Cutting through the noise on social media takes more than just regular posting. It takes strategy, authenticity and a deep understanding of your audience. With engagement patterns shifting and platforms prioritising different formats week to week, professionals need to do more than just show up, they need to show up smart.

To help you create content that truly connects, we spoke with three industry leaders who’ve mastered the art of meaningful engagement. Gina Balarin, Miles Clayton and Robert Hanna bring their perspectives on what really works, whether it’s building partnerships, tapping into human stories, or using AI to repurpose content with purpose.

From getting late engagement on well-crafted event promos, to ditching generic messaging in favour of role-specific content, their insights highlight the power of clarity, vulnerability and audience-first thinking. Here’s how they’re turning silent scrollers into active communities and how you can, too.

Gina Balarin

Director Verballistics – the CEO’s Voice   

1. What’s one specific tactic you’ve used that consistently boosts engagement with your content (e.g., comments, shares, replies)?

When collaborating with another creator, I write a series of TWO promotional content messages. One for me to use to promote them. One for them to use to promote me. I’ve found it really works because I can boast about them and they can boast about me. It doesn’t feel cringey or weird because we’re not talking about how great we are – we’re simply ‘bigging up’ someone we respect. And I go broad- leveraging every single platform we can use. The surprise here is how ‘late’ people engage with content (especially when promoting an online event). It’s almost always at the last minute.

2. Which content format has worked best for your podcasts, interviews, articles, newsletters, or something else? Why do you think it performs better?

I love appearing on other people’s podcasts because they love hearing from me and I can leverage their platform to reach their audience. It makes my marketing efforts much lower to reach a much wider audience – but I’m always cautious to make sure our brand values resonate and I can genuinely help their listeners in some way.

3. Have you ever changed your content strategy based on poor engagement? What did you change and what were the results?

Yes. I change up what I post on LinkedIn all the time. I have to, because the algorithm changes what content it prioritises, constantly. What’s working well for me at the moment on LinkedIn is polls, but they have to be meaningful. People can spot a ‘phishing poll’ miles away!

4. How do you turn silent readers into active engagers?

I’ve heard the advice that you should send them a GIF – one that’s relevant to your brand and to the reader. I haven’t tried it yet, but I believe it really works! Beyond that, never underestimate the power of a Direct Message, personalised and based on research you’ve actually done on someone’s profile.

5. What is one engagement myth you’ve found to be untrue or unhelpful?

There’s a myth that content can’t be reused. It’s untrue. I’ve found that well-performing content does even better if you actually re-share it again. Once it has a certain level of engagement, people kind of jump on the bandwagon, and it reaches much larger audiences with re-sharing.

6. What’s one piece of content you created that surprised you with how well it performed? What do you think made it so effective?

I shared a photo of myself in a swimming costume (you could only see my back and my bum) in a lake. I was talking about being afraid and being vulnerable. I was a bit scared before sharing it. It’s still one of my top-performing posts.

7. What advice would you give someone struggling to get their content noticed?

Comment on other people’s posts, more before and after you publish. And don’t be afraid of asking other people in your network to comment on your posts, too. One hand washes the other.”

Miles Clayton

Agility PR Ltd   

I’ve spent over 30 years helping B2B tech firms build authority through content that truly engages and the one tactic that consistently delivers is deep audience insight. Before a single headline is written, we dive into who the audience really is: their pain points, goals, objections and what keeps them from making progress. From there, we create content that doesn’t just talk at them, it talks to them.

1. Our most engaging formats?

Thought leadership articles and customer advocacy stories. When your content reflects lived experience, strong opinion and real solutions, it earns attention and trust.

2. One shift that’s made a big difference: we stopped producing broad, catch-all content and started speaking directly to specific roles or buyer stages. The result? Higher engagement, more replies, and real momentum in the pipeline.

3. The biggest myth I’ve seen?

That B2B content has to be dry. The truth is, the more human and opinionated it is backed by insight, the more it resonates. If your content’s not provoking thought or sparking a reaction, it’s not doing its job.

Robert Hanna

Founder, KC Partners | Host, Legally Speaking Podcast

1 . What’s one specific tactic you’ve used that consistently boosts engagement with your content?

Turn one episode into 50+ pieces of content. Using AI tools like Opus Clips, Otter.ai, and Chatgpt, I repurpose each podcast into micro-content for LinkedIn, TikTok, newsletters, and articles. That consistency, combined with a human tone and practical storytelling, drives ongoing engagement. People follow what’s relatable, not robotic.

2. Which content format has worked best for you and why?

Short-form video clips from podcast interviews. They outperform all other formats. They’re real, raw, and mobile-first. When a guest shares a strong opinion or vulnerable story, those clips get shared, saved, and commented on. It’s proof that personality-driven content builds loyalty and brand equity.

3. Have you ever changed your content strategy based on poor engagement?

Yes. I used to post static graphics and generic quotes. Now I focus on video-led storytelling, AI-powered topic analysis (Shield Analytics), and content hooks that tap into audience pain points like burnout in law or how to stand out in a noisy market. Small pivots, big results.

4. How do you turn silent readers into active engagers?

I use strategic call-to-actions and community-building techniques. Instead of just sharing content, I ask: What’s one thing you’d change?Or have you experienced this? I also run AI-moderated LinkedIn Lives and Discord chats to give my audience a platform to speak, not just consume.

5. What’s one engagement myth you’ve found untrue?

That consistency alone wins. You can post daily and still be ignored. What matters more? Value, vulnerability, and voice. People want connections, not just content.

6. What content surprised you with how well it performed?

A TikTok where my guest talked about how AI was replacing junior lawyers. It hit a nerve. Hundreds commented, lawyers debated, recruiters weighed in.

Lesson: Content that challenges the status quo sparks conversations and conversation is the currency of community.

7. What advice would you give someone struggling to get their content noticed?

Don’t chase perfection, chase clarity. Pick your niche (what I call your Topic of Influence), serve your audience with consistency, and repurpose your best hits. Use AI to lighten the workload, but your voice and story still matter most. Be real. Be helpful. Be seen.

By implementing the strategies shared by Gina Balarin, Miles Clayton, and Robert Hanna, you can create content that not only reaches your audience but truly resonates with them. Whether it’s building credibility through collaboration, crafting opinion-led thought pieces, or repurposing podcast episodes into impactful micro-content, these experts show that engagement is driven by clarity, relevance and real human connection.

The takeaway is to be intentional. Understand your audience, experiment with format and don’t be afraid to show personality in your content. As platforms continue to shift, the most successful creators will be those who listen, adapt and deliver value with consistency and purpose.

Use these proven tactics to refine your approach and make your content count, no matter how the rules of engagement change. The next move is yours.

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