Why Your Social Media Isn’t Driving Engagement — And How to Fix It with a Strategic Content Plan
Maximising engagement across social media platforms might, at times, seem like an impossible mission. Constant platform updates, coupled with a growing number of active users on recently emerged platforms, including Threads and BlueSky, and the precarious balance afforded by algorithms, are only some of the elements that can impact your content plans’ performance in unexpected ways.
If you’ve noticed your engagement numbers slipping, you're not alone. In this article, we’ll explore why your social media engagement may be stagnating and what steps you can take to revitalise it. By the end, you’ll be equipped with actionable strategies to ensure you are ready to take the digital space by storm again.
Key Issues That Are Affecting Your Social Media Engagement
What are the key issues that are likely to be affecting your social media engagement across the digital platforms? Let’s look at the most common together, alongside our tips.
Lack of Authenticity and Trust
We can’t stress this enough, but consumers crave authenticity, especially when it comes to the brands they follow closely. Younger generations want to see the face behind the label, not just a pretty picture. This is particularly true in industries like interior design and architecture, where the relationship between a brand and its clients is based on trust. When your audience doesn’t feel like they know the people behind the business, engagement can drop significantly.
Think about the last time you engaged with a brand on social media. Was it a carefully staged image of a finished design or a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process? If you’re like most people, you probably resonate more with the latter. Audiences today are increasingly discerning; they want to know the story behind the product, the passion behind the design and the people who make it all happen. Whilst this is not news, many brands might still be missing the mark, eventually failing to build the trust and emotional connection necessary to drive engagement.
To fix this, try injecting more authenticity into your content. Showcase not just your finished designs, but the people and the process, letting your audience see the journey behind a beautifully designed space. Sharing candid moments and updates on project development will help users think of your brand as transparent and relatable, ultimately cultivating a connection that goes beyond surface-level engagement.
For example, high-end furniture brand Moooi succeeded in bringing variety to its perfectly curated grid by sharing moodboards and styling ideas behind interior schemes. Leveraging their Instagram Stories, they created the “GET A TASTE OF” series, featuring concepts and inspirational ideas behind interior schemes, allowing followers to connect with the design at a deeper level.
The old adage of ‘Know, Like, Trust’ is fundamental to building engagement with your audience. However, in addition to demonstrating your own values and practices, people now rely on peers and other users who are at arm's length from brands to help garner trust.
Not investing in Employee and User-Generated Content (EGC and UGC)
Employee-generated content (EGC) and user-generated content (UGC) are powerful tools in your engagement toolkit, offering a more personal and relatable way to engage with your audience. However, many design and architecture brands still overlook these powerful sources of content. Imagine how much more compelling your social media would be if your employees were not just faceless voices behind the brand but visible, relatable figures whose personal stories and experiences shine through your content.
Employee-generated content humanises your brand. When your team shares their thoughts on design trends or even shows the ups and downs of a project, your audience feels like they’re part of the journey. This personal connection can increase engagement because followers start to see your brand as more than just a business — they see it as a group of people they can relate to.
User-generated content, on the other hand, adds a layer of social proof. People trust what others have to say about a product or service far more than they trust traditional advertising. In the world of interior design, UGC might involve clients sharing photos of your designs in their homes or reviews of how your work has transformed their spaces.
Encourage your employees to share their personal experiences with your brand and its design process. Feature their posts, stories, and thoughts on your social channels to establish and cultivate a genuine conversation with your audience and start driving meaningful, positive engagement.
Sandford was an early adopter of both ECG and UGC strategies. In our collaboration with CTO Lighting, a British luxury lighting manufacturer, we integrated these previously overlooked formats into the content plan.
Within the first month of the takeover, we saw a significant boost in performance across multiple platforms. On Instagram, the UGC project garnered impressive engagement, while on LinkedIn, the focus on ECG content drove increased interaction and visibility. Learn more about our work with this brand here.
Behind-the-scenes content
As mentioned above, using behind-the-scenes content is an excellent way to build transparency and engagement. People want to know what goes on behind closed doors, especially when it comes to something as personal as designing or styling an interior space. After all, the work of designers, architects and interior stylists shapes the spaces in which people live, work and thrive. Letting your audience peek behind the curtain gives them a glimpse of the human side and a sense of ownership in the project, strengthening their emotional connection to your brand.
Additionally, behind-the-scenes content offers a level of transparency that builds trust. It allows you to share the effort, creativity and challenges involved in bringing a design vision to life. In an industry like architecture and interior design, where many decisions are made behind the scenes, revealing your process can demystify the work and create a closer bond with your audience.
Make a habit of showcasing the journey behind your designs. Share mood boards, project installation or styling to give your followers a sneak peek into your team’s creative process and the moments before the final reveal. For example, British homeware retailer The White Company excels at sharing behind-the-scenes content on its Instagram feed. The brand frequently highlights collaborations with creatives whose values and aesthetics align with their own.
Recently, The White Company featured the work of Flower & Press, who crafted a beautiful centrepiece for an Easter tablescape, which incorporated The White Company’s products into the setting. This type of content feels both authentic and emotionally resonant, allowing followers to connect with the brand’s lifestyle vision. It showcases the products in a real-world context and inspires aspiration, encouraging customers to imagine these elegant pieces in their homes.
Are you speaking to your audience personally?
In a crowded digital space, one-size-fits-all content no longer cuts it. People expect brands to speak directly to their interests and aspirations. This is especially true in our industry, where every space is unique and every design solution is tailored to individual tastes. Engagement will naturally suffer if your brand doesn’t make your audience feel like you understand their specific interests.
