How To Create Engaging Social Media Content: Tips + Strategies

Remember when social media felt like a true community? Those days of organic reach and lively comment sections have given way to another era where content gets buried unless you’re willing to pay for visibility.

But despite algorithm challenges and content saturation, certain brands continue to thrive without heavy ad spending. What are these brands doing instead?

They’ve stopped obsessing over how often they post and started caring more about what they post. They’re creating engaging social media content that actually makes people stop scrolling and take action.

We’ll talk about this and more below!

Engagement isn’t measured solely by metrics—it’s about creating genuine connections.
Marketers generally agree that while authentic content won’t guarantee virality, it does create meaningful opportunities for fostering deeper audience relationships.

The difference between clickbait and engaging content also lies in substance. Sure, those shocking headlines might get clicks at first, but your audience will catch on pretty quick. They’ll remember when you overpromised and underdelivered.

Real engaging content actually gives people what they came for – and that’s how you build relationships that stick around.

Truly engaging content is a mix of:

• Relevance: Stuff your audience actually cares about right now.
• Value: Content that teaches something useful or entertains.
• Authenticity: A genuine voice that reflects your brand values.
• Emotion: Something that makes your audience feel something—happiness, surprise, or curiosity.
• Visual appeal: Eye-catching visuals that make thumbs stop scrolling. Piktochart’s AI social media post generator has your back on this! 
• Interactivity: Content that invites participation through questions or challenges.

For example, look at Take Moon Valley’s 5-year anniversary post. It works because it blends authentic storytelling with vibrant outdoor visuals of the founders. 

Instead of just talking about their “Earth, Plant, Food” values, they showed the women behind the brand actively living them which creates a genuine connection that feels real and relatable.

It’s also worth noting that what brands typically miss is that engagement is reciprocal. It’s not just about pushing content out, but actively participating in conversations. The Semrush social media team does it really well. 

Now that we understand what engaging content looks like, let’s tackle the bigger challenge: how do you consistently create it? 

Most brands struggle not because they don’t want to be engaging but because they lack a systematic approach to content creation that resonates with their audience. 

Here’s a simple five-step framework that could completely change how you approach social media. This isn’t just about creating content that performs well; it’s also about building meaningful connections with your audience. 

Posting without purpose often ends up as digital noise.

Look at the social media accounts you love following. Each one has a clear purpose—whether it’s to educate, entertain, inspire, or some combination. Random posts without a strategy might occasionally perform well, but they won’t build a loyal community.

Think about your last few posts. What were they supposed to accomplish? If you’re drawing a blank, you’ve identified the first problem.

Your social strategy needs to support specific business objectives. Before you think about that next clever caption, define what success looks like. Here are some examples to help you get started:

• Brand awareness: Growing your audience reach (beyond your mom and best friend).
• Community building: Sparking genuine conversations (not just emoji reactions).
• Lead generation: Turning casual scrollers into potential customers.
• Sales: Driving revenue without being that pushy salesperson everyone avoids.
• Customer service: Supporting your existing customers publicly (and building trust with potential ones).

Demographics tell you who follows you, but psychographics tell you why they should care about what you post.

To create content people actually stop scrolling for, you need to understand:

• What problems or pain points constantly plague them (the ones they’d Google while at the bus station)
• Where they hang out online when they’re not on your page
• Whether they’d rather watch a quick video or read a thoughtful caption
• What language makes them feel like you’re speaking directly to them
• Which voices they already trust in your industry
• What’s holding them back from buying what you’re selling
  

As Amanda Natividad of SparkToro explains, “Go where your audience is.” Instead of spreading yourself thin across multiple platforms, determine where your target audience spends time.

Tools like SparkToro can help you understand your audience’s online behavior by revealing:

• Which platforms they frequent most (like YouTube, LinkedIn, or TikTok)
• What search terms they commonly use
• Questions they’re actively asking online
  

For example, analyzing “health supplements” might show that your audience searches for video content and has specific questions about vitamin interactions. These are perfect insights for creating targeted social posts that address their needs directly.

Pro tip: Once you’ve identified where your audience is and what they care about, focus exclusively on that single platform until you gain traction. Only after establishing a repeatable content creation process should you expand to additional channels.

Before creating new content, analyze what’s already working:

• Sort your posts by engagement rate
• Identify patterns in high-performing content (topics, formats, posting times) 
• Note which content types drive specific actions (clicks, shares, comments) 
• Review underperforming content to identify what to avoid 
• Analyze seasonal trends that might impact performance 
• Evaluate content performance across different platforms
  

Don’t just look at likes. Comments often indicate deeper engagement, while shares expand your reach to new audiences. It also helps to pay attention to “dark social” metrics like direct messages which indicate high-value engagement even without public visibility.

Many platforms offer native analytics, but third-party tools like Buffer or Hootsuite can provide deeper insights. 

