An engagement post is a type of social media post meant to encourage interaction and discussion with your audience. The goal is to spark conversation in the comments section, drive shares, and boost overall engagement metrics.
Why are engagement posts important?
Engagement posts serve several purposes for brands and influencers on social media:
- Drive more comments – People are more likely to comment on posts that ask questions or encourage sharing opinions.
- Increase shares – Engaging content gives followers a reason to share with their own networks.
- Build relationships – Engagement posts allow you to have conversations with your audience and strengthen connections.
- Improve reach – When people interact with your post, it may show up more in feeds and be seen by new audiences.
- Gather feedback – Engagement posts can provide useful insights into what resonates with your followers.
Examples of Engagement Post Types
Here are some of the most common formats for engagement posts:
Polls
Poll posts allow followers to vote on a question you pose. For example:
- What’s your favorite product from our new collection?
- Do you prefer the red or blue option?
- What time of day do you usually work out?
Polls spark debate in the comments as people explain their choices. They also allow you to crowdsource opinions from your audience.
Quizzes
Personality quizzes, trivia questions, and other interactive games get people commenting as they share their results and reactions. For example:
- What [brand/industry term] are you? Share your result!
- Only true fans can get 10/10 on this quiz! Can you pass?
- Put your skills to the test with this [relevant] challenge.
The shareable, competitive nature of quizzes makes them highly engaging post formats.
Photo Contests
Photo contests encourage user-generated content by having followers submit images around a certain theme. For example:
- Share pics of you wearing [brand] for a chance to be featured!
- Post your recreation of this recipe for a chance to win [prize]!
- Enter our photo contest by submitting a summer adventure pic using #[hashtag].
People love seeing their own content shared and featured. Photo contests drive shares as users rally friends and family to vote for their entry.
Fill-in-the-Blank
Asking followers to complete a sentence is an easy way to get lots of comments rolling in. For example:
- My favorite thing about [brand] is _______.
- If I could only eat one food for the rest of my life, it would be _______.
- Next on my travel bucket list is _______.
This format taps into people’s desire to share opinions. As followers fill in their unique responses, it creates an ongoing discussion.
Would You Rather
“Would you rather” questions ask followers to make a choice between two options. For example:
- Would you rather give up coffee or social media for a month?
- Would you rather travel 100 years into the future or the past?
- Would you rather have super strength or super speed?
These posts divide your audience into camps, sparking lively debates between the two sides. The outrageous scenarios make them fun to engage with.
Hot Takes
Sharing a bold opinion on a trending topic invites responses from both sides. For example:
- Pineapple does NOT belong on pizza. Change my mind!
- Book adaptations are always better than the movie versions.
- [Celebrity] was totally snubbed for an Oscar nom this year.
When done right, hot takes capture attention and get people fired up to defend or challenge your stance.
Ask Me Anything (AMA)
AMA-style posts allow followers to interview you and pick your brain. For example:
- I’m [name] from [brand], here for an AMA! Ask me anything about [relevant topic].
- It’s time for another AMA! Drop your questions below and I’ll answer in the comments.
- Let’s chat! Ask me anything you want to know about [area of expertise].
AMAs allow you to engage in an authentic back-and-forth with your audience. Followers feel special getting their questions answered directly.
Caption Contests
Share an image and ask followers to come up with clever captions for it in the comments. For example:
- Caption this hilarious meme!
- Add your caption to this adorable puppy photo!
- This crazy concert moment needs a funny caption. You go!
Caption contests tap into people’s humor and creativity. They can spark hundreds of unique, hilarious responses.
Reaction Request
Ask followers to react to something by sharing emoji, gifs, or their candid thoughts. For example:
- This sloth video is everything! React with your favorite emojis.
- I can’t even 😂! Leave a gif showing how you feel about this ridiculous [topic].
- Our new [product] drops today. Initial reactions?? 👀
Reaction requests allow followers to post their emoji/gif reactions and unfiltered opinions. This provides social proof of sentiment.
Best Practices for Engagement Posts
To get maximum impact from your engagement posts, keep these tips in mind:
- Hook your audience in the first sentence – ask the question or present the scenario upfront.
- Use visuals – images, graphics, and video help catch attention.
- Keep the response simple – don’t ask for essays, a few words/sentences will do.
- Include a call to action for shares to maximize visibility.
- Monitor and engage with comments – replying breeds more replies.
- Rotate different post types to keep it fresh and interesting.
- Analyze results to see which posts perform best.
Conclusion
Engagement posts that encourage comments, shares, and reactions from your audience should be part of every social media marketing strategy. They allow you to crowdsource opinions, gather feedback, have meaningful interactions with followers, and increase the reach of your posts. Polls, quizzes, fill-in-the-blanks, AMAs, photo contests, hot takes, and more can all be tailored to your brand voice and audience. Track performance data on your engagement posts and continue experimenting to see which formats resonate most.