Are you stuck in a rut when it comes to generating social media content ideas? Not sure what you should post to ACTUALLY get likes, comments and shares? Then look no further! I gotcha covered!
Following are 27 social media content ideas that are sure to get you more engagement!
Bookmark this post and pull it up the next time you go to post on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter!
1. Short, Inspirational Content
Did you know that inspirational content is the most engaged with content on ANY social platform? WHAT? Kim, are you sure about that? Yep, in fact, a survey of more than 9,000 LinkedIn users found that content that was “straight to the point and inspirational” was the #1 most engaging type of content shared on the platform. And that's LinkedIn!
Did you know that inspirational content is the most engaged with content on ANY social platform?Click To TweetTakeaway: No matter which platform you’re posting on, think about what your audience is struggling with, and then ask yourself what they need to hear to inspire, encourage or motivate them.
2. Charts and Graphs
A great strategy for getting your posts shared on social media is to be original – to share something that’s valuable and that no one else is sharing. Putting together charts (with your own data or someone else’s) is a great way to meet this criteria. Grab some industry stats or results from surveys you’ve conducted, and then use a tool like Onlinecharttool to turn it into an eye-catching image.
3. Breaking News
According to recent research, 2/3 of Americans now get their news from social media.
According to recent research, 2/3 of Americans now get their news from social media. Wowzers! Stay on top of breaking news and be the first to report it. #ContentMarketingTipsClick To TweetIf you want to increase engagement and shares while also boosting your credibility in your industry, stay on top of breaking news and be among the first to report it.
4. Original Infographics
According to research from Venngage, original infographics are the #1 most engaging type of visual content you can post on social media. Fortunately, you don’t have to pay big bucks to create your own infographic – tools like Canva and Piktochart let you create your own for cheap or even free. They don't have to be HUGE either to make an impact!
5. Long-Form Posts
More and more, social media users don’t want to leave the platform they’re on to view content (including blog posts!) One way around this is to share long-form content directly on Facebook and LinkedIn. Some ideas for long-form content: industry predictions; top strategies in your niche; biggest issues/problems in your industry; personal stories or anecdotes. I have seen a lot of people using long form posts to make a point, deliver a deeper dive or even rant about something they care about. These types of posts almost always garner a lot of engagement!
6. User-Generated Content
Do you have a hashtag for your business and/or products? If you do, you can easily track photos and posts shared by your fans and followers. Re-sharing these posts with your audience makes for great word of mouth marketing!
7. Open-Ended Questions
Social media engagement tends to have a circular effect: the more comments you get the more your post gets seen…and then it gets more comments, and gets seen by even MORE people! (This is particularly true on Facebook). Question posts are great for getting this initial boost of comments. Ask your fans and followers for their opinion on a hot topic, for feedback on a business-related issue, or for input on a decision you need to make.
BONUS Tip: Ask them to respond with an emoji or an gif!
8. Animated Image Quotes
Anytime your content has MOVEMENT aka, animation, you stand more of a chance of getting those thumbs to stop on your content. Not sure how to create graphics like the one below? Check out my post, 9 Visual Marketing Tools To Help Your Social Media Posts Stand Out.
9. Seasonal Posts
Share posts, images or videos to help celebrate an upcoming holiday. Some ideas: “What’s the best Christmas present you’ve ever been given?”; “Post a picture of your Halloween costume”; “Only 12 more days until Valentines!”.
10. Personal Photos or Videos
Let your audience see your personal side by occasionally sharing personal photos or videos. You don’t need to get SUPER personal if you don't want to, but photos of your pets, kids or home office are always a good choice!
11. Photo Contest
Get your audience involved by asking them to submit photos relevant to a particular theme. Some examples: “Show us what your office space looks like right now”; “Post a picture of your favorite vacation spot”; “Share a picture of your pet”, etc. Choose the best photo, and then re-share it with your audience for even more engagement!
12. Statistics
Share an interesting industry statistic…bonus points if you turn that stat into an image!
