime in with their thoughts and experiences. Such questions can help create a sense of community and connection among your social media audience.

2. Polls and Surveys: Easy Engagement Boosters

Polls and surveys are another effective way to boost engagement on social media. Use built-in polling features on Instagram Stories, Twitter, or LinkedIn platforms to effectively gather opinions and enhance audience interaction. These tools not only provide valuable insights but also engage your followers in a fun and interactive way.

For instance, you could ask questions like: “Which product feature do you value most in our latest release? Let us know your thoughts!” or “Spring or summer vacations—which is your favorite season for travel and why?” These examples encourage your audience to share their preferences, allowing you to understand them better while keeping your engagement levels high.

Create interactive stories or quizzes that captivate your audience's curiosity and encourage them to engage more with your content. These can range from personality quizzes like “Which [Brand] Product Suits Your Style?” to story polls that let followers choose the direction of a narrative. Incorporating interactive elements enhances user experience and gathers insights into audience preferences and personality traits, allowing for more personalized follow-up content and engagement.

4. Engage Audiences With a “Caption This” Post

Post a funny or curious image with the caption “Caption this!” and watch the creativity flow as your audience produces witty responses. This type of audience-driven content invites playful competition among your followers as they try to outdo each other with clever captions.

5. Engage Audiences With Behind-the-Scenes Content

Share candid or behind-the-scenes moments of your team or process to engage your audience deeper. You make your audience feel involved and valued by offering a peek behind the curtain. For example, you might say, “Here’s how we curate our designs—what do you think of the process? We start with brainstorming sessions and sketches before finalizing the designs.” Audiences love feeling like part of the story, and sharing these insights can build a stronger connection with them, fostering loyalty and interest in your brand.

6. React to Trends

Jump on viral trends or memes relevant to your brand, which can significantly boost your social media presence and engagement. Cultural moments act as excellent catalysts for sparking conversations and increasing visibility. However, it is crucial to ensure that the trend aligns with your brand voice and feels authentic to maintain credibility and a genuine connection with your audience. By thoughtfully integrating these trends, you can create content that resonates deeply and fosters stronger brand loyalty.

7. Encourage User Participation With Challenges

Encourage audiences to participate in a branded or platform-wide challenge by creating engaging and interactive content that resonates with their interests and passions. Examples include fitness challenges that motivate individuals to share their workout routines. These talent demonstrations showcase unique skills, creativity, or hobby-based calls to action like "Show us your workspace before and after decluttering!" These challenges foster a sense of community and provide opportunities for participants to connect, share experiences, and inspire one another while engaging with your brand or platform.

8. Feature User-Generated Content

User-generated content is another effective way to boost social media engagement. This approach to social media invites your audience to participate in your content strategy by creating posts or media that you can feature on your pages. For example, you can share photos of your customers using your product creatively or spotlight and celebrate fan art or testimonials that highlight the positive impact of your brand. User-generated content is a powerful tool for building trust, as it showcases genuine experiences and opinions.

Additionally, it encourages others to engage with your brand, knowing that their contributions are valued and might be featured. This strategy can lead to a more interactive and loyal customer base. "We love seeing photos from our customers," says Mike Jones, GM at Simply Underlay. "Our socials feature real homes, which helps other customers visualise how their own projects might turn out. It's authentic and highly effective."

9. Contests & Giveaways

Drive engagement with a contest or giveaway that requires interaction to participate. Example entry Rules include liking the post to show your support and interest, following your page to stay updated with the latest content and news, tagging a friend in the comments to spread the word, and including others in the fun. Pro tip: Ensure the prize is closely related to your niche for higher-quality engagement and to attract a more targeted audience. This helps build a community genuinely interested in your content and offerings.

10. Get Hot Takes From Your Audience

Post your opinion about a trending topic and invite users to share theirs. When doing so, be mindful of your phrasing—ensure you write in a way that encourages respectful and open dialogue. It is essential to create an environment where people feel comfortable sharing their thoughts without fear of judgment.

For example, you might say: “Morning jogs are overrated—anyone else prefer working out in the evening? I find that evening sessions fit better into my schedule and help me de-stress after a busy day.” Such an approach shares your perspective and invites others to engage, leading to a vibrant conversation. This is a highly effective way to encourage shares and comments, fostering a community of active participation and exchanging ideas.

Showcase a happy customer or client who has achieved something remarkable using your product or service. Highlight their journey, the challenges they overcame, and how your offering impacted their success. Bonus points if you include their direct testimonial, sharing their personal experience and satisfaction with your product or service. This emphasizes the impact of your offering and builds trust and credibility with potential customers.

12. Tap Into Nostalgia

Take your audience down memory lane by incorporating nostalgic themes into your content strategy. Use popular motifs like “Throwback Thursday” or intriguing questions like “Remember this trend from the 2000s?” These posts evoke fond memories and create a sense of shared experience among your audience. By tapping into nostalgia, you can tug at emotions, spark conversations, and significantly boost interaction and engagement across your platforms.

Megaphone: The Ultimate Viral Marketing Tool

A sophisticated engagement network,

Private engagement pod service (coming soon),

Diverse creator partnerships for sponsored posts, X spaces, and newsletter ads (coming soon).

Go Viral Today with Our Viral on Demand Platform

Megaphone boosts your online presence authentically and organically. The viral on-demand platform connects you with influential creators in your niche to help you grow impressions, followers, and leads without relying on paid ads.

Features You’ll Love

Megaphone’s key features include a sophisticated engagement network, private engagement pod service (coming soon), and diverse creator partnerships for sponsored posts, X-spaces, and newsletter ads (coming soon). Our complex matching algorithm ensures you partner with your field's most suitable and valuable creators. Go viral today with our viral on-demand platform.