The next step is to look at how your competitors are doing. Get valuable insights through the following:

• Identify 3 to 5 direct competitors with strong social presence 
• Look at their top-performing content 
• Note their posting frequency and timing 
• Observe how they interact with followers 
• Identify content gaps you could fill 
• Examine their hashtag strategies
• Review their visual style and brand voice
  

Create a competitive analysis spreadsheet to track these elements over time. This helps identify trends and shifts in strategy that might impact your approach. Here’s a template you can use:

How to use this template:

1. Update monthly to track changes in strategy. 
2. Color-code cells to highlight particularly successful tactics (green) or gaps to exploit (yellow). 
3. Add notes on seasonal campaigns or special promotions
4. Include specific post examples that performed exceptionally well.

Don’t limit your analysis to direct competitors. You can also look at thought leaders in adjacent industries who target similar audiences but don’t compete directly.

Use what you learn as inspiration, not for copying. What works for others might not match your brand voice or what your audience prefers.The goal is simply understanding the landscape, not imitating it.

Now that you’ve thoroughly analyzed your competitors’ strategies and identified potential opportunities, it’s time to put these insights into action through structured planning.

Enter the social media content calendar. It helps you:

• Maintain regular posting schedules 
• Plan content around key dates and events 
• Balance different content types and goals 
• Ensure consistent brand messaging 
• Reduce last-minute scrambling 
• Coordinate across team members and departments 
• Align social content with other marketing initiatives
  

Your calendar should include post copy, visuals, hashtags, and publishing dates. Tools like Trello, Asana, or dedicated social media management platforms can streamline this process.

The ideal posting frequency varies by platform and audience. Rather than attempting to be everywhere, focus on consistency on 2 to 3 platforms where your audience is most active. Quality always trumps quantity—one thoughtful post is better than five rushed ones!

Pro tip: Leave room for timely, reactive content that responds to current events or trends. Allocate about 20 percent of your calendar for flexible, real-time content that allows you to join relevant conversations as they happen.

Here’s an example of a month’s worth of content if you’re focusing on one platform (LinkedIn in this case):

Social media platforms each have their own distinct audience and purpose. The key is understanding where your customers spend time and adapting your strategy accordingly.

Facebook has the broadest audience, but you only have moments to capture attention. Eye-catching videos work well here, especially reels or live content. Posting twice daily can help with visibility without overwhelming followers.

Instagram thrives on visual content. For this reason, quality images and videos are essential. Use a handful of relevant hashtags and try carousel posts, which the algorithm favors by showing different images over time.

On X,  keep your posts concise but clear. Balancing promotional content with personal stories and industry insights creates a well-rounded presence.

LinkedIn is where you establish your brand as an industry thought leader. Share research articles, company news, and professional content.

Videos hosted directly on LinkedIn perform best and are prioritized by the algorithm. You can also use LinkedIn’s audience targeting tools to reach specific professionals based on industry, job function, or company size. Aim to post once daily with professional, relevant content.

TikTok encourages creativity with short videos. Follow trends, use engaging effects, and consider working with influencers for greater reach.

Variety keeps your audience engaged. Mixing content formats prevents feed fatigue while connecting with followers in various ways. This helps you appeal to diverse learning styles and preferences.

A strategic mix of formats also ensures you capture attention across different audience segments while showcasing your brand’s versatility and depth. Here’s how to keep your audience coming back for more:

People love seeing the humans behind your brand. A quick team lunch photo or a video series on what your employees do (like the Patagonia example below) humanizes your company and builds trust. It’s way more relatable than polished promotional content!

User-generated content (UGC) isn’t just easier for you—it performs better. People trust other customers more than your marketing team (sorry, but it’s true). Create a simple hashtag and watch the authentic content roll in.

Spotify’s #FindYourFeels is a wonderful example of a UGC campaign where they asked listeners to share how music affects their emotions. They invited users to share how music impacts their emotions, resulting in thousands of authentic, relatable stories. People shared everything from workout anthems that pushed them through tough runs to breakup songs that helped them heal.

You don’t have to create everything yourself. Curate industry articles with your take on why they matter. Your audience appreciates useful information regardless of the source. Here’s a great example from the team behind Clue. 

When something happens in your industry, add your perspective. Not every trend needs your hot take, but thoughtful insights on important developments position you as an authority. 

Content marketing director Brenna Lemieux perfectly demonstrates this approach on LinkedIn. 

Facts fade, but stories stick with us. A compelling narrative about your intern’s rise to leadership or how your customer service team saved a client in crisis creates emotional connections that raw information simply cannot. 

These authentic stories humanize your brand, which makes you more relatable and memorable in ways that statistics and features never will. When followers see themselves reflected in your narratives, they’re more likely to engage and share.

With Piktochart AI, just type in an idea, and tada—you’ve got platform-optimized posts that look professional and on-brand.

While you focus on the strategy stuff we discussed – understanding your audience, planning content that matters, telling authentic stories – Piktochart handles the visual heavy lifting. You can also compare the best social media post generators out there and find out why Piktochart is ideal for those without design experience.

Ready to make content that connects? Try Piktochart’s AI social media post generator today to transform your social media post ideas into scroll-stopping visuals in minutes. No design experience required!