Research-backed strategies for startups that increase audience engagement

People’s attention spans are continuously shrinking, and competition for time, eyes and ears is becoming more and more fierce.

Even though brands published an average of 10 posts per day on social media platforms, audience engagement dropped from 80% to 70% in 2022-2023, in accordance with the latest report.

Could customers be uninterested in infinite posts and videos that aren’t as engaging as they must be?

It’s clear that startups must make every effort to draw and keep their audience’s attention. Simply having a great product or service is not enough; startups must prioritize audience engagement as a core technique to drive growth.

Research shows that firms identified as “Engagement Leaders” saw a staggering 123% increase in revenue as a result of strategic investments in customer engagement in comparison with just a 30% increase for firms lagging behind. This stark contrast highlights the undeniable impact of prioritizing engagement.

In this text, we discuss research-backed strategies that startups can implement to increase audience engagement across various marketing touchpoints.

Understanding your audience

Before you begin using tactics, understanding your audience is non-negotiable if you need to get their attention.

One of the most important aspects to think about at this stage is the success of your startup. You’ll know you are on the right path when your definition of success matches your customers’ expectations.

However, to find out what your customers want, you could be prepared to go beyond basic demographics. They do not illustrate the complete picture. So you need to spend more time considering psychographics as a substitute. Consider your audience’s motivations and why they (should) engage with your brand.

According to a YouTube Advertising report, ads served solely based on demographic signals have a 30% higher increase in purchase intent and a 40% higher increase in purchase intent in comparison with ads served solely based on demographic signals.

Ultimately, understanding your audience comes all the way down to one query: “what motivates my customers?”

Content marketing

Let’s start with the fact that marketers agree that interactive content attracts attention more effectively than static content – 81% confirm this opinion. But that’s what marketers think, right? Not quite. The data also shows that interactive content generates a 52.6% higher engagement rate than static content.

This information should make you rethink yours content marketing strategy.

Traditional blog posts are tremendous, but if your goal is to maximise audience engagement, it’s essential explore a number of interactive content formats. For example, podcasts are a technique to engage your audience more personally while promoting your brand as an authority.

Moreover, ephemeral content like Instagram Stories and Snapchat do a good job of leveraging FOMO to drive engagement. And it really works. The time-limited nature of this content creates a sense of urgency and encourages immediate interaction.

Visual storytelling

Research shows that people respond more willingly to visual content than to text itself. This has indeed been demonstrated 90% of the information processed by our brain is visual. It is due to this fact not surprising that content containing visual elements is more willingly shared and responded to, organically increasing the reach of selling campaigns.

“Visual elements such as graphics, cartoons and photographs transcend cultural and language barriers, making them ideal for reaching audiences around the world,” says Victor Blasco, CEO of the company video explainer companyYum Yum Movies. “Supplementing raw text with animated videos helps people retain information more effectively, especially when explaining complex concepts,” he added.

For an effective visual effect storytellingit is vital to decide on elements that evoke the desired emotions and harmonize with the message you need to convey. Additionally, planning your visual story using a storyboard helps ensure a clear narrative flow and maintain visual consistency.

Design principles

Still, when it involves the visual aspect, startups can apply findings from cognitive psychology to enhance their design by using specific color combos and layouts that are scientifically proven to draw attention and improve information retention.

For example, easy designs, clear navigation, and concise messaging have been shown to assist users process information effectively without feeling overwhelmed. This is especially vital in times when people are increasingly turning to short-form content via platforms like TikTokespecially among the younger demographic.

As mentioned earlier, consider the emotional response you need to evoke in your goal audience. For example, using warm and inviting colours could also be appropriate for a wellness application, while daring and energetic colours could also be more appropriate for a gaming platform.

Building community

Another technique to increase audience engagement is to intentionally build a community around your brand. Creating online and offline communities around your brand is crucial to building a sense of belonging and loyalty among customers. A cohesive community ensures ongoing engagement through regular connections.

Offline communities in particular are crucial to building real-world connections. Events akin to fairs and conferences and strategies like hyperlocal marketing are useful in building trust and creating a loyal customer base through lively community engagement and word-of-mouth referrals.

One of the most important advantages of community building is that it encourages reciprocal relationships that strengthen bonds and result in increased participation.

After all, people want authenticity, and the best technique to offer it is through an lively community.

Measuring engagement

When using strategies to enhance audience engagement, you need to also strive to measure the impact of those strategies. This is crucial for lasting success.

Tracking key metrics across various points of your startup provides priceless insight into what resonates with your audience and what needs tweaking.

Some key indicators that must be measured include:

• Social media: likes and other reactions, comments, shares, video views and completion rate, click-through rate (CTR), follower growth, etc.

• Website: time spent on the website, conversion rate, bounce rate, traffic sources, etc.

• Email Marketing: open rate, click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate, unsubscribe rate, etc.

In the meantime, it’s price remembering engagement it isn’t just about vanity metrics like likes and followers; it’s about fostering meaningful interactions that ultimately contribute to the growth and success of your startup.

Building an engaged audience takes time and continuous improvement

Ultimately, effective audience engagement is an ongoing journey, not a destination. Startups that prioritize building real relationships, delivering value, and consistently adapting to the changing digital landscape can be best positioned to build loyal and engaged audiences, drive sustainable growth, and achieve long-term success.