Social media is an essential part of any successful marketing strategy. Knowing how to create content that will engage your followers is not always easy. It can be overwhelming trying to figure out where to start and what kind of content to post. To help you get started, here are some tips on creating quality content for your social media channels.
Understanding Your Social Media Goals
Before you begin creating content, it is important to have an understanding of why you are posting on social media in the first place. What do you want your followers to take away from your posts? Do you want them to learn more about your products or services? Or do you want to provoke emotions and make them feel a connection with your brand? Deciding what the goal of your social media presence will make it easier for you to create content that resonates with your audience.
Create a Cadence
Another important factor when it comes to creating content for your social media channels is establishing a regular posting schedule or “cadence.” This means setting clear parameters around when and how often you will post on each platform. By doing this, followers know what type of posts they can expect from you at certain times on certain days—and this helps them feel connected with your brand.
Knowing Post Types
It is also important to understand the different types of posts that are available when creating content. Posts should vary depending on the platform, as each platform has its own set of features and tools available for businesses and users alike. Some common post types include videos, images, text-only updates, polls/questions, infographics, and live streams. Understand which type works best for each platform so that each post can be used most effectively in order to reach its intended audience.
Choose a Mix of Post Types
It’s important to vary the types of posts you share on your social media accounts. For example, stories have a limit of 24 hours while static posts can last up to a day. Carousels are great for showcasing multiple slides, and reels are highly prioritized by social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Experimenting with different post types will help keep your followers engaged and interested in your content. By utilizing a variety of different posts, it creates an environment for your audience to interact with your content and brand.
Maintain Consistency with Your Brand Aesthetic
Your brand aesthetic should be present across all of your posts – from the visuals to the captions – in order to create a cohesive look on the grid. This not only keeps followers engaged but also creates an identity for them to recognize when scrolling through their feed. The more consistency there is in terms of visuals and messaging, the easier it is for users to connect with your brand on an emotional level.
Post Organic Content Too
Scheduling content for your social media channels is a great way to ensure that your posts are consistent and planned out in advance. But it's also important to remember that organic content can be just as beneficial. The key to incorporating organic content into your strategy is finding a good balance between scheduled posts and organic content. Some ideas for posting organic content are:
- Behind the scenes photos
- Photos to highlight an event
- Live-streaming
- Employee account takeovers
- Team or community highlights
- User Generated Content (UGC)
And don’t forget, if you ever want to post something that doesn’t fit within the cadence, post as a story so that it won’t conflict with the grid.
Engage With Your Followers
Engaging with people through interaction is one of the most powerful tools in social media marketing today; it allows you to build relationships, increase loyalty from followers, foster a sense of community among them, gain insights into their needs/wants/desires, drive up engagement rates—and ultimately increase brand awareness and sales opportunities! Liking and writing back to followers that comment on your posts is a great way to engage with your audience and let them know they are appreciated. Commenting back on a follower's comment will encourage more engagement and can lead to great conversations that might lead to insights about what is important to them.
Creating content for social media takes time and effort but when done correctly can yield great results! By understanding your goal before getting started, establishing a consistent cadence based on post types that work well on each platform (images vs videos vs text-only), maintaining consistency with branding aesthetics across platforms, and posting organic content whenever possible – brands can increase their visibility online while also strengthening relationships with current followers! With these tips in mind anyone should be able to craft compelling and engaging social media posts!