It's no secret that short vertical videos are currently the most powerful tool for attracting new followers. All platforms are betting big on them, and the platforms' algorithms work best with this format. Videos better capture attention and deliver information quickly and effectively. But here's what surprised us: despite the popularity of videos, statistics show that the average engagement of this format is usually a little over one percent. In carousels, it's a whole 6 percent! Interesting, isn't it? We immediately wondered: are videos really good for reach but not for engagement? In this article, we will discuss whether this is really the case. In the modern world of social networks, everything changes at lightning speed, and sometimes it's useful to stop and consider the data. Let's dive into this topic together!## **Calculating Reach** Reach on social networks is an indicator that shows how many unique users saw your post. **Statistics show that the video format gains 36% more reach than other types of posts. Let's figure out why this happens.** Let's start with how social media feeds are structured. In the main social media feed, users see posts from their subscriptions — friends, family, bloggers, and brands they follow. However, the short vertical video feed works a little differently. Its goal is to help users discover new interesting brands and authors. This means that your videos can be seen not only by your subscribers but also by completely new people who are not yet familiar with your content. Thus, your videos have a better chance of attracting the attention of a "cold" audience, which in turn increases reach.## **Calculating Engagement** Engagement on social networks is a measure of how actively users interact with your content. This could be a like, comment, repost, or saving a post. The higher the engagement, the better your content performs, and the more likely new people are to see it. Now let's analyze how engagement is calculated. It is the ratio between the number of interactions (likes, comments, etc.) and the total number of views or reach. For example, if your post received 100 likes and was seen by 1,000 people, the engagement would be 10%. It's a fairly simple calculation, but it provides a clear picture of how interesting your content is to the audience. **According to statistical data, the most engaging format is carousels.** They attract 12% more attention than other types of posts. Why is that? First, it's worth noting that carousels appear in the main feed. This means they reach users who have already chosen to follow your content and have subscribed. These users are pre-interested in your profile and are therefore more likely to spend more time viewing a carousel than a video from an unfamiliar author. Carousels also have an advantage in Instagram\* impressions. If someone only views one or two photos, the carousel may reappear in their feed to allow them to continue viewing from where they left off. This creates a "return" effect to the content and increases the chances that a person will view and interact with the content.## **What to Do?** When it comes to engagement and reach on social networks, the question arises: what to do with it? The most obvious answer is to use videos and carousels in your promotion. But let's dig a little deeper and figure out how to do it exactly. **First, it's worth starting by defining your goals.** Do you want to increase the number of subscribers or establish a closer connection with existing ones? This will help you determine what content you need. If your account is still relatively new or you want to attract more followers, videos should become an integral part of your content. But remember: not all videos are equally good. Before publishing, ask yourself: "Would I want to share this video with friends or colleagues?" If the answer is "yes," then you have a chance to create truly valuable content. A good video should make you want to share it with others. This will allow you to achieve two goals at once: expand your reach and increase engagement. Now, if your goal is community building and closer interaction with subscribers, carousels are what you need. Publish photo collections, informational carousels, share interesting content that will be useful to your subscribers. This will help create a deeper connection with your audience. **But what is truly important is to experiment. ** Don't take the advice from this article as the only correct ones. Don't just alternate videos for reach and carousels for engagement because we said so. Try, change, and implement new ideas. Instead of creating content a year ahead, try making it for two weeks. See what works and what doesn't. Highlight the best, remove what didn't work, and add something new. **Act boldly, and you will succeed. The main thing is not to be afraid to experiment and find what really works.** *\*The activity of Meta (social networks Facebook and Instagram) is prohibited in Russia as extremist.*