Interactive Posts: Steal these ideas and say goodbye to boring social media

By Rhonda Bradley April 9, 2024

Have you ever dreamed about waking up to discover that your brand’s social media page went viral overnight?

Or that, within a few months, you were able to build a highly engaged audience that feels like a real community?

Social media success happens on different timelines, but there’s one thing you can count on: Interactive content is one of the most reliable ways to get there.

Whether you’re looking to expand reach and awareness, grow your audience, or drive traffic and conversions, engagement is the key to making it happen on social media. 

Keep reading for creative and popular ideas on how to create interactive content for your brand. You’ll find ideas and suggestions, plus insights, stories, and tips from people with first-hand experience.

What is interactive social media content?

Interactive social media posts are any type of content that encourages users to actively engage with your content. Interactive posts may take the form of videos, Stories, image posts, ads, or any other form of content.

Some interactive content uses text to inspire engagement, while others feature tools or technology such as stickers, polls, and augmented reality.

For example, NP Digital uses polls, especially on Instagram and LinkedIn, to encourage engagement from its viewers.

“Our favorite type of interactive social media is polls – both on LinkedIn and Instagram – because they allow our audience to offer their input on industry trends, where they can comment on these posts to add further context.”

– Kayla Bautista, Social Media Manager, NP Digital

On any social media channel, interactive content can help boost your engagement rates, reach, and visibility in the feeds.

Why interactive posts matter

Interactive social media posts help boost engagement rates for your brand. Those higher engagement rates deliver several benefits:

• Lets the platform’s algorithm know that your content is valuable, often resulting in better visibility in social media feeds for all your brand posts.

• Builds community by creating a two-way conversation that makes your audience feel seen, heard, and appreciated.
• Encourages sharing, which exposes your content to new audiences and boosts your brand awareness. 

• Provides your brand with valuable insights into your audience’s opinions, preferences, pain points, and favorite types of content.

More than five billion social media users spend an average of 12 billion hours using social media platforms daily. Most of them (those aged 16 – 64) log on to keep in touch with friends and family, fill their spare time, and read news stories. 

A significant portion of social media users also log on to view and interact with brand content like yours. 

Here are a few of the main reasons people use social media:

• 35% are looking for content
• 27% are searching for inspiration on what to do and buy
• 26% are looking for products to purchase
• 22% want to see content from their favorite brands

One of the best ways to engage social media users is through interactive content. This opens the door to conversions, sales, and traffic that can generate real profits.

Interactive post ideas for social media content

Fundraising campaigns, UCG campaigns, and live videos are some of the most successful types of interactive social media content (across all channels).

Fundraising campaigns

Fundraisers are a great opportunity to share compelling stories related to a cause your audience cares about. They inspire empathy and build an emotional connection between you and your audience. 

Interactive posts inspire people to get involved and help make your fundraiser a success. 

Try the following interactive post ideas to support your fundraiser:

• Quizzes about the cause
• Contests and giveaways that inspire people to share photos or stories related to the cause
• Challenges like the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and the Betty White Challenge

UGC Campaigns

UGC (user-generated content) campaigns encourage interaction by asking followers and customers to create, share, or interact with content on your behalf. 

For example, the Natura Marketa UGC post below shows a typical UGC Giveaway contest. To enter its giveaway drawing, users must tag two friends. 

UGC campaigns give your brand reach and engagement a massive boost because they expose your brand to new people and build trust and credibility.

Other user-generated content ideas include:

• Photo/video contests with prize incentives
• “Caption this” challenges
• Fill-in-the blank prompts
• Testimonials and reviews

Priyanka Swamy, CEO & Founder of Perfect Locks, says interactive content, especially UGC, helps her brand build community and better understand its audience.

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Swamy shared the following tips for businesses looking to boost their results with interactive content:

1. Create branded hashtags.
2. Host photo challenges or contests.
3. Invite participants to repost their content.
4. Share their stories.
5. Offer incentives, like discounts or features, on our social channels.

Interactive video 

Interactive video creates a two-way conversation that makes viewers feel like active participants instead of passive observers. 

Build trust with followers by answering questions about your product. Generate more leads by encouraging viewers to subscribe to your email list. Gain valuable insights by asking questions and encouraging live feedback.

Other interactive video ideas include:

• Live polls and quizzes
• Q&As
• Live contests and giveaways
• Product tutorials and demonstrations (encourage questions and answer them on the spot)
• Virtual events
• Live stream shopping

For example, watercolor artist and product designer Kristy Rice uses text overlays to turn Instagram Reels videos into interactive content. “Comment ‘empty’ and I’ll DM you a link to shop!”

Interactive Facebook content

Twenty percent of shoppers begin their search on Facebook, the world’s most-used social media platform. To engage users on Facebook, consider interactive videos, Stories, and image posts.

Interactive Facebook post ideas

On Facebook, a lot of users like to watch and observe without participating. That’s why inspiring people to engage with interactive posts can go a long way toward building a stronger connection with your audience.

This or That post example

Here are some ideas for interactive posts on Facebook:

• Fill-in-the-Blanks: Present two options and ask people to choose their favorite.

