Newsflash: Social media is all about ME. And by ‘me’, we mean the consumer.
And consumers? Well, they’re self-centred. That’s not a bad thing — we all have needs and wants. The things that grab our attention are the things that relate to these selfish desires — and this is where engaging content on social media steps in.
Social media has evolved from a platform to reconnect with old friends into a dynamic content hub and a go-to search engine for Gen Z. Understanding what content is relatable for these audiences is key to effective social media content strategy.
One of the most asked questions by brands is “How can I increase brand awareness on social media?” and for good reason. With billions of users across various platforms, social media offers unparalleled potential for reaching a vast audience. However, to understand what does well on social media for your brand — and how audience behaviour may affect the way you approach your marketing and content strategy – we first have to understand why people use it and what they seek.
There are three primary reasons why people use social media. At Mutant, we call this the three E’s: Entertain, Educate, and Engage.
What is Engaging Content for Social Media?
Creating relatable content on social media is key to capturing your audience’s attention and driving meaningful engagement. At their core, people seek content that is relevant to them. The primary motivator for this behaviour is always: “Do I like this content enough to engage with it? Does it add value to my life? Why am I interested in this?”
How We Engage Your Audience
With that in mind, let’s dive into how the 3 E’s of social media influence the way we approach our social media content services:
1. Entertain
Ultimately, people turn to social media to relax, unwind, and be entertained. We can all relate to flipping between various social media accounts in between work calls or while sitting on the bus during our commute. We could be seeking content to make us laugh, heartwarming content to make us cry, or simply to find a few memes to send to friends because it made you think of them.
The content you serve must be entertaining and relatable for your audience to care about engaging with it, and there are a few ways we can help you do that:
Humour and relatability
Subject matter that speaks to the zeitgeist or leans on a rising trend will almost always land well if done right. Relatable, funny content that resonates with your audience requires a quick turnaround and the desire to maybe try something a little different from time to time. This is how meme pages and viral videos capture just the right moment.
Emotional connection
On all social media platforms, content that evokes emotions, whether it’s laughter, sadness, or inspiration, is always a winner if finding humour is too hard. The goal here is to connect, and this can be done by:
Storytelling
This type of content should tell a story with a narrative that perhaps ties into a broader brand message and helps your audience feel invested in your content.
Using one of our clients as an example, we noticed that memes related to work performed exceptionally well for Logitech. We created a “WFH: Expectations vs. Reality” meme that resonated with our audience and achieved an engagement rate of 11%, significantly higher than the average Facebook engagement rate of 1-5%.
2. Educate
With audiences always looking out for themselves, creating engaging content on social media should also be about generating content that adds value or teaches them something they didn’t already know. Here are a few ways to achieve that:
Value-add
Teach something new or share practical tips. This could involve tutorial videos or sharing data-driven industry insights. Not only can this provide new information to key audiences, but it can prompt them to reshare it with their audiences, helping to expand your reach.
Expert opinions
If your goal is to position your brand as an industry leader, you should collaborate with experts in your field to establish credibility and authority. This collaboration can be transformed into various forms of content for social media, such as insightful interviews, engaging Q&A sessions, or collaborative articles and blog posts.
Behind-the-scenes content
To continue the theme of storytelling, consumers often want to know about the behind-the-scenes work and your daily operations. (This may vary depending on your industry.) This insider perspective can be transformed into compelling content for social media, such as employee spotlights, behind-the-scenes glimpses of product development, or office tours that showcase your company culture.
For St Luke’s ElderCare, we continually share content about their expertise. One particular post we created about how speech therapy helps with Parkinson’s Disease included speaking with an SLEC expert and condensing the information into bite-sized pieces. This post did well, with close to 12% engagement on both Instagram and Facebook.
3. Engage
Traditionally, communication from brands has always been one-way; brands have pushed messages onto audiences, expecting them to listen. However, social media has shifted communication from a monologue to a conversation. Consumers now want to talk to brands, be heard, and have a reason to engage. Here are key elements to consider when developing a robust social media engagement strategy:
Interactivity
Create interactive social media content with a Call to Action (CTA) to encourage audience engagement. This could be through polls, questions, or contests.
Community management
Respond to comments and messages to demonstrate that you value your audience’s connection and keep them invested in your brand.
Trendjacking
Staying up to date on fast-moving social media trends is key to remaining relevant and building brand affinity. Sometimes, even waiting a couple of days is too long to jump on certain trends, especially with how quickly social media platforms evolve and users’ attention shifts.
In particular, jumping on social media trends can help build relevancy and brand affinity with your audience. For example, we jumped on the familiar “Why are you running” trend for GEWR, sparking numerous comments on the post. This type of engaging content not only entertains but also encourages interaction and strengthens the connection between the brand and its followers.
Level Up Your Social Media Content Strategy
Remember: When creating content, ask yourself, “What would I want to see on social media?” By putting yourself in your audience’s shoes, you can better connect and engage with them.
Social media is all about understanding the audience and delivering what they want. By letting your content speak for itself, you can build stronger connections and grow your brand over time.
Understanding what engaging content for social media is is only one part of a successful strategy. You also need to know how to execute it effectively for your specific brand and audience. If you’re struggling to create content that truly resonates, don’t fret! Drop us a note at [email protected], and we’ll be happy to explore how your brand can utilise social media and effective content marketing to drive results that matter.