18 Interactive posts ideas to boost engagement on social media

Why Are Interactive Posts Important?

Interactive content is much more effective than static posts. Here’s why:

• Higher Engagement Rates – Posts that encourage participation naturally get more likes, comments, and shares.
• Increased Reach – More engagement means platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn show your posts to more people.
• Stronger Connections with Your Audience – People feel more connected to your brand when they interact with you.
• More Data and Insights – You can learn more about your audience’s interests and preferences.

According to a report by DemandGen, interactive content gets twice the engagement compared to static content. That means using interactive posts can dramatically boost your brand’s online presence.

15 Interactive Post Ideas to Increase Your Engagement

1. Polls and Surveys

People love sharing their opinions, and polls or surveys make it easy for them to do so. Plus, they give you valuable insights into what your audience thinks.

How to Do It:

• Use Instagram Stories polls or Twitter polls for quick votes.
• Try Facebook or LinkedIn surveys to ask for feedback.
• Use the poll feature on YouTube Community posts to gauge interest.

Examples:

• Which product should we launch next: A or B?
• What’s your favorite social media platform? Vote below!”
• “Do you prefer working from home or in an office?”

2. This or That” posts

“This or That” posts are a simple way to get engagement. People only need to choose between two options, making it easy for them to participate.

Example Ideas:

• “Coffee or tea? ☕🍵”
• “Morning workout or evening workout?”
• “Summer vacation or winter holiday?”

Encourage users to vote by commenting, using emojis, or even clicking a reaction button.

3. Caption This Photo

A fun image with a call-to-action (CTA) like “Caption this!” can spark creativity in your followers and increase comment activity.

Best Practices:

• Choose a funny, interesting, or surprising image.
• Ask users to create the best caption.
• Offer a small prize for the best caption.

Example:

• Post a picture of a cat in an unusual pose and say, “Caption this! The funniest one gets featured in our stories!”

4. Quizzes and Trivia

People love testing their knowledge and sharing their results. Quizzes and trivia questions are excellent for engagement.

How to Do It:

• Ask a trivia question in a post and let followers comment with their answers.
• Use Instagram’s quiz sticker to create a multiple-choice question.
• Create a longer quiz using Google Forms or Typeform and share the link.

Examples:

• “Can you guess the year this famous event happened?”
• “Which product in our store is the best-selling? A, B, or C?”
• True or False: Social media algorithms only show posts in chronological order.

5. Fill in the Blank

Fill-in-the-blank posts require minimal effort but drive a lot of engagement.

Examples:

• “The best way to start my morning is ___________.”
• “If I won the lottery, the first thing I would buy is ___________.”
• “The most exciting trip I’ve ever taken was to ___________.”

These posts encourage creativity and discussion among followers.

6. Ask Me Anything (AMA)

An AMA (Ask Me Anything) session helps you connect directly with your followers and build trust.

How to Do It:

• Host a Q&A on Instagram Stories using the question sticker.
• Go live on Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube to answer questions in real time.
• Ask followers to submit questions in the comments.

7. Behind-the-Scenes Content

People love seeing what happens behind the scenes. It makes your brand feel more personal and relatable.

Ideas:

• “A day in our office! See what goes into making our products.”
• “Meet our team!” (Introduce team members in a fun way)
• “Packing orders for our amazing customers! Watch how we do it.”

8. User-Generated Content (UGC)

User-Generated Content (UGC) is one of the most powerful ways to build trust and engagement on social media. When your followers create and share content related to your brand, it not only increases credibility but also expands your reach organically.

How to Do It:

• Run a photo contest – Ask users to share a picture of themselves using your product and tag your brand.
• Feature customer photos or videos – Reshare content from happy customers and give them a shoutout.
• Create a branded hashtag – Encourage followers to use a specific hashtag when posting about your brand so you can easily find and share their content.
• Ask for testimonials – Invite customers to share their experiences and feature the best ones in your content.

Example Ideas:

• “Post a picture using our product and tag us for a chance to be featured!”
• “Use #[YourBrandHashtag] and show us how you style our clothing!”
• “Share a short video of your unboxing experience and get a surprise gift!”

9. Interactive Stories

Instagram and Facebook Stories offer powerful tools that make content more engaging. Unlike regular posts, Stories are temporary (usually lasting 24 hours), making them perfect for interactive and quick engagement strategies.

How to Do It:

• Use Polls – Ask simple questions to get your audience’s opinion.
• Try Quizzes – Test your followers’ knowledge with multiple-choice quizzes.
• Use Emoji Sliders – Let followers rate their excitement or opinions with an interactive slider.
• Encourage Questions – Use the Q&A feature to invite audience interaction.

