At the end of the day, social media marketing is all about getting more people to engage with your content — and that means it needs to be exciting enough for them to want to react to your posts and share them. The best way to do this is by creating engaging, interactive social media content. In this post, we go over 10 popular types of interactive social media content that get great engagement rates.
What Is Interactive Social Media Content?
Social media content is anything that people can share on social media. It can include text, images, links, video and audio. The content you create and publish on your own social media channels could also be shared on other people’s channels.
We can think of content types as falling into two broad categories: static and interactive. Static content refers to all of the assets in your digital portfolio that rarely change, such as your social media profile photos, bio, ebooks, or a pre-recorded webinar pinned at the top of your page. Interactive content is usually more complex and dynamic than static posts. It requires users to interact with the content — for instance, by playing games, taking a quiz, reacting to the post, entering contests, or signing up for newsletters/mailings/updates/alerts. The more they engage, the more they retain the information you are presenting.
Both types of content have their place in your social media marketing strategy. However, by definition, interactive content tends to win the war when it comes to getting an audience’s attention. In one Demand Gen survey, 91% said they prefer interactive and visual content over static material.
Your best bet is to get your static assets set up, revisit them from time to time to update them, and primarily focus on interactive content. Whether you want to introduce new products, increase your following, boost clicks to your website, generate more leads, or engage with your local community, interactive content can help you get there. Read on for 10 types of interactive content that will help you chip away at your goals.
1. User-Generated Content
User-generated content (UGC) is a great way to get your followers involved. A UGC campaign can be as simple as asking users to submit their favorite photos or videos, which you can then share on social media. You can also add a fun prize element to encourage participation. For example, if you want people to submit photos of their pets, offer the winner a year’s supply of dog food from your favorite brand.
Another option is running a contest where users are tasked with creating the best content for your brand or product. Winners could receive prizes such as gift cards, trips, or other items related to your business, such as branded T-shirts or other swag.
2. GIFs
GIFs are a great way to show emotion or convey a message in a fun and engaging way. They’re also popular on social media, which means that people are more likely to engage with them than other types of content. The best part about GIFs is that they’re easy and quick to create using a service like Giphy, making them an excellent option when you need something simple but effective.
3. Reviews
In the world of social media, reviews are one of the best ways to interact with your audience and let them know that you care about their opinions. However, it’s easy to simply ask for a review without following up after people leave them.
Responding to all of your reviews, both positive and negative, is one of the easiest ways to interact directly with your customers. If someone leaves a positive review, you can use it as an opportunity to thank your customer and share their feedback on social media through a graphically designed image. With negative reviews, you can respond to customer comments professionally and work to resolve problems. In many cases, following up with disgruntled customers helps to diffuse situations and even encourage repeat shopping in the future — even among casual observers who see these reviews online and your thoughtful follow-up.
4. Videos
Videos are an excellent way to engage your audience. You can use them in many ways, including:
- Introducing a new product or service. Shoot a quick video explaining your new offerings and why consumers should be excited about them.
- Explaining a complex concept. How-to videos, tutorials and explainers can help to break down complex concepts in a way that people can easily understand. These videos may start off as interactive content and later become static or evergreen content.
- Sharing a story. Tell the story behind your brand, your products, your family business, or anything else that humanizes your business.
- Promoting an event. Before, during and after an event, you can share the excitement about any events you are attending or a part of.
5. Q&As
Q&As are a great way to get people involved in your content. You can ask questions about anything you want and the answers will vary depending on who responds.
When creating a Q&A, think about what audiences would find useful or interesting. For example, if you’re selling a product or service, you could ask questions about how people use it and what they like most about it. If you’re in an industry where there are competitors providing similar products or services, asking questions that compare and contrast their offerings is another option for generating interest among potential customers.
You can also go live on different platforms to answer FAQ from your customers. Your audience will get notified that you’re going live and may be more likely to tune in than they would be if you just posted a video.
Related: 15 Social Media Content Ideas for Small Businesses
6. Challenges and Contests
Challenges and contests are a great way to get people to engage with your brand. You can use them to get people involved with your business and drive traffic to your website or social media channels.
With challenges, you can ask people to share photos of themselves using one of your products in a creative way. For example, you could create an online cooking contest where participants submit their best recipes on Facebook using one of your products as the main ingredient.
Contests are another great way to increase engagement around specific topics that relate to your business or product line. For example, if you sell shoes online, then consider hosting an Instagram contest where users post pictures or Stories showing different ways they wear a certain style of shoe from your store. You can then pick a random winner to receive a pair of shoes, and all participants could receive a discount code for a future purchase.
7. TikTok Duets
TikTok Duets allow you to post another content creator’s video side-by-side in a split screen as you react to their video. You can adjust your settings on TikTok to allow other creators to Duet your videos, too.
Duets are a fun way to give a nod to another creator’s content. They are also easy to create — someone else has already done the work to create the video, and all you need to do is react to it with your words and facial expressions. In fact, some creators build their entire accounts around Duets! Think of a chef who reacts to someone making a recipe, for example.
As a brand, be mindful of how you react to another creator’s content using Duets. Keep it kind and professional to avoid offending anyone, and you can easily start building your TikTok audience in this way.
8. “Behind the Scenes” Content
Behind-the-scenes content is a fantastic way to show your brand’s personality and can be a great way to differentiate yourself from other brands. You can showcase how you make your products, show your employees having fun, or highlight your team, your customers, and your community. You could even capture video footage of people working in their offices, throwing parties, or just simply enjoying life.
This type of content is also useful for building trust with your audience because it gives them a glimpse into what goes on behind closed doors at your company. This can lead viewers to feel like they’re in on some sort of secret or exclusive club — one that they want to stay a part of!
9. Polls and Twitter Threads
Polls are a great way to get people involved in your content. You can use them for everything from collecting data about how people feel about something, to just getting opinions on topics that are important to you and your brand.
For example, if you’re a restaurant owner with an online presence, asking fans what types of pizza they’d like to see on the menu might provide valuable information while also increasing engagement. On the other hand, if you run a clothing store and want feedback on which styles should be featured more prominently in the store’s window displays, you can ask followers “This or that?” questions. This will get them engaged without overwhelming them with options.
10. Blog Posts and Podcasts
The best content for social media is not always the most eye-catching. In fact, sometimes it’s the more bland stuff that gets the job done. Blog posts and podcasts are a great way to share your expertise and build authority in your niche. It’s also a great way to get people to subscribe to your channel if you have one. You can use these two types of content on virtually any platform: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more.
Interactive Social Media Content Wins the Engagement Game
When it comes to social media marketing and content, there are a lot of options out there. In fact, you could spend hours creating and curating different types of content that will help your business grow. But in the end, all these different types of interactive social media content have one thing in common: they get engagement.
The more engagement you get on your posts and other pieces of social media content, the more followers you’re going to gain. As you’ve seen in this blog post, there are many types of interactive social media content that can help drive more engagement from your audience and make them want to keep coming back for more.
