Welcome 👋
In the next few pages you’ll see exactly how two basic human urges, the need to connect and the need to express*,* explain the lion’s share of engagement on social platforms.
We analysed 3,600 high‑performing posts across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and LinkedIn to uncover the emotional cues that earned the most likes, comments, shares, saves and watch time.
Feelings drive actions; actions drive reach.
Table of contents:
🧠 The Connect <> Express framework
⚙️ Two axes. Seven levers each
☯️ Passive vs active engagement
Every high-performing social media post follows the same three-beat rhythm.
First it stirs a feeling. Then it prompts an action. And finally the algorithm turns that momentum into reach.
The Connect <> Express matrix maps that progression.
At one end is Connect: content that satisfies our instinct to belong, prompting viewers to tag friends, share inside jokes, or save the moment for later.
At the other is Express: content that lets people declare who they are, sparking emoji-heavy reactions, stitch-overs, or hot-take comments.
When these visible signals pile up, platforms interpret them as quality cues and widen the post’s distribution. Bingo!
Bottom line: the strongest social content turns private emotion into public engagement.
1️⃣ Feeling (intrinsic trigger)
Post sparks either a need to bond (Connect) or a desire to show identity (Express)