Example Interactive Story Ideas:

• “How excited are you for our new launch? (Use the slider emoji)”
• “Guess the correct answer: (Multiple-choice quiz)”
• “What topic should we cover next? (Poll with options)”
• “Drop your questions below! (Q&A sticker)”

By incorporating interactive features in your Stories, you can create engaging content that keeps your audience coming back for more.

10. Challenges and Contests

People love challenges and competitions, especially when there’s an incentive involved. Running a challenge or contest is an excellent way to boost engagement, encourage participation, and increase brand awareness. These activities make your followers feel involved and motivated to interact with your brand.

How to Do It:

• Set a clear challenge or contest theme relevant to your audience.
• Create a unique hashtag to track participation.
• Offer a reward or incentive, such as a discount, feature, or giveaway.
• Promote the contest across multiple platforms.
• Engage with participants by liking, commenting, or resharing their entries.

Example Ideas:

• Fitness Challenge: “Join our 7-day fitness challenge! Post daily updates with #[ChallengeHashtag] and tag us for a chance to be featured.”
• Photo Contest: “Share your best travel photo and tag us for a chance to win a free product!”
• Creative Hashtag Challenge: “Use #[YourBrandHashtag] in your best post related to our product and get a chance to be featured!”
• Caption Contest: “Caption this image! The funniest comment wins a shoutout.”

11. “Would You Rather” Questions

“Would You Rather” questions are an excellent way to spark fun discussions and debates. These questions make people think, compare options and often lead to interesting conversations in the comments section.

How to Do It:

• Choose two options that are equally appealing or challenging.
• Use relatable, industry-specific, or humorous scenarios.
• Encourage followers to explain their choices in the comments.

Example Questions:

• “Would you rather travel to space or deep under the ocean?”
• “Would you rather give up social media or TV forever?”
• “Would you rather have unlimited free travel or unlimited free food?”
• “Would you rather always be 10 minutes late or 20 minutes early?”

12. Live Q&A or Tutorials

Live videos are one of the best ways to engage your audience in real time. They allow you to interact directly, answer questions, and showcase valuable content. Whether you are sharing a tutorial, hosting a Q&A, or giving live demonstrations, these sessions help build trust and connection with your followers.

How to Do It:

• Announce your live session in advance to ensure more people join.
• Engage with viewers by answering questions and responding to comments.
• Keep it interactive – Ask viewers to participate by sharing their thoughts or voting on a topic.
• Repurpose your live content by saving and sharing clips on your feed.

Ideas for Live Sessions:

• Live cooking tutorial: “Join us as we make our best-selling dish step by step!”
• Live Q&A: “Ask us anything about our latest product – we’re here to answer!”
• Behind-the-scenes tour: “See what goes on behind the scenes in our creative process.”
• Live product demonstration: “Watch how our new product works and ask questions in real-time.”

13. GIF Reactions

GIFs are a fun and expressive way to engage with your audience. They allow people to share their emotions in a quick and entertaining way. Since GIFs are widely used across social media, they make interactions more dynamic and enjoyable.

How to Do It:

• Post a relatable statement or question and ask followers to reply with a GIF.
• Use GIF challenges, such as “Use a GIF to describe your weekend.”
• Create a reaction-based post, like “Reply with a GIF if you’re excited about our new product launch!”

Example Posts:

• “Describe your mood today using only GIFs!”
• “React to this announcement with a GIF!”
• “Show us how you feel about Monday mornings with a GIF.”

14. Opinion-Based Posts

Opinion-based posts encourage discussions by asking open-ended questions. These posts allow your audience to share their thoughts, experiences, and perspectives, making them feel valued and heard.

How to Do It:

• Ask thought-provoking or fun questions related to your niche.
• Respond to comments to keep the conversation going.
• Use trending topics or relatable themes to encourage participation.

Example Posts:

• “What’s the best book you’ve ever read and why?”
• “What’s a life lesson you learned the hard way?”
• “If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?”
• “What’s your biggest social media pet peeve?”

15. Share and Tag a Friend

Encouraging users to tag a friend is an excellent way to expand your reach and bring more people into the conversation. When someone tags a friend, it introduces your content to a new audience, increasing the chances of engagement and potential followers.

How to Do It:

• Create a post that is fun, relatable, or valuable so people want to share it.
• Ask users to tag a friend who would relate to the content.
• Use giveaways or contests that require users to tag friends to enter.

Example Posts:

• “Tag a friend who always runs late! ⏰😂”
• “Who’s your coffee buddy? Tag them below! ☕”
• “Share this with a friend who needs to see this!”

Actionable Steps to Boost Your Engagement

Using interactive posts is a proven way to increase social media engagement. The key is to make your content inviting and easy for your audience to participate in. Try different formats, experiment with what resonates most with your followers, and track engagement metrics to refine your strategy over time.

Start by implementing one or two of these post ideas and monitor the response. Which interactive content format are you excited to try first? Share your thoughts in the comments!