800 Likes on a Random Comment: How to Make Health Content Engaging

I made a random comment on a funny video and got 800 likes, while my educational post got only 10 likes.

At first, I was taken aback by this comparison.

Like seriously, I made a random comment on an entertaining video, and hundreds of people liked it. In the meantime, I had been working on a health education post, hoping someone would learn something useful from it, but it got very few likes.

I know my experience alone cannot prove that people dislike educational content, but it raises an important question.

If people are willing to watch entertainment, can we make health education interesting and entertaining enough to make them stop scrolling too?

Honestly, I believe we can.

1. The first step is curiosity

People scrolling through social media are constantly deciding what deserves their attention. A post that immediately gives all the information may not attract them or create a reason to continue reading. But a question can make them curious enough to continue.

For instance, we have two openings:

• “Benefits of physical activity.”
• “What happens to your body if you don’t move for three days?”

Which one attracts you more? Of course, the second one, as it creates a gap, and this gap leads to curiosity.

For health content creators, curiosity can be a useful starting point. Instead of providing information like a textbook, we can begin with a question, a surprising situation, or a common misconception.

2. Provide evidence-based information

As healthcare providers, we should remember the difference between getting attention and gaining trust.

Health content creators can create the most attractive post in the world, but if the information that follows is inappropriate or invalid, the content becomes harmful, as it may lead to wrong decisions.

In addition, the World Health Organization emphasises the importance of scientific, credible, and high-quality health information on social media. Therefore, creators should answer curiosity with high-quality, evidence-based information.

3. Use illustrations and visuals

Another problem with educational content is that creators sometimes make simple and formal posts by using:

• Too much text.
• Few images.
• No clear visuals or illustrations.

I know many of us think that using too many illustrations and cartoonish images makes content less formal and credible. However, illustrations, images, infographics, and videos can make technical health information easier to understand.

For example, a healthcare professional wants to explain the adverse effects of prolonged immobility.

Instead of writing five paragraphs about it, a creator could show a simple visual story:

A person lying in bed with reduced movement develops muscle weakness and stiffness, has difficulty performing daily living activities, and then experiences how physical therapy can help improve mobility.

It helps to communicate the idea quickly to the audience. They can see the concept before reading the details.

4. Challenge assumptions about health content

Another problem is assumptions about educational content. People assume that making educational content entertaining decreases its credibility and makes it sound less professional.

I strongly disagree.

We can make a serious topic visually attractive without making it scientifically weak.

• We can start a post or reel with something funny and then give a serious explanation.
• We can give a colourful example and then quote the research.
• We can tell a story about a patient and explain the clinical science behind it.
• We can pose a surprising question and then provide a well-referenced answer.

We don’t have to be entertainers; we just have to know that people are already bombarded with thousands of things begging for their attention.

If we want people to stop scrolling and learn about their health, we need to give them a reason to stop.

The writer is a healthcare professional interested in health education, evidence-based communication, and making health information more accessible to the public. Through her writing, she explores how digital platforms can help people better understand health-related issues.