• “This or That” Scenarios: Present two options and let people choose their favorite.

• Caption Contests: Post a funny photo, and let your audience compete for the best caption.

• Share Your Story: Encourage your audience to share experiences related to a brand-relevant topic.

• Polls and surveys: Let your audience vote or test their knowledge in a playful way.

• Carousels: Inspire swipe-throughs with compelling carousel posts and ads.

• 360 photos: Share 360 images that users can pan and explore. Try it here.

Interactive Facebook Live video ideas

Live streaming video is an excellent way to engage followers on Facebook and Instagram.

Here are some popular Facebook Live video ideas:

• AMAs (Ask Me Anything): Host live Q&A sessions and let viewers steer the conversation with questions and comments.

• Coffee Clutch: Create casual, conversational sessions focused on a specific (brand-related) topic. Hold coffee clutch sessions at a scheduled time each week for the best results.

• Live Tutorials/Demonstrations: Share DIY tips, host a live cooking class, share helpful tips that solicit questions and comments, or ask for input on your next product.

• Announce contest/giveaway winners: Build excitement with UGC content, then announce your contest winners in a live video broadcast.

Interactive Facebook ad ideas

Facebook ads provide you the chance to use augmented reality and 360 videos to prompt engagement from viewers. 

Here are some engaging ideas for interactive Facebook ads:

• Instant Experience: A full-screen mobile experience opens up when someone taps on your ad.

• Poll Ads: Include interactive polls directly in your ad.

• Lead Ads: Ads that include a lead generation form users can easily fill out.

• Collection Ads: Showcase a range of products and let users tap to learn more. 

• 360-degree Videos and Images: Let users explore products or environments from all angles for a more hands-on feel.

• Quizzes & Trivia: Use a quiz format to educate users about your product or brand in a fun way.

Interactive Instagram content

Half of weekly Instagram users want to see more funny content, and more than 45% of them would like to see more creativity, according to a recent Statista survey.

As you’re considering interactive Instagram content, look for formats that allow you to get creative or funny!

Interactive Instagram post ideas

If you’re looking to boost engagement on Instagram, run more contests. Contest posts receive 64 times more comment engagement than any other type of post.

Here are some interactive post ideas for Instagram:

• Contests or giveaways that require tagging or images with your brand hashtag
• Photo contests, in-store contests, drawing, and giveaways
• Before & after image posts relevant to your brand or product
• “Would you rather” scenarios that let people pick a side

You can turn any Instagram image post into interactive content by asking the right questions or posing fun challenges!

Senior fitness coach Benedict Ang says that challenges and contests perform consistently well for his company, TotalShape.

Ang explains, “Whether it’s a fitness challenge like a 30-day workout program or a healthy recipe contest, these kinds of initiatives really get our followers excited and involved.” 

He adds that engagement isn’t the only benefit they enjoy, “When they see others participating and sharing their progress, it creates a sense of camaraderie and motivation. Plus, it’s a fantastic way for us to showcase the effectiveness of our programs and engage with our audience in a fun and interactive way.”

Interactive Instagram and Facebook Story ideas

Instagram and Facebook Stories are a must-publish for any brand looking to boost engagement on the platform. Its Story stickers let you turn every page into an interactive experience.

Best interactive Instagram Story stickers:

• Poll Stickers
• Quiz Stickers
• Questions Sticker
• Emoji Slider
• Countdown Sticker
• Mention Tag

Instagram Story stickers are a great way to engage your audience, and users love engaging in Stories. 

For example, Mercedes Benz and Chef Carla Hall use questions, poll stickers, and tagging in Instagram and Facebook content.

Steve Pogson, founder of First Pier e-commerce growth agency, says that interactive Stories make a big impact for his brands. 

“We focus on creating polls, quizzes, and ‘ask me anything’ sessions that are directly relevant to the brand’s products or services.” 

For example, Pogson used this interactive approach for a skincare brand, running daily polls about people’s skincare routines and preferences. “This not only increased story engagement rates,” he explained, “but also provided valuable insights into the customer’s needs and preferences, which further informed the brand’s marketing and product development strategies.”

Interactive content for engagement, awareness, and conversion

Interactive social media content can drive massive engagement and awareness for your brand.

It can also fuel the numbers that matter most: conversion and sales.

Next time you’re creating interactive content for your social media pages, consider ways you might encourage viewers to subscribe to your mailing list. For example, you might use a link in bio tool to embed an email subscribe form. Or mention that email subscribers get exclusive discounts.

Encourage your social media audience to subscribe to your email list accomplishes two things:

1. Gives you a way to nurture leads through your marketing funnel, eventually leading to more sales.
2. Grants you “ownership” of your social media followers, adding them to a platform where you own all the data. If the social platform ever gets shut down, or if you can’t access it, your email data will allow you to stay in touch with your audience — forever.

At AWeber, we specialize in helping you turn leads into sales with email marketing, landing pages, and link in bio pages. You’ll love our huge selection of templates that let you create professional landing pages, email series, and ink in bio hubs in minutes.

We’ve got a free account with your name on it. Try AWeber today!