Beyond engagement: Building a brighter future utilizing social media stickiness

When thinking about measuring success via social media, a few metrics come to mind. We of course have the infamous original three: likes, comments, and shares, also known as engagement metrics, yet they do not stop there. Engagement is held at high value in terms of social media success because we are living in such a saturated digital world, therefore, getting a user to stop what they are doing and engage, means you are doing something right.

This level of impact can go beyond simple “engagement,” it can be turned into “stickiness.” But what exactly is stickiness, and how can it be leveraged to promote a brighter future for society and businesses? Well, great question, let’s find out. 

“Stickiness”

Stickiness, in the context of social media, refers to the ability of a platform or piece of content to keep users engaged and coming back for more. It encompasses various elements such as addictive features, personalization, and a seamless and strategic user experience. Platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok have mastered the art of stickiness, captivating users with endless scrolling, tailored recommendations, and interactive features.

The stickiest of posts and platforms hold the potential to trigger virality, but, with virality becoming rarer and rarer, we must understand that we cannot simply take a shot in the dark.

According to an article written by Neil Patel, creating this level of engaging, sticky content requires a multitude of practices and steps.

For one, you must have clearly defined intent, instead of jumping into the social conversation right away, ask yourself what you can do to better prepare and be more successful in getting through to your intended audience. As he states, “You can’t expect to hit a target if you don’t know where it is.”

Secondly, you must understand what your goals are as well as what your audience needs from you. This means, truly asking yourself how your curated content is showcasing this level of understanding of both your business and your consumers. Next, is truly mastering the tone of your content, blending both a conversational tone with professional information to achieve the perfect balance. Additionally, don’t be afraid to utilize the personal content your audience is providing you with organically, user-generated content (UGC), as many viral campaigns started with this type of content. Lastly, your content must include next steps or some sort of call to action, because if not, the impact stops at the viewing of the post and doesn’t carry forward. 

In short, the stickiness equation can be boiled down to:

Intent (Preparation) + Understanding (Goals and Needs) + Perfected Tone (Conversational and Professional) + Personalization (Feels Organic) + Motivation (Calls to Action) = Increased Levels of Stickiness

Benefits and Limitations

The above equation can be used for promoting good and the betterment of society by using stickiness to advance social campaigns that educate users or spread awareness about pressing social, economic, political, and environmental issues, build communities that are connected by the same desires and passions, and increase positivity online with the sharing of good news.

Like anything on social media platforms, stickiness has its limitations.

Firstly, it can be very powerful, and this can be unethical if it contributes to the spreading of misinformation or capitalizes on vulnerabilities. An example of this is exploiting the power of a sticky platform such as TikTok to trap users in doom scrolling or taking advantage of their privacy to target them for marketing purposes. Instead, it should contribute to the greater good rather than exploiting vulnerabilities for financial gain. Also, stickiness is ever-changing, what is considered “sticky” content or a “sticky” platform today, could just as easily change tomorrow. So, creating sticky content and utilizing platforms that aid in the virality of this type of content requires a constant finger on the social pulse and continuous research. 

In closing, I hope we as a society can cultivate a level of consciousness and understanding where social media “stickiness” can be purely used to make a difference, advance causes, and create a deepened sense of community in what can often feel like a divisive, profit-focused world. 

Hi there! I’m Madison Morris.

I am a creative public relations and marketing strategist looking to make my mark on the communications industry.

I have a love for cultivating and facilitating relationships and a strong passion for uncovering growth opportunities. Let's work together to help your business thrive!