17/07/2025

Is your brand talking to itself? The importance of engagement in marketing

You publish, you post, you try everything… and yet you still feel that your brand isn’t connecting with your audience. Few likes, almost no comments, and an uncomfortable silence that makes you wonder: What am I doing wrong? What am I missing?

How can I increase engagement on social media without resorting to the obvious? Today, we’re going to explain why engagement in marketing is crucial for creating effective strategies that make a meaningful difference. Here we go!

1. What is engagement?
2. Why is engagement in marketing important?
3. How can you prevent your brand from feeling like it’s talking to itself?
3.1. Don’t talk about yourself. Talk to them
3.2. Scroll like your audience
3.3. Create content with intention, not out of obligation
3.4. Test. Measure. Adjust. Repeat

What is engagement?

Engagement is much more than a trend or a nice metric. It is the thermometer that measures the extent of real connection your audience has with your content. Having a successful brand on social media is not just about how many people follow you, but also about how many are genuinely interested, interact, stay, return, and recommend, and above all, feel part of your brand.

Engagement is measured through the various options users have to interact with the brand, including likes, comments, shares, saves, reactions to stories, responses to surveys, use of stickers or questions, and clicks on links or profiles.

Why is engagement in marketing important?

Because high engagement indicates that your content generates interest, emotional connection, or real value, and that helps the algorithm show it to more people.

How can you prevent your brand from feeling like it's talking to itself?

The first step is to understand your audience. This analysis will provide you with more information to help you start creating. Now, here are some tips to help your brand stop talking to itself and start talking to its community.

1. Don't talk about yourself. Talk to them

Don’t become the center of attention; self-centered brands are boring. While it’s essential to show what you offer, we also know that no one stays to watch commercials on social media. Today, what generates engagement are conversations, emotions, questions, and real stories. Make your audience feel that you care about them.

Tip: Change the focus. Instead of saying, “Our product is the best,” try, “Has this ever happened to you…?” Engage the user from the first line.

Make the content feel like a conversation, not a sales pitch.

Start with questions, connect with real emotions, and tell stories that reflect what your community is going through.

2. Scroll like your audience

Take the time to actively listen to your audience: analyze comments, use surveys, review trends, and observe what makes your followers interact.

Scroll as if you were one of them.

Spend time on TikTok, Reels, X, Pinterest… but not from the perspective of your brand, but from the perspective of your audience. Observe what excites them, what they repeat, what they save, and what annoys them.

There you will discover codes, formats, and topics that connect. Listening before speaking is the most effective strategy for achieving genuine engagement.

3. Create content with intention, not out of obligation

Engagement in marketing is not achieved by posting for the sake of posting. Every post should have a reason: to inform, excite, entertain, or provoke action. Users notice when you create generic content just to fill space. Give every post a purpose.

Example: if you have a shoe brand, don’t just post photos of your products. Talk about how they feel to wear, show combinations, and tell stories behind the design.

4. Test. Measure. Adjust. Repeat.

There is no magic formula, but there is a methodology: try different formats, such as carousels, videos, live streams, and surveys; measure behavior in interactions, saves, and comments; and adjust based on what works.

Ideal Tip: The content that gets saved or shared the most is the content that generates the most value. Create content that people want to keep handy or share with others.

These days, what connects is how you make people feel. Use authentic language, speak like your audience speaks, and don’t be afraid to show your humanity. Be vulnerable and try a little humor.

Because the brands that work best on social media are those that behave like people, not companies, in conclusion, engagement cannot be begged for; it must be provoked.

Stop talking to yourself. Start listening, observing, trying, and truly connecting.

And if you’re unsure where to begin, at Ideal Team, we can help you develop content strategies that truly engage, convert, and foster a community.