With social platforms more crowded than ever, managers are under pressure to create posts that do more than simply fill a content calendar: they need to capture attention, spark interaction, and strengthen the brand at the same time.

A new systematic literature review by Matilde Rapezzi helps clarify what actually matters in the language brands use on social media. Synthesizing 51 peer-reviewed studies published between 2016 and 2024, the review shows that even small wording choices can shape how people respond, influencing not only likes, comments, and shares, but also trust, brand attitudes, and purchase intentions.

The study identifies recurring patterns across the literature. In particular, it highlights three of the most frequently examined levers: emotionality, fluency or readability, and pronouns. Posts that are easier to process often perform better on engagement metrics, while emotional language can increase response, though not in the same way for every brand or context. Pronouns matter too: language that addresses audiences directly or frames the brand collectively can make communication feel more personal, persuasive, and relatable.

At the same time, the review warns managers against simplistic formulas. What works for a micro-influencer may not work for a luxury brand. Informal language can build trust for familiar brands but backfire for unfamiliar ones. And strategies that increase engagement are not always the same ones that build loyalty, status, or long-term brand value. One of the clearest takeaways is that brand language should be treated as a strategic resource, not as a set of universal hacks. In the interview below, the author translates these findings into practical managerial guidance. The conversation focuses on the choices social media managers can make right away, from simplifying wording and using emotional cues more carefully to adapting posts across languages and distinguishing between content designed to generate engagement and content designed to build loyalty.

According to your literature review, how can social media managers tweak their posts—like using simpler words or more emotional language—to get more likes, shares, and comments from followers?

My review identifies three main areas social media managers should pay attention to. The first is readability: how easy a post is to process. Concretely, this means using familiar and concrete words, keeping sentences short, and avoiding overly complex grammatical structures. The second area is emotionality: language that conveys emotions. Interestingly, both positive and negative emotional language can boost engagement. Sometimes, what matters most is emotional intensity and the extent to which words can evoke vivid feelings (excitement, surprise, even mild outrage). Finally, the third area is pronouns: who the brand talks about and who it talks to. For example, using “we” rather than “I” makes a brand feel more collective and relatable, while addressing followers directly with “you” increases personal involvement. The bottom line for social media managers? Clear, emotionally resonant, and personally directed language often wins. And the good news is that these are easy tweaks to implement.

What everyday language tips from your review would you give to brands posting in non-English languages to connect better with local audiences?

The first, overarching recommendation is to prioritize cultural adaptation over direct translation. In other words, while some linguistic strategies identified in English-language research travel well across languages, many cannot be straightforwardly applied to different linguistic contexts. A good example comes from research on Chinese-language brand posts, which shows that first-person narration increases engagement by fostering social belonging, whereas third-person narration appeals to self-enhancement motives. The effectiveness of these strategies is deeply rooted in culturally specific values. Similarly, research finds that code-mixing and the use of dialect can increase engagement when addressing Egyptian audiences, while colloquial expressions are particularly effective in global communication contexts. Another actionable suggestion is to use local and minority languages: when brands incorporate the local language of their audience in their posts, this enhances perceived authenticity and can meaningfully strengthen brand image.

For different types of brands, like influencers versus big companies, how should their social media wording change to boost engagement?

In my review, I differentiate between “human brands” (e.g., influencers, athletes, celebrities) and “corporate brands” (e.g., traditional product brands, platform brands, place brands), showing that effective linguistic strategies vary meaningfully across these categories. For human brands, emotionality is one of the most studied and impactful cues. Language that evokes strong emotions increases engagement for micro-influencers but decreases it for macro-influencers. Language that helps people imagine what something feels, tastes, or smells like signals personal product experience and, as a consequence, enhances engagement. For athletes, language that conveys both authenticity and social influence or status is particularly effective. In contrast, emotional language can reduce perceived brand status for certain corporate brands, especially high-status ones. Corporate brands tend to benefit more from clear, fluent messaging and careful tone management. For example, informal language increases trust for familiar brands but can backfire for unfamiliar ones.

Based on your review, what quick changes to brand posts could help turn casual scrollers into loyal customers?

While most research focuses on engagement metrics such as likes, reposts, or comments, language can also shape deeper, more long-lasting consumer responses, such as brand trust, brand attitudes, and purchase intentions. Informal language, for example, builds trust, but only for brands that consumers already know. Concrete, specific language, rather than vague claims, improves brand attitudes and intentions to support the brand. Adapting the brand’s language to mirror that of its online community strengthens connection over time. But here is a crucial nuance: optimizing for engagement is not the same as optimizing for loyalty. Some studies show that linguistic cues that boost likes and shares can have neutral or even negative effects on deeper brand evaluations. A post that goes viral is not necessarily a post that builds lasting customer relationships. This means that before tweaking their language, managers should ask themselves: what is the actual goal of this communication?

Copertina: Image by lisa runnels from Pixabay