Social media platforms offer an unlimited supply of content ideas. However, it can still be challenging to come up with new content for posts every week. Some people find that content creation is one of the hardest parts of social media management, but it doesn’t have to be! By planning ahead and keeping a list of possible ideas, you’ll be producing consistent, creative content in no time.
Before we get into the details of content ideas, let’s take a look at how to get the most from your social media strategy.
Plan Ahead
Trust us, it’s much easier to manage social media platforms with a content calendar. Websites, like Later, allow users to schedule posts in advance on multiple platforms. A curated content schedule (we suggest posting 4 – 5 times per week) allows you to plan ahead and stay organized. Spontaneous, inconsistent content can cause your platforms to appear jumbled. It’s okay to post ideas on the same day you come up with them, but try to avoid this as your only tactic for posting.
Identify Your Goals
What goals do you hope to achieve when you post? Every piece of content you publish should have a purpose. Do you want to increase engagement, gain more followers, or increase traffic? Are your posts building branding awareness? By deciding on goals before you post, you’ll be able to create content that is specific to your end objectives.
Choose Customer-Focused Content
Create content that your customers want to see and read. Try putting yourself in the shoes of a buyer or customer, and create content you’d want to know. Not sure if your customers are loving what you’re posting? Reach out to them! If you find that your posts aren’t getting much attention or engagement, ask your customers what they want to know.
You can also look at posts from other businesses in your industry to see which get the most engagement. It’s helpful to create categories for your content before you schedule them in a calendar. For example, is a lot of your content informational, entertaining, or persuasive? Do you have too many posts pushing a sale or service? Change up your categories throughout the month, and try to appeal to a variety of interests within your industry.
Use a Call-to-Action
Most, if not all, of your social media posts should include a call-to-action. Guide your audience on the task you want them to complete. For example, popular Instagram call-to-actions include:
- Click the link in my bio to reserve your spot.
- Vote for your favorite in the comments!
- Save this and send to a friend that needs to hear it.
- Heart this post if you agree.
- Questions? Shoot us a DM!
- Make sure to check out *insert account name here* for more inspiration.
- Swipe to learn more.
Call-to-actions normally act as the close to your post. They wrap up content and direct your audience on what to do next. Including one is a critical part to turning followers into conversions.
Now that we’ve covered steps to take before posting social media content, let’s delve deeper into social media content ideas.
30 Ideas for Social Media Content
- Behind the scenes
- Product promotion
- Customer or client testimonial
- Ask your audience
- Industry tips and tricks
- Personal stories
- History of business
- Employee spotlight
- Popular hashtags (#ThrowbackThursday, #FlashbackFriday, etc.)
- Host a sale
- Sneak peek of a new product or service
- Meaningful quote or funny jokes
- Holidays
- Teach a service
- Showcase how to use a product
- Answer frequently asked questions
- Share industry mistakes and how to avoid them
- A challenge you’ve overcome
- A challenge customers can overcome with your product/service
- Fill in the blank
- Recycled content
- Content from your blog posts
- Newsletter promotion
- Host a giveaway
- Ask for recommendations or customer input
- Share a milestone
- Share a business update
- Post about helpful resources
- Reshare or retweet someone else’s useful content
- Promote a collaboration with another brand
Social media is full of useful content ideas. If you ever get stuck, refer back to this blog or research other businesses in your industry for ideas. Remember though, original brand content will help you stand out for your customers. Don’t rely on other businesses for all of your content ideas. Keep things creative, true to your mission, and focused on your customers.
Need help creating new ideas for your social media calendar? Reach out to us! We offer social media management for all kinds of industries and businesses – large and small. Our social media specialist is an expert at creating content that resonates with customers. Call us at (217) 222-1451 or fill out our contact form to learn more!
