Social media is a powerful marketing tool. It helps brands build awareness, improve traffic and generate leads.
If you are tasked with creating and implementing a social media strategy, you might be wondering which type of content will deliver optimal results. But worry not, as this comprehensive run-through will cover different types of social media content you need to focus on.
Five types of social media content
1. Videos
Videos are a fun and effective way for business owners to show off their wares. That explains why Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and other digital platforms give videos a higher priority.
Together with the right overlay and transcript text, videos will help you educate your target audience, increase engagement on your social media channels and win new prospects. Fortunately, you do not need expensive camera equipment to implement an effective video marketing strategy. Instead, having the right video text editing tool can help you create powerful video narratives on your digital and social platforms.
2. Images
Pictures and photos are some of the most digestible types of social media content. Much like videos, image-rich content is also easy to share, allowing you to reach more potential customers.
The good thing about images is that they are hassle-free to create. With just a smartphone or a simple camera, you can capture stunning pictures of your products, staff, or business premises.
However, make sure you edit them or add filters before posting on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Snapchat to boost engagement. Attaching text to the image or even a blog post can also help increase clicks and engagement.
3. Infographics
Infographics are among the most socially shared type of social content. This is perhaps because it is easier for humans to process (read and understand) the visually appealing content, unlike when reading a block of text.
Therefore, invest in infographics to help your audience understand those complex statistics, explanations, and other written concepts. Whether you post them on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter, you will be surprised at how the social world will share your content right back.
4. Testimonials and reviews
Most modern customers will read customer reviews and testimonials before buying any product or service. The reason behind this is simple. People trust past customers’ experiences and opinions about a brand more than what the company says.
That is why you need to start asking your customers to share their experiences on social media as soon as they purchase your product or service. Remember, getting more positive and genuine reviews will make your brand look more credible in the eyes of potential customers.
5. Written posts, articles, blogs, or guides
Creating and sharing valuable and relevant content is a great way to attract and retain the right audience. Whether you share written posts, articles, blogs, or guides, you will demonstrate your company’s knowledge and expertise, which can help you emerge as a credible and reliable brand.
However, creating engaging and resourceful articles, blogs, or guides can be taxing and time-consuming. The good news is that you can trust a reputable web content writer or agency to handle that bit for you, especially if you have many other things to attend to.
6. User-generated content
User-generated content (UGC) refers to content developed by individuals and posted online. This content can be in any form; text images, reviews, videos, etc.
To illustrate how UGC content works, say you are a hotelier. Someone or a group of people come to your hotel, and they like it. They take pictures of their experiences at the hotel, tag your business and post them on social media. You can reach out to such people and ask them if you can share their content on your page.
UGC content relates better with consumers because it is authentic, and your audience will be more inclined to believe a customer more than they would you.
7. Webinars
Webinars are an excellent way of promoting consumer education. Because webinars are live-streamed, they give an impression of industry knowledge, which can effectively boost consumer trust in you and your brand.
When hosting webinars, you want to keep them short (between 30-45 minutes), exciting and interactive. Also, allow your audience to ask questions or weigh in on the topic. Collaborating with other experts in your field can also be an excellent way of ensuring that you deliver quality content to your audience in the fields you may not be conversant with.
8. Podcasts
A decade ago, podcasts weren’t as popular. But that is rapidly changing. According to statistics, it is estimated that podcast listeners will be 164 million listeners per month by 2024.
Podcasts are a good substitute for text and visual content for people who love multitasking. For example, it would be impossible for a consumer to read a blog or watch a video while working out. But they can do it while listening to a podcast and gain as much information as they would reading an article or watching a video.
9. Contests
People like to win, which makes social media contests fun. Think of contests (and prizes) that would interest your audience. The prize doesn’t have to be costly. People love competition for the love of it, so you do not have to go overboard with prizes. It could be a voucher or one of your products.
When done right, contests have the potential of increasing audience engagement, thus boosting your social media presence. Additionally, contests do pretty well on almost all social media platforms. However, you may want not to overdo it on professional platforms like LinkedIn.
Conclusion
Now that you know the various types of social media content, there is every reason why you should start leveraging the power of social media to push your brand. However, keep in mind that certain types of content will perform differently on different social media platforms.
For instance, Pinterest and Instagram are, by far, the best platforms for pictures, while short videos will perform best on Facebook. Therefore, target specific social channels with certain content to get the best results.
About the Author
Robert Turner is an experienced writer who is passionate about creating content that connects brands with their target audience and helps companies increase awareness and realize measurable results.
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