Why followers stay silent and how to raise engagement

How do you raise engagement in social networks if followers read posts but hardly react? It is important not only to create interesting content but also to build a dialogue with the audience. Engagement starts with simple actions: questions, replies to comments and attention to followers’ interests.

The audience’s attention is one of the important resources of social networks. Keeping it is not easy: users quickly scroll the feed, moving from one post to another.

Engagement is not only asking people to like or comment. It is constant interaction with people who are interested in your content.

How to raise engagement in social networks with content

1. Ask questions

People share their opinion more readily when asked directly.

Tips:

• Phrase simple and clear questions.
• For example: “Which movie did you watch last?” or “Tea or coffee?”
• Avoid complicated and too abstract wording. The easier it is to answer, the higher the chance of getting a response.

2. Make your content useful

Followers come back to posts in which they find something useful for themselves.

How to do it:

• Publish tips, life hacks and checklists that help solve your audience’s tasks.
• For example, a cosmetics brand can talk about skin care in winter, and a restaurant can share the recipe of a popular dish.

3. Evoke emotions

An emotional reaction can prompt a person to interact with a post.

If a post brings a smile, admiration or mild indignation, the reader has a reason to express their opinion.

Ideas:

• Funny situations, inspiring stories and unexpected facts.
• Light provocation that stimulates discussion but does not cause excessive negativity.

How to stimulate reactions and keep the dialogue going

4. Call to action

Followers do not always understand which reaction is expected from them.

A simple and clear call helps point out the next step.

Examples:

• “Write your opinion.”
• “Save it so you don’t forget.”
• “Share with a friend.”

5. Keep the dialogue going

If you want the audience to interact with you, reciprocate.

• Reply to comments and ask clarifying questions.
• Even a short “Thank you!” shows that you notice followers’ participation.

6. Use stories for quick communication

Stories are one of the tools you can use to interact with the audience.

How to use them:

• Publish questions, polls and quizzes.
• Use interactive stickers so that it is easier for followers to take part.
• Show that you are really interested in the audience’s opinion.

User-generated content and experiments

7. Publish UGC — content from users

People like to see their photos, reviews and stories on brands’ pages.

Tips:

• Repost followers’ photos and reviews.
• Thank users for taking part.
• Share the results of contests.

8. Do not be afraid to experiment

New formats help diversify posts and test what your audience is interested in.

Try:

• Mini-games, contests and unexpected questions.
• Showing the process of working on a brand or product.
• Telling personal stories and introducing followers to the team.

9. Watch the reaction and learn from it

Not all ideas work the first time. So analyzing the audience’s reaction is an important part of social media management.

What to do:

• Study which posts get more reactions.
• Identify the topics and formats your audience finds interesting.
• Develop the directions that get the strongest response.

Audience engagement is a constant dialogue

Interaction with followers is not limited to individual posts.

Try to create useful and emotional content, keep up communication and take the audience’s interests into account.

Behind every like and comment is a person for whom it matters to be heard.

Other useful articles are available on the Dzen channel.