Social Media Engagement Examples & Winning Strategies

Are you tired of posting content only to be met with silence? 

You’re not alone—and there’s a smarter way forward.

Learning from successful social media engagement examples is a goldmine for ideas that work. 

Instead of pouring all your team’s creativity into posts that don’t connect, you can learn from what’s already proven to drive real results.

From sparking conversations to encouraging shares and saves, the right examples can show you how to create content that resonates with your audience and encourages interaction. 

Forget the guesswork and cookie-cutter captions. 

This guide’s examples and strategies are simple, effective, and easy to plug into your team’s existing workflow.

Whether you’re aiming for more comments, better reach, or want to crack the engagement code, this post has everything you need to make it happen.

What you will learn

• What you can learn from social media engagement examples
• Top 10 social media engagement examples to draw inspiration from
• Turn social media engagement examples into your own version with Vista Social
• Social media engagement examples: Strategies to make the most of what works for each platform
• FAQs on social media engagement examples
• Turn social media engagement examples into actionable strategies 

What you can learn from social media engagement examples

Looking at social media engagement examples isn’t just about admiring clever captions or viral moments but about understanding why they work. 

Below are several things that you can take away:

• What grabs attention? When examining social media engagement examples, consider how the visuals, hooks, and tone capture people’s attention and make them stop scrolling
• What sparks interaction? Notice which types of questions, Calls-to-Action (CTAs), or formats drive comments, direct messages, or shares
• What feels authentic? Discover how brands convey a genuine human presence in their engagement posts and online interactions, including why this approach fosters trust
• What fits each platform? Get a feel for what engagement posts perform best on Instagram vs. LinkedIn vs. TikTok (Hint: it’s not always the same)
• How to adapt it? You don’t have to reinvent the wheel—simply tailor what works to fit your clients’ brand voices and audiences

Top 10 social media engagement examples to draw inspiration from

Check out the real-world examples of engaging social media posts below to help fuel your content strategy. 

1. Duolingo’s “Unhinged Owl” on TikTok and X 

Language learning app Duolingo leaned into chaotic humor by turning its green owl mascot (Duo Keyshauna Renee Lingo or Duo Owl) into a viral character. 

From “thirsting” over pop stars to pretending to be offended if users skip lessons, the Duo uses a quirky, bold, and often self-aware tone, and people love it. 

The engagement post (and the entire campaign) works because it breaks the traditional corporate mold. 

The unexpected and meme-ready content makes people laugh, share, and talk about the brand without pushing a hard sell.

Take a leaf from Duolingo’s book by ensuring your clients embrace strong, consistent personalities across their social media posts. 

Audiences respond well to content that feels real and doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Actionable tip: Ensure your clients have a clear brand voice and maybe even a mascot, and don’t be afraid to get weird (on-brand weird). 

You can use trending audio or formats to connect with your clients’ younger audiences, especially on TikTok.

Must read: TikTok Challenges to Generate Engagement: New Ideas for 2025

2. Wendy’s Roast Battles on X

Wendy’s rose to social media fame by clapping back at followers and roasting competitors with unapologetic sass. 

The brand’s “Roast Day” campaigns encourage followers to request a roast, and they deliver.

Humor + cultural awareness = massive engagement. 

The posts drive replies, quote tweets, and shares, turning the brand into an internet personality.

Humor is a powerful engagement tool when used intentionally. It also helps position your clients’ brands as relatable and bold.

Must read: Top 20 Social Media Engagement Tools to Boost Brand Visibility

Leverage a similar strategy by identifying your clients’ brands’ sense of humor.

You can create a themed day (like “Tuesday Tips” or “Friday Fails”) that gives people a reason to interact with your content and come back for more.

3. Getty Museum Challenge 

During lockdown (2020-2022), Getty challenged followers to recreate famous artworks using household items (#GettyMuseumChallenge). 

The result? A huge wave of clever, hilarious, and highly creative responses from audiences and followers. 

The social media campaign was a big hit because it turned boredom into fun and invited everyone to participate. 

The low-barrier, high-creativity format inspired a global wave of User-Generated Content (UGC).

The campaign demonstrated how people love to showcase their creativity, especially when the challenge is fun and easy to participate in.

You can emulate this for your clients with a “recreate this” or “show us your version of…” challenge tied to their brands. 

Then, you can offer to feature the best entries on your clients’ social media pages to show appreciation and boost participation.

