How To Write Social Media Posts That Get Engagement

Every business wants more engagement on social media.

More likes.

More comments.

More shares.

More visibility.

Yet most social media posts receive little attention because they fail to do the one thing that matters most. They fail to earn attention in the first place.

Whenever somebody opens LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok or Facebook, they are entering one of the most competitive environments on the internet. They are often multitasking, commuting, sitting in meetings, watching television or doing something else entirely whilst scrolling. Your content is competing not just with other businesses, but with friends, family, influencers, celebrities and every other distraction on their feed.

This means your content has to work hard, and it has to work quickly.

The businesses generating the strongest engagement understand that social media is not about publishing more content. It is about creating content that immediately connects with the audience, holds their attention and gives them a reason to engage.

What Will You Learn In This Article?

This article covers:

• Why most social media posts fail
• How to create stronger hooks
• Why storytelling increases engagement
• How platform behaviour affects performance
• The role of video content
• Why the Five Es framework matters
• How Social Hawk creates engaging content

Why Do Most Social Media Posts Fail To Get Engagement?

Most social media posts fail because they do not give the audience a compelling reason to stop scrolling and pay attention.

Many businesses begin their posts with generic introductions, company updates or promotional messages. The problem is that audiences rarely care about the business until the business demonstrates why it matters to them.

People engage with content that feels relevant.

They engage with content that solves problems.

They engage with content that creates curiosity.

If your post fails to achieve one of those objectives within the opening few seconds, the opportunity is often lost.

The strongest social media posts understand this reality and immediately focus on the audience rather than the brand.

Why Is The Hook The Most Important Part Of The Post?

The hook matters because it determines whether somebody continues reading, watching or scrolling past your content.

Most engagement decisions happen incredibly quickly. Users often decide within three to five seconds whether content deserves their attention.

A strong hook creates immediate curiosity.

It may challenge a common assumption.

It may identify a problem.

It may highlight an opportunity.

It may present an unexpected opinion.

The objective is not to trick the audience into reading. The objective is to give them a genuine reason to continue engaging with the content.

Without a strong hook, even excellent content can go unnoticed.

How Do You Create Better Hooks?

The best hooks connect directly to the audience’s challenges, ambitions or interests and make them want to know more.

Think about the difference between these two openings:

“Our company recently launched a new service.”

Or:

“Most businesses are making this mistake without even realising it.”

The second example creates curiosity immediately.

The audience wants to understand the mistake.

They want to know whether it applies to them.

The strongest hooks often create what marketers refer to as an information gap. The audience sees enough information to become interested, but not enough to satisfy their curiosity.

That curiosity drives engagement.

Why Should You Write Directly To The Reader?

Social media performs best when it feels like a conversation rather than a broadcast.

One of the simplest ways to achieve this is through second-person language.

Using words such as:

• You
• Your
• Yourself

creates a sense of direct communication.

The reader feels that the content was written specifically for them.

This may seem like a small adjustment, but it fundamentally changes how content feels.

Instead of reading a corporate announcement, the audience feels like they are participating in a conversation.

That creates connection.

Connection creates engagement.

Why Does Storytelling Increase Engagement?

Storytelling works because people naturally connect with experiences, emotions and human situations far more effectively than they connect with facts alone.

The strongest social media posts often include:

• Personal experiences
• Client stories
• Lessons learned
• Behind-the-scenes insights
• Real-world observations

Stories help transform information into something memorable.

A business owner sharing a lesson learned from a mistake will often generate more engagement than a post listing ten generic tips.

People remember stories because stories feel human.

Why Does Behind The Scenes Content Perform So Well?

Behind-the-scenes content works because it satisfies curiosity and helps audiences connect with the people behind the brand.

Most businesses focus exclusively on presenting polished outcomes.

What audiences often find more interesting is the process.

They want to understand:

• How things work
• How decisions are made
• What challenges were overcome
• What happens behind the scenes

This type of content feels authentic and often creates stronger engagement than highly polished promotional posts.

It builds trust because it reveals the human side of the business.

Why Should Posts Be Different Across Platforms?

Every social platform has developed its own behaviours, expectations and content preferences.

LinkedIn audiences are generally prepared to consume longer-form content and engage with thought leadership.

Instagram users often prefer visual storytelling and shorter captions.

TikTok audiences reward fast-paced, attention-grabbing content.

Facebook audiences frequently engage with community-focused discussions.

The message can often remain consistent, but the format should adapt to the platform.

One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is publishing exactly the same content everywhere without considering how audiences consume content differently.

Why Is Video Content Becoming More Important?

Video continues to dominate social media because it combines movement, personality and storytelling into a format that captures attention naturally.

Audiences increasingly want to see the people behind the business.

Video allows them to:

• Hear your voice
• Understand your expertise
• Connect with your personality
• Build trust more quickly

This is particularly important for founder-led brands.

A sixty-second video often communicates more authority than a lengthy written post.

The businesses generating the strongest engagement are increasingly investing in short-form video content across multiple platforms.

How Should Video Scripts Be Written?

Video scripts should be fast-paced, conversational and designed to maintain attention throughout the entire viewing experience.

The strongest scripts avoid lengthy introductions.

Instead, they quickly establish:

• The problem
• The insight
• The lesson
• The opportunity

Attention is fragile.

Every second matters.

This is why successful video creators constantly move the conversation forward and avoid unnecessary complexity.

The goal is clarity.

The goal is engagement.

The goal is helping the audience quickly understand the value of staying until the end.

What Are The Five Es Of Social Media Content?

The Five Es framework helps businesses create balanced content that audiences genuinely want to engage with.

Popularised by Gary Vaynerchuk’s broader approach to audience building, the framework focuses on creating content that:

• Educates
• Entertains
• Engages
• Empowers
• Excites

Many businesses focus exclusively on promotion.

The Five Es encourage a more audience-focused approach.

Educational content builds authority.

Entertaining content increases reach.

Engaging content creates conversations.

Empowering content inspires action.

Exciting content generates enthusiasm.

Together, these content types create a stronger social media presence.

How Does Social Hawk Create More Engaging Posts?

Social Hawk was built specifically to help businesses create content that captures attention and generates engagement.

Rather than relying on generic content generation, the platform analyses your audience, market and competitors before generating content in your unique tone of voice.

It creates:

• Social media posts
• Carousels
• Images
• Reel scripts
• Awareness day content

The platform also helps businesses promote Learning Centre content created through Blog Beaver whilst ensuring that social media activity aligns with broader marketing objectives inside Growth Gorilla.

This creates consistency across every stage of the customer journey.

What Should Businesses Focus On First?

Businesses should focus first on understanding their audience rather than worrying about algorithms.

The strongest engagement rarely comes from hacks, shortcuts or platform tricks.

It comes from relevance.

Ask yourself:

What does my audience care about?

What challenges do they face?

What insights can I provide?

When content consistently answers those questions, engagement becomes far easier to achieve.

Why Do The Best Social Media Posts Feel Personal?

The best social media posts feel personal because social media was built around human interaction rather than corporate communication.

People engage with people.

They connect with stories.

They respond to authenticity.

The businesses generating the strongest engagement understand this principle and create content that feels like a conversation rather than an advertisement.

That approach remains one of the most reliable ways to build an audience in 2026.

If you’re ready to create a week’s worth of engaging social media content, including posts, carousels, images and reel scripts in your unique tone of voice, explore Social Hawk and discover how easy consistent social media can become.