Personalised content creates a stronger emotional connection. Whether you’re sharing design tips or showcasing a finished project, your audience wants to feel like you're speaking directly to them. If your content is too general, it won’t resonate, and people will scroll past.
Tailor your content to speak to the different segments of your audience. Whether you are talking to homeowners, property developers, or design enthusiasts, customise your message to address their specific needs, challenges and aspirations.
Interior designer Róisín Lafferty posts content targeting different aesthetics and interior purposes. Her feed showcases a range of projects, which vary from contemporary family homes to commercial interiors, gallery spaces and more, speaking directly to the interests of different follower groups.
Understanding your audience’s needs
Strictly linked to building a personalised message, understanding what drives your audience is equally fundamental to creating content that resonates. Social media followers often seek inspiration, educational content, or answers to specific challenges they face in their own spaces.
If you aren’t providing content that answers your audience’s questions or addresses their interests, your followers may not see the need to engage with your posts. Social media followers want value, whether that’s through stunning design visuals, helpful tips, or insights into how they can improve their own homes or businesses. Understanding this is, therefore, crucial to creating content that resonates.
To oppose this trend, reflect on what your own mission, vision and values are. Equally, consider what your audience seeks from you or your services: design inspiration, practical advice, or tips for solving specific design challenges? This exercise will help you bridge the gap between expectation and the value that you can add.
Ignoring your competitors
One of the most common blind spots in a brand’s social media strategy is overlooking what competitors are doing. In the fast-moving world of social media, staying in your bubble can mean missing out on trends, conversations, or innovative content approaches that are resonating with your shared audience. If your competitors consistently outperform you online, it’s not just a coincidence — they’re likely doing something right you can learn from.
Start by observing what kind of content they post, how frequently they engage with their followers, and what gets the most traction. Are they leveraging video more effectively? Are they collaborating with influencers or consistently showcasing their process in more authentic or interactive ways? Competitor analysis isn’t about imitation, it’s about inspiration and understanding the current landscape so you can better position your own brand. Ignoring what others are doing puts you at a disadvantage and risks making your content feel outdated or disconnected from industry expectations.
Monitor your competitors’ social media to see what works for them. What kind of content gets the most engagement? What can you learn from their strategies, and how can you adapt them for your own brand? This is something fundamental to our own client strategies and a first step to establishing a clear, actionable roadmap.
Failing to interact with your audience
Social media is not a one-way broadcast channel, it's a conversation. Yet too often, brands treat their platforms like digital notice boards, posting content without responding to comments, acknowledging feedback, or asking questions that encourage dialogue. This lack of interaction can create the impression that your brand is distant or disinterested, making followers less likely to engage with you in return.
Engaging with your audience is essential, especially in creative industries, where decisions are highly personal and emotionally driven. When someone takes the time to comment on a post or share your content, that’s an invitation to build a relationship. A simple reply, thank-you, or follow-up question can turn a passive follower into a loyal advocate. Without these touchpoints, you’re missing the opportunity to foster community; community is everything in social media.
Build engagement by creating conversations. Examples of this include responding to comments, interacting with followers’ content, and making them feel heard. Over time, your audience will begin to see your brand as approachable and responsive and that builds loyalty.
Not optimising for the right platforms
Not all social media platforms serve the same purpose, and not all audiences behave the same way across them. If you’re posting identical content across Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and Pinterest without considering each platform’s unique strengths, you’re likely diluting your impact.
When strategising for your social media channels, you need to consider where your target audience spends time and what kind of content they expect there. For instance, Instagram is highly visual and ideal for showcasing project portfolio shots or letting your audience in through behind-the-scenes content, while LinkedIn offers a more professional space for thought leadership and project insights.
The key is not just being present on the right platforms, but tailoring your messaging, format and posting strategy to match their norms. Without this optimisation, you risk wasting time, money and effort on content that never reaches its full potential.
Ensure you post content on the platforms where your audience is most active. Different platforms cater to different types of content and behaviours, so optimise accordingly. If you can’t customise content for each channel, consider narrowing your focus to a few where you can truly excel.
Inconsistent posting
In the eyes of the algorithm — and your audience — inconsistency is the enemy of visibility. If you post frequently one month and then disappear the next, it becomes harder to maintain momentum and stay top-of-mind. For design brands, where the visual journey is often long and collaborative, irregular posting can make your process feel disjointed or unreliable, even if your actual work is anything but.
A consistent content schedule doesn’t mean you need to post every day. It means developing a rhythm your audience can anticipate and rely on. Whether it’s weekly behind-the-scenes updates, monthly Q&As, or daily inspiration posts, consistency signals professionalism, stability, and care — all values that translate directly into trust. Without it, even the best content can go unnoticed, making it easier for followers to forget you and much harder for new ones to find you.
Create a content calendar and stick to a consistent posting schedule. Regular posting helps your brand stay top-of-mind and increases the likelihood that social media algorithms will favour your content.
Conclusion
Social media engagement doesn’t happen overnight, but you can dramatically improve your digital presence by addressing these common pitfalls and implementing a strategic content plan. Focus on authenticity, leverage user and employee-generated content, share behind-the-scenes insights and personalise your messaging to truly connect with your audience.
The design, interior design, and architecture industries thrive on creativity, and social media offers the perfect platform to showcase your work and connect with clients. By developing a thoughtful, strategic content plan that incorporates these strategies, you’ll overcome engagement hurdles and take your brand to new heights in the digital space.