4. Spotify Wrapped

Every year, Spotify provides users with personalized listening statistics, encouraging them to share their “Wrapped” on social media. 

It’s become a year-end cultural event that draws thousands, if not millions, of shares and interactions. 

Personalization plus nostalgia plus social proof is a surefire formula for engaging audiences. 

After all, most people want to share their identity through their music choices, which fuels viral spread.

Personalized content is gold since people are far more likely to share something that feels uniquely theirs.

5. World Record Egg

In 2019, a single photo of an egg was posted on Instagram to break the record for the most-liked post, just because.

The World Record Egg post created a communal, absurd mission. 

Everyone was in on the joke, which built a kind of global inside humor.

It demonstrates how, sometimes, the simplest ideas, especially those with a hint of mystery or rebellion, can outperform polished campaigns.

To follow this example, consider launching a playful, low-effort challenge with a goal (“Let’s make this the most-commented cat photo ever!”). 

The key is to foster collective energy.

6. National Park Service’s Ranger Content

The U.S. National Park Service uses witty, sometimes sarcastic posts from the perspective of rangers to educate and entertain.

The unexpected humor from a government account draws attention, striking a balance between fun and real information.

People appreciate brands that are helpful and have a sense of humor. 

The secret sauce? Your clients don’t have to be flashy to be engaging.

Find the humor in your clients’ niches, even if they’re in a “serious” industry. 

You can use storytelling and expert voices to make your clients’ educational and informational content more engaging and entertaining.

7. Dunkin’ Spider Donut (Halloween Campaign)

Dunkin’ introduced a spider-shaped donut for Halloween and gave it a playful, slightly creepy persona across social.

Seasonality + personality = shareability. 

The campaign created buzz around a specific product and used humor to drive engagement.

The campaign and post show how you don’t need a whole menu overhaul to make a splash. 

One fun, themed item can be your clients’ social centerpiece.

Consider creating seasonal characters, mascots, or product spotlights to enhance your clients’ brand presence and visibility. 

You can give them a “voice” and let them interact with your clients’ followers.

8. Oreo’s “Dunk in the Dark” Super Bowl Tweet

Right in the middle of Super Bowl XLVII, a power outage turned the entire stadium dark. 

Oreo  instantly tweeted a clever image of their cookie with the line: “You can still dunk in the dark.”

Oreo managed to capture the moment in real time, earning over 15,000 retweets and 20,000 likes almost instantly.

While everyone was talking about the blackout, Oreo made itself part of the conversation. Smart 💡!

The brand’s message was playful, tactile, and on-brand. It didn’t need to be hard-selling, but it still worked perfectly. 

9. Nike’s #BetterForIt Campaign

Nike invited women to share their fitness goals and stories with the #BetterForIt hashtag. 

The campaign’s key message was to celebrate progress, not perfection, through real people with their real stories and genuine emotions. 

That mix builds brand trust and community.

Generally, audiences want to be a part of the story if you invite them in, so make the most of it with the right engagement posts. 

For instance, you can create a campaign around your client’s shared mission, such as #MoreThanSelling or #MyFirstSoldOutItem, and ask users to post with the tag.

10. Apple’s #ShotOniPhone Campaign

Apple’s long-running #ShotOniPhone campaign showcases stunning user-generated photos taken on iPhones. 

The brand curates standout shots and features them across social media, digital ads, and even billboards, elevating everyday users to brand storytellers.

The content works because it puts the spotlight on the audience instead of the product. 

The visuals speak for themselves, subtly reinforcing the iPhone camera quality without the hard sell. 

It’s aspirational and inclusive all at once.

The campaign is a classic example that shows that great engagement doesn’t always come from pushing a message but from giving your community a platform.

Allowing audiences to see themselves reflected in the brand fosters a deep emotional connection and buy-in.

Consider launching a branded hashtag campaign that encourages your clients’ audiences to share their own stories or visuals. 

Feature the best entries on social media, in newsletters, or in highlight reels to celebrate and amplify your clients’ online communities.

Turn social media engagement examples into your own version with Vista Social

You’ve seen those viral posts blowing up with likes, shares, and fire emojis, and now you’re wondering: “How can we make that magic happen?”

Good news: You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. 

With Vista Social, you’ve got everything you need to take those engagement inspo moments and turn them into real, repeatable wins for your clients’ brands.