13. An Excerpt From a Blog Post
Simply posting a link to your latest blog post probably won’t get you much traction. Instead, post the link along with a particularly interesting, salient or controversial excerpt or quote pulled directly from the blog post and yes, you can still link to the rest of the blog.
14. A Quick Tip
Post a super-useful tip your audience would find helpful. It can either be a standalone tip, or one tip from a blog post that lists many more!
15. Giveaways
Contests and giveaways are great for getting engagement, and people LOVE to share them! Some ideas: trivia contest; “caption this” contest; hashtag photo contest; random fan giveaway, etc. A great tool for Facebook giveaways is 22Social.
16. A Poll
Create a poll to get feedback, ideas or input from your audience. You can take the simplest approach and just straight up ask a question (e.g., “Would you choose 1, 2 or 3?”), and ask your followers to type in their answer. If you want to takes things up a notch, use built-in polling tools like those available on Twitter and in Facebook groups.
17. Sneak Peeks
Give your fans and followers a sneak peek of an upcoming product or event. This is a great way to build anticipation and create a buzz!
18. Fill-in-the-blank Post
An oldie but a goodie! Ask a simple question and let your audience fill in the blank. These can work even better than open-ended questions since they’re so quick and easy to answer!
19. Response Post
Respond to a popular or controversial post. Your followers will love watching these conversations unfold!
20. Facebook Lives
If you follow me on Facebook, you know how much I love Facebook Live. Virtually anything you can do in a normal post you can do even BETTER via a Facebook Live! Contests, interviews, motivational speeches, tutorials, product launches, FAQ’s…the possibilities are endless!
21. Stories
With so much content flying through people’s feeds, it’s important to grab their attention with the very first words or lines of your post. Stories are a great way to do this! Starting your post with something like, “I remember when…”, or “When I was a child…” will make sure your post gets noticed among all the bland, promotional posts surrounding it!
22. Funny Images
Humor is always a good choice for getting engagement, and funny image quotes are no exception. Not sure where to find highly-engaging images? Use Post Planner to find and share content that has already proven popular!
23. A Scenario Post
Pose an interesting or thought-provoking scenario to your audience and ask for their opinion or input. An example: “If you were given $100,000, but had to spend it all today or else give it all back, what would you buy?”
24. Gorgeous Product Photography
Beautiful product photos are a great way to get engagement without being “salesy”. Bright, colorful photos will capture the attention of your followers, and will whet their appetite to try out your product.
25. FAQ’s
Scour your email and post comments for questions that come up often, and then respond to them in a social media post. Tag or mention specific users for optimal engagement.
26. Fun Facts
Share a random fact or stat with your audience, preferably in image format. Search for “industry keyword” + “facts” to find tons you can share! (e.g., coffee facts, pet facts, etc.)
27. Testimonials
Share testimonials from satisfied customers or clients to generate interest and trust in your brand. Video testimonials are your best bet, both for getting views and for boosting credibility.
Final thoughts
It’s no joke constantly having to constantly come up with new social media content ideas! I hope this post has given you some new and creative ideas for the next time you post to your favorite platform.
What’s YOUR best social media content idea? Share with me below!
About Author
Kim Garst
Kim Garst is a renowned marketing strategist and speaker who is trailblazing the use of artificial intelligence in digital marketing. With over 30 years of experience as an online entrepreneur, Kim helps entrepreneurs grow their business and authority online by using AI technology. She is leading the way with proven AI frameworks that help entrepreneurs build authority in their space.
She is keynote speaker and an international best-selling author of Will The Real You Please Stand Up, Show Up, Be Authentic and Prosper in Social Media.
Named by Forbes as a Top 10 Social Media Power Influencer, Kim is well-known for her skill to simplify complex technology and make the use of AI understandable for business growth. Her relatable, actionable advice helps guide new entrepreneurs to harness the power of AI to succeed in digital marketing. Kim is leading the way in combining human and technological skills to create a new model for AI-powered marketing.
Now, this is called an inspirational post! Thanks Kim 🙂
Thanks, Kim for this wonderful idea. This is really going to be helpful for me.
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Thanks for these 27 tricks.