Top 3 Types of Content for Social Media Engagement

Like everything these days, the content marketing world moves fast. What worked yesterday might fall flat today. And what works today could go viral.

To really get the most value from your content, it’s important to keep on top of the latest trends and make sure you're serving up content that people want to engage with. Here are the top three types of content that people are engaging with, right now:

1. Surveys

Not sure what your audience wants from you? Then ask them. It might seem simple, but it can help you to gain valuable insights about your social media fans and followers, and generate higher engagement.

Polls on Facebook and Twitter are a win-win for you and for your followers. Depending on the questions you ask, you can get free advice about what you’re doing that people like and what you could do be doing better, and oyu can get feedback on product names, logos and design choices. You can also find out how to improve future products before you ofer them, and release them onto the market with a strong start.

For your audience, it means they get to be part of the conversation and have the satisfaction of helping to create products that they really want and love. Plus, who doesn’t like giving their opinion?

2. Interactive Infographics

Studies show that visual content — including infographics — is more likely to go viral than any other type of content. But to get likes, shares and comments, they have to be good.

As Maria Sterndorff, Mediaplanet’s Head of Product & Production for Europe, says, “The challenge with great infographics is to make them tell a relevant story, while still making it easy to understand. They also need to be trustworthy, visually appealing and importantly, something that people will share and remember.”

To make infographics even more engaging, make them interactive. There are a couple ways to do this. One is to directly ask questions in the infographic, to get your audience thinking. The other way is to make areas of your infographic clickable, so that they reveal hidden information. This gives people a feeling of control and lets them see what they’re most interested in, as well as being fun.

3. Live Streaming

Live streaming continues to increase in popularity. Instagram Stories, in particular, have inspired millions of people to share moments from their day, espexcially because they only remainfor 24 hours. Like all live streaming posts on social media, the best ones are entertaining and/or informative.

Businesses are now starting to use live streaming in their content marketing strategy, too. It's great for giving people a front row seat to product announcements and Q&A sessions, as well as behind-the-scenes looks at their favorite brands.

One of the best ways to engage viewers during live streams is to provide tips and tricks. You can also include calls to action, asking viewers to like or follow the links in your story to get more of what they’re looking for. The video doesn’t have to be of the best quality, it just needs to give off a feeling of spontaneity and show off the brand's personality. 

Try New Things and Track Your Efforts

The possibilities for content marketing are only limited by creativity and imagination. When you’re in a rut, it’s important to keep exploring new formats to see if you could be doing something better. Just make sure to track your efforts so you can concentrate on what’s working right now and can let go of strategies that are no longer pulling their weight.

If you need help crafting content that works right now, don't hesitate to reach out to our friendly Mediaplanet team. We're always ready to help!