Social Media Strategy: Why Entertainment Beats Engagement in 2026
Here's the myth: "Social media success is all about engagement likes, comments, shares."
Social media has fundamentally shifted. People aren't clicking anymore. They're watching.
Those posts you're crafting, the ones that end with "Like if you agree!" or "Tag someone who needs this!" or "Share your favourite memory in the comments!"?
Nobody's doing that anymore.
Here's the myth: "Social media success is all about engagement likes, comments, shares."
Myth busted: Social media has fundamentally shifted. People aren't clicking anymore. They're watching.
The Shift Nobody Warned You About
Engagement isn't dead,but it's no longer the primary measure of success. The currency has changed from interaction to attention. And the new king of attention? Entertainment.
Brandwatch's 2026 Digital Marketing Trends Report, which analysed over 18 million online conversations, found that 50% of marketers agree that authentic, unpolished content will be a major trend. Not the highly produced, engagement-baiting posts — the real, entertaining, watchable stuff.
People are fed up with content that begs for interaction.
Think about your own behaviour for a moment. When was the last time you actually commented on a brand's post? Probably a while ago. But you've likely watched plenty of videos this week without liking a single one.
That's the shift. And most tourism businesses are still playing by the old rules.
Why "Drive Engagement" Is Yesterday's Strategy
The social media landscape has changed in a fundamental way. Algorithms now reward content that holds attention, not content that generates clicks. A video that 500 people watched for 30 seconds is worth significantly more to the platform (and to your business) than a post that got 50 likes and zero meaningful views.
When you optimise for likes and comments, you end up creating content that asks for interaction rather than content that earns attention. And audiences can feel the difference instantly.
Those "tag a friend" posts? They feel desperate. The "tell us in the comments" prompts? People scroll right past. Not because they don't care about your attraction, but because they've been trained to ignore content that's trying to extract something from them rather than giving them something worth their time.
What Actually Works Now
The brands and attractions winning on social media in 2026 have made a simple but powerful shift: they entertain first and sell second. Sometimes they don't sell at all — they just create content worth watching.
Here's what that looks like for a tourism business:
Show us the real moments. The otter who photobombs every visitor's photo. The volunteer who's been there 30 years and knows every plant by its Latin name. The regular visitor who turns up every Tuesday. These are the stories that make people stop scrolling.
Let your team's personalities shine. Corporate voice is forgettable. Real people with real quirks and real passion? That's magnetic. Your team is your greatest content asset so let them be themselves on camera.
Capture the messy, funny, human stuff. The perfectly composed shot of your grounds at golden hour is lovely. But the behind-the-scenes chaos of setting up for half-term? That's what people actually want to watch. It's relatable. It's real. It's entertaining.
Prioritise watch time over vanity metrics. Start tracking how long people spend with your content, not just whether they tapped a heart icon. A 30-second average watch time tells you something meaningful about whether your content is connecting. A like count tells you almost nothing.
Create stories that make people feel something. Emotion drives attention. Content that makes someone laugh, feel nostalgic, or say "that's so true" will always outperform content that just asks them to engage.
The Content That Cuts Through in 2026
Behind-the-scenes moments that are genuinely interesting and not staged "day in the life" content, but the actual reality of running an attraction.
Staff personalities front and centre - the passionate, knowledgeable, slightly eccentric humans who make your place special.
Real visitor moments - the unscripted, unpolished, sometimes chaotic truth of families having a day out.
Stories that make people feel something - nostalgia, joy, surprise, connection. Emotion is the one thing AI can't manufacture.
Content that entertains first and sells second - or sometimes doesn't sell at all, and just builds the kind of goodwill that makes someone think of you when they're planning their next weekend.
The Challenge for Busy Marketing Managers
We know creating consistently entertaining content takes time, creativity, and someone who actually understands this shift. Many marketing managers are already juggling a dozen roles and now you're supposed to be a content creator, videographer, editor, and trend analyst too?
That's exactly where we come in.
How The Marketing Collective Can Help
We read reports like Brandwatch's 2026 trends so you don't have to. We know what works for tourism and attractions specifically, not generic advice repurposed from retail tactics.
Social Media Management - Content that reflects your real brand personality, entertains people scrolling at 11pm, and actually drives ticket sales — even without begging for engagement. From light-touch management to full amplification with quarterly on-site content shoots.
Social Media Audit - We'll review what you're doing now and show you exactly where the opportunities are. What's holding attention? What's being scrolled past? Where are the quick wins?
Content Strategy - A clear plan for creating the kind of content that earns attention rather than asks for it. Aligned with your brand, realistic for your capacity.
Ready to Stop Chasing and Start Creating?
If your social media strategy is still built around "driving engagement," it's time for a rethink. The attractions that thrive on social media in 2026 won't be the ones with the most likes — they'll be the ones creating content people genuinely want to watch.
This post is part of our Marketing Myths series. Want more straight-talking marketing truths? Subscribe to our Friday Funk newsletter