My Content Is Great, So Why Isn't It Getting Likes?!

“My content is really good, really on point, really perfect — but it’s getting zero reaction.”

Why? The answer is perfectly rational, and the solution is almost laughably simple.

Warnock’s Dilemma

Back in the early days of web discussion forums, a computer scientist named Bryan Warnock put forward some theories about why messages in newsgroups went unanswered. According to Warnock’s Dilemma, a lack of engagement doesn’t necessarily mean nobody is interested in the topic.

There are five possible explanations:

• The message is accurate, the information is clear, and it doesn’t need further comment. There’s nothing left to say beyond “I agree with that.”
• The message is too long and detailed, and nobody wants to waste the energy on it.
• Nobody read the message, for whatever reason (the algorithm, for instance).
• Nobody understood the message, but nobody will ask for clarification.
• Nobody is interested in the message, for whatever reason.

A sixth explanation is also recognized: the topic is too complicated to form any opinion with the knowledge one has.

This dilemma explains why polarizing posts or punchy headlines perform better than accurate, straightforward ones — even though audiences don’t always read the rest of the content or click through to the article.

The 1% Rule

The 1% rule is another explanation for the low engagement on your posts.

This theory, from bloggers Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba, states that less than 1% of a group contributes actively, 9% participates occasionally, and 90% stays passive and never contributes, content to simply observe.

In other words, at most 10% of your audience has the potential to actively engage with your posts.

Conversely, you could also say that 90% of the content on the web comes from 1% of participants. Of course, certain brands or topics attract more socially active people, so the ratios aren’t always identical — but the same rule applies.

Easy Tricks to Break Through the 10% Barrier

It’s impossible… or almost.

Getting 10% engagement is probably the best result a brand can hope for. That said, there’s one relatively simple way to drive a higher volume of engagement: grow your audience. That means broadening your target, buying promotion, or putting more effort into distribution. Keep in mind that the people who react to your posts are mostly in that 1%, though sometimes also in the next 9%. So out of 100 people, you have an engagement potential of 10.

10% is a huge win.

Why Does It Matter to Know These Rules?

Content creators and their clients need to temper their expectations when it comes to engagement versus reach. Your real influence isn’t limited to that active 10% — quite the opposite. The remaining 90% is likely made up of fans or potential clients who are still interested in your content.

Take, for example, this post from a Sparkling client. It’s a post that reached a solid audience (about a third of it paid) and achieved a fair amount of success in terms of engagement.

Despite its reach (47,000), only 4.15% (1,970 people) reacted, commented, or shared. If you calculate it based on clicks, that number climbs to 8.84%. We consider this post a success. Finally, once you set aside everyone who engaged, there are still roughly 40,000 people who were exposed to the message and who might still take action down the line. Don’t overlook that invisible audience — not necessarily uninterested, just unwilling to reveal themselves socially. Keep in mind that plenty of quiet users are hiding within the audience that doesn’t participate, but that may still have real interest.

Context Is Everything

Finally, you need to understand that good content is only a small part of a publishing strategy. Context (timing, platform, audience, etc.) and how you deliver the content (headlines, images, hashtags, etc.) now matter far more than the content itself when it comes to a post’s success.

Even top-quality content wrapped in a boring package will definitely miss its mark. Since you’re already taking the time to produce quality content, take the time to distribute it well too!