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Social media has become a major source of information for people around the world, especially for younger generations.
As of 2019, there were 3.725 billion active social media users, and 54% used social media to research products. You don’t want to lose out on all those potential customers just because you’re not posting, but keeping a constant stream of fresh, relevant social media content can be a challenge.
When it comes to social media advertising, the goal is to grab the user’s attention as they’re scrolling and then draw them in with interesting, entertaining, or helpful content. Their likes, shares, and comments will get even more eyes on your brand’s content.
To turn more followers into customers, try these 17 social media content ideas.
1. Polls
A number of platforms have features that allow you to poll your followers on topics ranging from current events to their favorite ways to use your products.
A poll can be a useful tool for collecting feedback about a product, testing ideas, or just promoting engagement with a fun question. Whichever it is, a poll produces direct interaction with a post and therefore puts more eyes on your content.
This tweet from Beebom has more than 8,500 votes. Not only does that represent a lot of engagement with potential customers, it’s also providing the company with valuable feedback that can be used in developing their products.
What matters to you the most in a smartphone?#Poll #BeebomPolls #Vote
— Beebom (@beebomco) February 26, 2020
A poll is a particularly good tool for driving engagement because it directly asks followers to participate. So next time you’re stuck on what to post, considering putting together a poll, even if it’s just a silly question to make your followers laugh.
2. New Products or Services
If your company has recently released a new product or is offering a new service, promote it on your social media platforms.
You want to keep followers up-to-date on any new developments within the company. It shows followers that you’re working hard and still innovating. A social media post can also drive discussion and it will be a chance to answer any questions that customers might have.
To build even more excitement, include a video or sneak-peak pictures along with the announcement post.
3. Infographics
Do you have some complex information you want to share with your followers? Consider sharing that information through an infographic.
Whether your company conducted a study with interesting results, or you just want to share relevant info with your followers, adding images will help followers process what you have to say by up 65%.
If you created an infographic for a blog post, you can post the infographic across your social media platforms. Not only does it circulate the information, but it also serves as an advertisement for the post. Followers will be intrigued by the graphic and follow the link to read the full post.
Infographics are an ideal way to showcase company data or explain a complex concept without overwhelming the reader, as with this example from ConstructConnect.
Canada is urbanizing at an unprecedented rate. Learn more in this enticing #infographic by @Alex_Carrick: https://t.co/XZMg4kyAsz pic.twitter.com/tNpRTdg2Qv
— ConstructConnect (@ConstructConnx) March 10, 2020
Next time you have some information you want to share, consider creating a handy infographic.
4. Memes
Show your company’s personality and capitalize on the popularity of internet memes by posting some of your own. Memes were created for social media, so they are the perfect type of content to include in your posts.
Memes are a good way to reach younger audiences as they are popular with millennials and Generation Z. However, when posting memes, you should keep in mind that Generation Z is particularly ad-averse. Therefore, memes should be considered as a way to connect with consumers, not sell them a product.
Think of memes as driving engagement and interaction with your company page, rather than a way to promote something in particular.
5. GIFs
Like memes, GIFs are another popular form of visual content and are therefore ideal for social media.
GIFs add visual variety to your feed and are, by their very nature, eye-catching. They can be used to capture attention, explain a difficult idea or just add a bit of humor. Don’t be afraid to get creative with your use of GIFs.
Creating your own GIF adds a flair of creativity and personality to the post too. Depending on the brand, these could showcase the product in use, a manufacturing process, or faces from the company.
PlayStation used a GIF from their upcoming game in a promotional tweet:
Skater XL may skate in the shadows of giants, but creators Easy Day Studios just might be able to hang. How the controls work in their new take on a beloved genre: https://t.co/4pvQqLzK4Y pic.twitter.com/ETZ8hyn7XF
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) March 4, 2020
For a quicker social media post, use a premade GIF and add a relevant caption.
6. Company Accomplishments
Update your followers with your brand’s recent accomplishments.
Was your company featured in a news article? Share it on social media! Did an employee make a big impact? Give them the spotlight with a special featured post. You want your followers to be able to follow every exciting update and see exactly what your company is up to.
These posts are both informative as well as humanizing. You want your followers to celebrate with you. Showing gratitude when the company accomplishes something creates a positive association for followers. Sharing the accomplishments of employees shows you have an appreciation for the people who make your company possible.
American Airlines shared the accomplishments of four of its flight attendants in this tweet:
Let’s give a round of applause to these four #AATeam flight attendants named @UNICEF Champions of the Year! 👏🏽https://t.co/VRJbQ2i5NF
— American Airlines (@AmericanAir) February 26, 2020
7. Research
Did your company conduct some research? Or is there research relevant to your company? Either way, share the findings with your followers.
Relevant statistics and study results lend credibility to your brand. Of course, always cite your sources. You don’t want to come off as dishonest because you failed to give credit.
This is another type of post that can benefit from visual aids. If possible, include a graph, chart, or infographic to help explain the research you’re citing.
8. Events
Any upcoming events should be advertised on all social media platforms.
