How to Get More Engagement on Your Social Media Posts

You post consistently. You create beautiful content. But your engagement is flat. Likes trickle in, comments are rare, and shares? Forget about it.

Low engagement isn't just frustrating—it creates a downward spiral. Algorithms see low engagement as a signal that your content isn't valuable, so they show it to fewer people, which leads to even lower engagement.

The good news? Engagement isn't magic. It's a skill you can develop with the right tactics.

As Gary Vaynerchuk says: "The incredible brand awareness and bottom-line profits achievable through social media marketing require hustle, heart, sincerity, constant engagement, long-term commitment, and most of all, artful and strategic storytelling."

Here are 15 proven tactics to boost your engagement.

1. Ask Questions (The Right Way)

Questions invite responses, but not all questions are created equal.

Weak question: "What do you think?"

Strong question: "What's the one thing you wish you knew before starting your business?"

Pro tip: Ask questions your audience actually wants to answer. Opinion questions ("Which do you prefer—A or B?") and experience questions ("What's your biggest challenge with X?") perform best.

2. Use Carousels for Educational Content

Carousel posts consistently outperform single images for engagement. Why? They encourage swipes (a form of engagement) and provide more value in one post.

Carousel ideas:

• Step-by-step tutorials
• Lists (5 tips, 10 mistakes, 7 tools)
• Before/after transformations
• Mini case studies

3. Hook Them in the First Line

Most people see only the first 1-2 lines of your caption before the "more" cut-off. Make those lines irresistible.

Weak opening: "Today we want to share some tips about social media marketing."

Strong opening: "Stop scrolling. This one mistake is killing your engagement."

Hook formats that work:

• Provocative statement
• Surprising statistic
• Relatable problem
• Promise of value

4. Reply to Every Comment (Quickly)

When someone comments, reply within the first hour if possible. This does two things:

1. Encourages more comments (people know you'll respond)
2. Each reply counts as additional engagement, boosting your post's visibility

Go beyond "Thanks!" Add value or ask a follow-up question to continue the conversation.

5. Create Save-Worthy Content

Saves are weighted heavily by algorithms because they indicate high-value content. Create posts people will want to reference later:

• Checklists
• How-to guides
• Resource lists
• Templates
• Statistics and data

Encourage saves: "Save this for later!" actually works—sometimes people just need the reminder.

6. Use Stories to Drive Feed Engagement

When you post to your feed, share it to Stories with a teaser: "New post! Swipe up to see our 5 biggest lessons from last year."

Stories reach followers who might miss your feed post, driving more initial engagement.

7. Post When Your Audience is Active

Check your analytics to see when your followers are online, and post during those windows. Early engagement signals to the algorithm that your content is valuable.

8. End with a Clear Call-to-Action

Tell people exactly what you want them to do:

• "Double tap if you agree"
• "Tag someone who needs to see this"
• "Drop a 🔥 in the comments if this helped"
• "Share your experience in the comments"

One clear CTA beats multiple vague ones.

9. Engage Before and After Posting

Spend 10-15 minutes engaging with other accounts before and after you post. This warms up the algorithm and increases the chances your content gets seen.

10. Create Controversy (Carefully)

Posts that take a stand generate more engagement than neutral content. Share unpopular opinions about your industry, challenge common wisdom, or take a clear position.

Caution: Stay professional and avoid genuinely divisive topics. The goal is discussion, not alienation.

11. Use Video (Especially Reels)

Video content consistently gets higher engagement than static images. You don't need perfect production—authentic, helpful videos outperform polished but boring content.

Reels in particular receive boosted reach as platforms compete with TikTok.

12. Share Behind-the-Scenes Content

People connect with people, not brands. Behind-the-scenes content humanises your business and builds genuine connection:

• Day-in-the-life content
• Team introductions
• Process and production footage
• Bloopers and mistakes

13. Create Shareable Content

Shares dramatically extend your reach. Content that gets shared:

• Makes people look good for sharing it
• Provides genuine value
• Evokes emotion (inspiration, humor, surprise)
• Is relevant to the sharer's audience

14. Run Polls and Quizzes

Interactive content like polls, quizzes, and "this or that" posts are engagement magnets. They're low-effort for your audience but still count as engagement.

Use Story polls regularly and create occasional feed posts with voting options.

15. Be Consistent

Engagement builds over time. Accounts that post consistently train their audience to expect and engage with their content. Stop-start posting confuses algorithms and loses audience attention.

What to Avoid

• Engagement pods: Artificial engagement from other businesses looks fake and can trigger algorithm penalties
• Buying likes/comments: Damages your engagement rate and credibility
• Posting without strategy: Random content gets random results
• Ignoring your audience: If you don't engage with them, why would they engage with you?