Stop the Scroll: Building Stronger Social Media Engagement for Your Business

Strategies to capture audience attention across saturated social media platforms

Today, it is harder than ever for businesses to stand out in social media feeds filled with fast-paced content, all fighting for user attention. With platforms evolving rapidly through algorithm changes, AI-enhanced features and shifting user habits, companies, especially those targeting rural markets, need fresh strategies to stay relevant and impactful.

Social media, when strategically utilized, is a valuable opportunity for businesses to build relationships, establish credibility and reinforce brand identity. Building online engagement is all about focusing your efforts where your audience spends time, speaking their language and showing up consistently with content that encourages them to engage.

Why Organic Social Media Strategy Matters Today

At a time when paid ads often take the spotlight on social media feeds, organic (non-paid) posts still remain a key channel for building long-term trust and relationships. With users searching for content related to their interests, purchases, and lifestyle, there is a valuable opportunity for businesses to connect with their target audience through relevant social media platforms. A steady online presence is crucial, along with a strategic plan for relevant, authentic and engaging content that resonates with consumers and supports business growth.

Here are the biggest updates that affect how businesses should approach their social media content:

• AI-Driven Personalization: Platforms like Meta and TikTok use AI to predict and serve users hyper-relevant content. AI-powered algorithms rank content based on what users are most likely to engage with, rather than simply showing posts in the order they were published.
• Short-Form Video Dominance: Reels, Shorts and TikToks lead the way. Video is now the most engaging content type, offering higher reach and watch time than static formats.
• User Participation: Features like polls, Q&As and duet videos allow users to interact directly with content. Exclusive access features such as Instagram’s Broadcast Channel offer a more personalized, community-based level of engagement with brands and influencers.
• Algorithm Transparency: With platforms beginning to provide more insights on what boosts visibility, it’s important to stay up to date on new changes and what is no longer working. Consistent posting, trending audio and rapid engagement in the first few hours are now measurable priorities.
• Online Forums and Emerging Search Behaviors: Today’s users are turning to platforms like Reddit, TikTok, Instagram and AI tools like ChatGPT as alternatives to traditional search engines like Google. Forums and social channels offer authentic, user-generated content that users and search engines increasingly prioritize. These spaces reveal real questions, opinions and trends, making them valuable for identifying content gaps and audience interests. As social platforms double as search engines and AI continues to influence search results, consistently sharing and fostering relevant content in these channels helps boost visibility and strengthen your presence in organic search.

Strategies for Building Social Media Engagement

With algorithm changes and paid content dominating feeds, it’s no surprise that organic reach continues to decline. But that doesn’t mean it’s dead, just that the bar is higher. Here are simple, high-impact strategies rural businesses can apply to post with purpose, improve organic performance and stand out in busy feeds:

Start with Storytelling: Build Trust Over Time, Not Overnight

Your business isn’t just a service, it’s a story. Even with trends and algorithms, users still want to feel like they’re interacting with people, not brands. Building trust takes time, especially in smaller markets where reputation matters. Content that feels authentic performs well because it builds emotional resonance.

• Highlight real people, everyday moments and exclusive “behind-the-scenes” details to make viewers feel like insiders. 
• Use organic social to reinforce your values, highlight community involvement and celebrate your team’s milestones.
• Feature user-generated content from your customers, such as positive reviews and photos.
• Share content that invites reactions or storytelling in the comments.
• Partner with influencers who have a content niche relevant to your business, as a way to build brand awareness and trust with their audience.

When your audience sees your business as a consistent, positive presence in their feed, they’re more likely to engage and refer you to others. You don’t need to go viral, just be visible and trusted. Consistency, authenticity and clear branding are often more effective than flashy tactics.

Mix Your Content Types

Variety helps beat content fatigue and keeps viewers interested. Alternate between short-form videos, carousel (multi-image) posts, Stories and other relevant content types. Reuse the same message in different formats across different platforms, while tailoring it slightly to fit each platform’s unique features and best practices.

Short, Authentic Video Content

With vertical, short-form video content booming across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and now even Linked-In, brands can’t afford to miss out on this engagement opportunity.

• Introduce team members or give a behind-the-scenes look. Think less polish, more personality.
• Share tips or FAQs relevant to your audience
• Feature customer testimonials, product demonstrations and content from influencer partnerships
• Participate in relevant video trends (but make them your own). Keep it related to your business values and audience.

Interactive Posts

Share content that gives your audience a reason to pause and engage, signaling value to the algorithm while also fostering personal interactions with your business.

• Polls and quizzes on Facebook and Instagram Stories are a way to showcase product offerings and get a feel for viewer preferences.
• Carousel posts with calls to action encourage viewers to swipe through the slides. Offer an exclusive preview on the very last slide or showcase a collection of products or useful tips users can browse through.
• Comment contests (“Caption this,” “Tell us your favorite,” etc.) that offer a small reward, such as a secret discount code towards a future purchase, can encourage users to interact with a post.

Align Content with Business Objectives

Organic content should support broader brand and marketing goals. Make sure your content calendar aligns with your overall business objectives and works towards specific goals, whether that’s foot traffic, awareness, a product launch or HR recruitment. This creates a purposeful, measurable strategy that can evolve with the business.

When to Reevaluate Your Social Strategy

Your social strategy should evolve regularly. Here are some signs it’s time to refresh:

• Engagement rates have dipped over several months
• You’re only posting static graphics or repetitive content
• You’re unsure what success looks like or how to measure it

Make Organic Social Part of Your Annual Business Strategy

As you look ahead in yearly planning, organic social media deserves a seat at the strategy table, not just as a reactive channel but as a proactive brand builder. Don’t let fast-moving features and algorithm updates intimidate you. You don’t have to do everything, but you do have to show up where your audience is, equipped with a strategy. Treat social media like any other channel with measurable key performance indicators (KPIs) tailored to your business objectives. Depending on your situation, those might include measures such as the following examples:

• Increasing engagement by 15% across Facebook and Instagram
• Highlighting a different community partnership each quarter
• Publishing two video-based posts per week using Reels
• Growing your email list by 5% through targeted Stories content with clickable links

Budget for Support Where It Counts

Successful organic social media content takes time and strategy. Consider budgeting for:

• Creative development (short videos, photography, graphic design)
• Community management and engagement
• Strategic planning time each quarter to review analytics and adjust

If your internal team is stretched, this could be an opportunity where working with a marketing partner like Callis makes a difference. Our integrated marketing approach can help you connect social content with broader campaign efforts for greater consistency and results.

A strategy session could make a major difference: explore our integrated marketing services to learn how Callis can help create a custom, results-focused approach.

This article was previously published on May 22, 2019, and updated on June 13, 2025.