Whether it’s a small event that only those local to the area will attend or a large event that will have a wide range of attendees, it’s important to get the word out. It shows that the brand is productive and informs followers of what you’re up to.
Include relevant information and links to encourage more people to attend.
9. Reviews
Reviews don’t just belong on product pages—you should be sharing any positive feedback you receive with your followers too. It’s a great way to promote credibility and demonstrate transparency. It also shows appreciation to customers and illustrates that you listen to what they have to say.
Plus, 64% of consumers search for reviews before buying. If they can’t find reviews, they’re likely to go to a competitor. Make it as easy as possible for consumers to find reviews by posting them to social media.
10. Blog posts
Does your company have a blog? Have you posted something there recently? Promote it on your social media platforms to draw more readers.
If you don’t share your posts on social media, how will your followers know you’ve posted? Even if they engage with social media content, it’s not likely that followers are visiting your website every day. Make sure they stay informed.
Social media helps you promote the content that you already have and drive more people to your website. When your followers comment and share that social media post, it also disperses that content to their followers who may not have seen it otherwise.
11. Holiday posts
A special holiday is a perfect occasion to post on social media.
Did you have a company party? Post the pictures. Can your product be used in an innovative, holiday-related way? Post a how-to video. Even just a friendly message wishing your followers a happy holiday keeps the page active and maintains positive feelings towards the brand.
Crayola used a holiday tweet to promote several of its products and drive users to their website with the promise of a free download.
Download our FREE printable Valentine templates from https://t.co/lxSvxxpC7U and create colorful cards for your child's class.
Perfectly sized to fit our crayon 4 packs, glue, markers or pens, these are Valentines they're sure to love! 💌🖍https://t.co/1XVPHhF3u0 pic.twitter.com/jeXeRwyM5N
— Crayola (@Crayola) January 25, 2020
12. Frequently Asked Questions
Social media posts are a great way to keep your followers informed. If there are particular questions that continually come up in calls or in the comments, a post to social media can provide the answer to everyone who follows the page.
FAQ posts will both help the company in reducing the number of people who have the same problem, as well as show customers that you take their inquiries into account.
TurboTax created a handy graphic with important dates leading up to tax filing. Posted on Facebook, it successfully provides readers with information and reminds them of TurboTax’s service.
13. Posts Welcoming New Team Members
Did you recently hire new team members? Post a welcome notice on social media.
This humanizes your brand by showing followers the real people behind your company and demonstrates appreciation for their hard work. After all, no company would be successful without great employees.
Posts with faces are 38% more likely to receive likes than those without, so include a picture of your new employee in the announcement post. A brief biography or quote adds another level of personalization.
14. Live Video
An increasing number of social media platforms offer a live video feature. These include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat.
Live videos are only getting more popular, so now is a great time to capitalize on this particular feature. On Facebook, live videos get 6 times as many views as traditional videos and they get 10 times more comments.
Posting a regular “series” of live videos can ensure that you regularly get plenty of views and engagement. Some examples are instructional videos for your products or Q&As with employees in the company. Aim for 15 to 20 minutes per video, as that’s the length for top-performing live videos.
15. Emojis
This one is pretty straightforward: use emojis.
Just the use of emojis drives engagement. On Facebook, headlines with emojis generate a 241% higher click-through rate than those without.
Of course, as with any other type of content, appropriateness is still a factor. Emojis, like memes, shouldn’t be overused. Evaluate whether or not using emojis will help or hinder the tone of the post. You don’t want to appear out of touch to younger audiences.
16. Contests
A direct way to spark engagement among followers is to run a contest or a giveaway. Who doesn’t want free stuff?
The price of entry into a giveaway can be a follow or a comment, free to the user but that offer sought-after engagement for you.
Contests can also be used to prompt user-generated content, which is another way to drive engagement. Challenge your followers to post something of their own creation and then tag your brand in the post. Every follower of every account that participates will now see content that references your brand, providing an even greater reach for your social content.
Though there may be some upfront cost to running a contest—namely, providing a worthwhile prize—the payoff in engagement and brand awareness can be huge.
17. Behind-the-Scenes Content
Post a behind the scenes photo or video about your company. This could be anything from a picture of the team to a video detailing the manufacturing process of one of your products.
This type of post serves to promote transparency, which is important to consumers. One study found that 53% of consumers were more likely to buy from brands that are transparent. A specific lack of transparency was cause for 86% of people to consider a competitor.
With the right content, you can make a behind-the-scenes post interesting and exciting.
Conclusion
If you implement these ideas, there’s no reason your social media pages should go stale.
Remember, don’t stick to a single type of content as that will become repetitive. Use this list to change up your posts and inspire new content ideas. The goal is to keep followers engaged and interested. You don’t want them scrolling past your posts.
These suggestions can also be combined. Consider the type of content and the intended audience to best craft your post. For example, include emojis in a fun event announcement, illustrate your research findings with an infographic or include a picture to link to a new blog post.
What will you post first?
This article was written by Compose.ly writer Grace Neveu.
