More than half of the entire world’s population is on social media these days, making building your social platform a must. But cutting through the noise to master the art of social media engagement is no joke. Here’s what you need to know about getting people to look at your stuff, share it and actually take action – what we in the biz call “engagement.”
What we talk about when we talk about engagement
People these days love to talk about engagement, and not the type with a bent knee and a blingy ring. In the social media realm, engagement measures how much people pay attention to and interact with your content. You might have a ton of followers, but if everyone is scrolling straight past your content, that follower count isn’t good for much more than an ego boost. In contrast, a small but loyal following of peeps who hang on your every word, watch all your vids, answer all your polls, and share your stuff is a marketer’s dream.
So, what constitutes “good” engagement? Well, it varies from platform to platform (and from niche to niche as well.) Let’s take a quick look at the typical stats.
• Facebook:
- Average engagement is >2%. Brands should aim for 5%+.
- Most engagement comes from the 35-44 and 45-54 age groups
- Average Page organic reach is 5% of total likes
- Facebook Page images get more shares than other media types
- Switching from regular to “Live” video doubles video engagement
- Adding ad spend can decrease engagement
• Instagram:
- Average engagement across all post types is >1%. 2% is good, and 3%+ is great
- Business accounts average >2% engagement
- Posting on Wednesdays and Thursdays, using hashtags and using faces in photos increases engagement
- Using Reels massively boostsreach and engagement
• Twitter:
- Average engagement rate is 0.07%. Anything from 0.5% up is good; 1%+ is great
- Responding quickly to comments boosts engagement
- Adding gifs, photos, quotes, hashtags and trending tags increases engagement
• LinkedIn:
- A good LinkedIn engagement rate is about 2%; brands can hit 5-6% depending the type of content shared
- Long-form posts get the most engagement at the moment
- 16% of profiles actively share content; 39% never do
- Posting 20+ times per month helps you reach 60% of your audience.
- Adding links, images and videos dramatically increases engagement, comments and shares.
• TikTok:
- Average engagement rate is 3%-9%
- Using hashtags, jumping on trends (including music), and posting at peak times boosts engagement
- Stitching and Duets increase reach and engagement
Fun ways to boost engagement on your social platforms
If your numbers are looking pretty good, but you’re human (and a business owner), and you want MORE engagement. Here are some fun ways to give your engagement a boost without shelling out a fortune or spending all your spare time trying to appease the algorithm gods.
- Woo, free stuff! Run a contest with a prize that your audience will love and that ties in to what you do. Encourage people to engage with your content as part of the contest. (But make sure you read the fine print about contests before posting; some platforms are pretty strict.)
- Ask a question. People love to show off their smarts. Ask fun, simple questions, and encourage people to chime in. Share the results on your account for an extra engagement boost – and don’t forget to tag participants!
- Run a poll. Polls are a great way to encourage engagement and gauge where people stand. (Fun fact: most of your audience will answer just to see what everyone else has says.) You can use the poll results for future content inspiration, too.
- Share fillable templates. Coffee / tea; morning / night; we’ve all seen the “circle your preference” templates on Instagram Stories. Share them to your stories and encourage others to fill them out with their own results.
- Try an AMA (ask me anything).This can be a great way to generate a ton of engagement (and content for your calendar). Use quote tweets for more mileage on Twitter, and share answers to your stories, or go Live on Instagram or Facebook.
- Add media. Pics, gifs, vids, music, stickers and links are all engagement boosters. If you want to create your own, head to Canvaand whip up some graphics (or use my awesome templates here).
- SERIOUSLY, VIDEOS. The internet loves videos. Even if you’re super shy, give videos a try – especially FB Live and Reels. Your engagement metrics will thank you.
- Boost up others. Is there someone out there creating killer content or dropping major industry truth bombs? Boost their content (adding some extra commentary or notes of your own when it works. *taps temple*) You can also partner with someone or join a promo group to extend your reach and engagement.
- Engage with your fans!Whatever you do, don’t skimp on the “social” bit of social media. Broadcasting your stuff will only get you so far. Talk to people, share their stuff, like and comment on their posts, and don’t be stingy with the follows. The more you engage, the more they’ll engage.
So, are you feeling engaged with the whole idea of social media engagement? Good stuff! If you need some tips on building out a strategy that maximizes engagement while minimizing the hard work, I’ve got your back – book a 1-hour strategy call here.