The social media management platform offers sophisticated, modern tools to make your tasks as seamless as possible, from content ideation to publishing and performance tracking. 

Below are Vista Social’s core features and how you can use them to efficiently and effectively implement your engagement and content strategy. 

Social media publishing

Engagement starts with great content, and Vista Social makes it ridiculously easy to create, customize, and publish it. 

With the platform’s social media publishing feature, you can draft, schedule, and auto-publish content across all your clients’ linked social profiles. 

You can add hashtags, emojis, links, and visuals to your post, all from one place.

You know what’s even better? 

Vista Social’s AI Assistant, which you can use to generate post captions or refine your descriptions in a flash. 

After creating and customizing your post, you can save it as a draft, add it to a posting queue, publish it immediately, or set an auto-publishing time and date.

You can also choose from the platform’s recommended posting times, based on the engagement data from the connected profiles and optimized using algorithms. 

The Publisher also includes other features, such as:

• Bulk uploading
• Designing with Canva
• Organizing your media with labels
• Searching trending media and adding them directly to your media library or reposting them easily on your clients’ feeds

Whether you’re dropping a meme or announcing a launch, Vista Social helps you do it in style (and at optimal times that are likely to maximize engagement).

Content calendar

Got a campaign idea inspired by that trending tweet? 

Use the platform’s collaborative content calendar to plan, schedule, and collaborate on your clients’ engagement posts.  

Must read: Social Media Plan: Steps, Strategies, & Templates [2025]

You can view and manage all your drafted, published, and scheduled posts on your shared content calendar. 

Your team members can also leave internal and external notes by clicking the posts on the calendar and adding comments, revision requests, and suggestions for seamless collaboration. 

Unified Social Inbox

Stop toggling between apps and drowning in DMs. 

Vista Social’s social media engagement tool features a Smart Inbox that pulls all your clients’ comments, mentions, and messages in a single sleek view.

The unified Inbox makes it easy for your team to reply, react, and engage your clients’ audiences in real-time without missing a beat.

Fun fact: You can use the AI Assistant to generate engaging replies instantly to comments, mentions, Direct Messages (DMs), and reviews (if the platform is supported). 

Social listening 

See what your clients’ audiences say before or even when they don’t tag their social media handles. 

Use Vista Social’s social media listening feature to spot trends, jump into relevant conversations, or keep tabs on your clients’ brand vibes. 

The tool automatically tags pulled conversations and mentions with a sentiment icon to show whether they are positive, negative, mixed, or neutral. You can filter the results based on sentiment. 

Must read: 15 LinkedIn Analytics Tools to Boost Your Marketing ROI

Remember that engaging isn’t just about reacting but also about anticipating.

Use the social listening data and insights to develop engagement and content strategies that actually work. 

Social media analytics 

Vista Social’s social media analytics and reporting tools show you what engagement content is making waves (and what’s sinking). 

The social media performance and post performance reports can track metrics (such as engagement rate and impressions) that provide actionable insights into the effectiveness of your engagement content. 

Must read: Ultimate Guide: How to Track Engagement on Social Media

With this, you can double down on what’s working, tweak what’s not, and turn engagement insights into action.

The platform’s analytics and reporting features include the following. 

• Customizable report templates
• Report scheduling for auto-generation and sharing
• Easy report sharing via direct links or exported PDF or CSV files

Vista Social’s other core features include review management, a link in bio tool (Vista Page), employee advocacy, white-label options, and DM automation (launching soon). 

Must read: DM Automation Ultimate Guide: How to Get Started

Social media engagement examples: Strategies to make the most of what works for each platform

What gets people talking on Instagram might fall flat on LinkedIn. 

That’s why it pays to customize your engagement and social media marketing strategy based on where your clients want to post.

Below is a platform-by-platform guide to the approaches that can help you effectively engage your clients’ audiences. 

Instagram: Visual vibes and real time reactions

Visual storytelling, community connection, and short-form videos are best for Instagram engagement. 

Some tried and true strategies include:

Must read: Social Media Gamification Tips to Skyrocket Engagement

• Using interactive Story stickers (polls, Q&As, sliders) to drive quick replies. You can also use Stickers to gamify interactions and drive engagement
• Reacting with DMs or voice notes to make audience interactions more personal
• Going Live to answer questions and connect with followers in real time
• Showcasing user-generated social media content to build loyalty and trust

X: Real time, witty, and conversational

X audiences best respond to news, trends, hot takes, and quick interactions. 

