Swipe Right On &Barr’s Social Department
Creating Engaging Content in 2023

By: Grace Midtgard, Social Media Manager

Left. Left. Left. Left. Then, finally… Right! But why did that one catch your eye? Is it that smile?? Their destination vacay pic? The hyper-engaging content sure to convert strong ROI? Yeah, us, too.

Creating engaging content is like making a dating profile that your followers would want to swipe right on. There are thousands of profiles on dating apps, all looking for the same thing—the perfect match. So, how do you stand out? When crafting your dating profile, I’m sure you think of not only your own interests but those of your aspirational match. You reflect on past relationships and analyze what did and didn’t work about them. Obviously, you use your best photos. Golden hour here. Perfect hair day there. And, of course, the one with the too-cute puppy. All because you want to put your best foot forward.

Unfortunately, this blog isn’t a lesson in love. Well, at least not that kind. Rather it’s about how to create content so engaging, so irresistible your followers “swipe right.”

When crafting content, one essential consideration is who you want the piece to resonate with—your target audience. Think beyond age and gender. An effective target audience is more than standard demographic info. You should account for people’s interests, lifestyles, dislikes and more. A good rule of thumb is to create 2-3 detailed personas that you can use to put yourself in your audience’s mind during content development.

One easy way to know what content your audience finds engaging is to review the performance of your past posts. First, look at your top 10 performers and analyze what they have in common. Maybe they’re all pictures of people. Maybe they’re text-based images. As they say, it’s important to learn from your mistakes. This means you’ll do this same exercise again, but this time with your lowest-performing content. What do they have in common? Are all the images low resolution? Are the captions awkward or clunky? Once you’ve finished your critical analyses, use the information to guide your future content strategy.

It can be hard to admit, but sometimes looks are important, especially on visually based platforms like Instagram. To break through the inevitable clutter of users’ feeds and stop their scrolling, you’ll need to post content that appeals to their visual preferences. That’s the first step. The second step is the user reading and absorbing the information. Third, if they find the information beneficial, entertaining, educational or appealing, they’ll engage. Keep in mind that the more engagement on a post, the more the algorithm boosts it, therefore increasing visibility.

Ultimately, people are starting to use social media as a search engine. Meaning now, more than ever, the first time they see your brand may be on social media. Your presence on these platforms can make or break someone’s perception. Think about it, would you “swipe right” on your own brand?

If the answer is no, my team and I are here to help. Let’s make it a date!