Consider strategies such as:

• Joining trending topics or hashtag events
• Posting polls to get opinions and feedback
• Using quote tweets to engage and highlight fans
• Responding quickly to mentions and jumping into threads to boost engagement

Must read: Social Media Polls: 101+ Questions for More Engagements

Facebook: Community driven and relationship oriented

Group-focused content, long-form engagement, and brand storytelling are best suited for Facebook audiences. 

To engage your clients’ Facebook followers effectively, your best bet is to:

• Ask open-ended questions in posts
• Host Live sessions or AMAs in groups
• Engage in comment threads thoughtfully
• Share behind-the-scenes content to humanize your clients’ brands

TikTok: Authentic, fast paced, and trend friendly

TikTok audiences are more likely to engage with viral trends, funny and relatable content, and videos with creative storytelling. 

Must read: Proven Strategies to Increase Customer Engagement on Social Media

Boost your clients’ TikTok audience and customer engagement by:

• Using trending audio and challenges
• Posting video replies to comments for visibility
• Creating duets and stitches to riff off viral content
• Inviting engagement by posing questions or prompts in captions

LinkedIn: Thoughtful, professional, and insightful

Some of the most effective types of engagement strategies on LinkedIn include B2B networking content, personal branding tactics, and industry takes. 

Must read: Social Media Engagement Strategies, Tips, Examples and Tools

You can:

• Share thought-provoking posts with a clear POV
• Post career milestones or behind-the-scenes team wins
• Tag collaborators to invite discussion
• Reply to every comment with insight and appreciation

YouTube: Long form and community driven

Deep dives, tutorials, and thought leadership content do well in engaging audiences on YouTube. 

Must read: How to Get Verified on YouTube: w/ Requirements & Steps

Some of the ways to ensure you effectively engage your clients’ YouTube audiences are to:

• Ask viewers to comment on specific questions at the end of your clients’ videos
• Pin top comments to spark discussions
• Use YouTube Community posts to run polls or post behind-the-scenes content
• Respond to comments regularly to nurture subscribers

Threads: Chill, conversational, and culture driven

Casual posts, brand voice, and ongoing conversations can best engage  Threads followers. 

Consider the following engagement strategies:

• Start low-stakes threads that encourage replies (“hot take or unpopular opinion?”)
• Reply quickly and consistently to maintain the engagement momentum
• Cross-reference content with Instagram to improve reach
• Use Threads to share in-the-moment thoughts that feel real and relatable

Snapchat: Personal, raw, and Gen z centric

One-on-one interactions and behind-the-scenes content are huge engagement boosters on Snapchat. 

Must read: 20 Top Social Media Strategies for SaaS Companies this 2025

Some effective social media strategies include:

• Using Snaps for exclusive peeks at your clients’ products or events
• Encouraging replies with direct questions or polls via Stories
• Creating Snapchat Lenses or filters to encourage engagement
• Sharing user Snaps or shoutouts to make your clients’ fans feel seen

FAQs on social media engagement examples

What type of content gets the most engagement on social media?

Short, interactive formats such as polls, quizzes, “this-or-that” questions, and fill-in-the-blank captions are often crowd-pleasers and engagement magnets. 

The posts are quick to respond to and spark personality-driven participation.

How can you encourage more audience interaction on social media posts?

Remember that your clients shouldn’t just be broadcasting but fostering interactions.

So, ensure your clients’ engagement content encourages conversations. 

Ask thoughtful questions tied to your clients’ brands, respond to comments, and foster two‑way dialogue. 

Should you tailor your engagement strategies per platform?

Yes, since engagement norms and social media audience preferences can vary across social media platforms.  

Visuals and emoji tags are more popular on Instagram, real-time chatter is best suited for X (Twitter), while thoughtful comments and industry insights perform better on LinkedIn. 

Turn social media engagement examples into actionable strategies 

The best social media engagement examples don’t just entertain but teach. 

From clever brand comebacks to crowd-powered campaigns, each one holds a lesson your team can use to help clients connect more meaningfully with their audience. 

Whether you’re helping clients build communities, increase visibility, or drive conversions, it all starts with smart, strategic engagement.

Use social media management platforms like Vista Social to put those strategies into action. 

Start your Vista Social account today and bring your engagement game to the next level.