Coming up with new content ideas isn’t always a walk in the park. Especially when you have to post consistently on multiple social media platforms. Worse still if you have multiple accounts to handle!
What’s more, coming in 2020, video and interactive content is increasingly important for your social media strategy.
With this tried-and-tested list of post ideas, keep your social media feed fresh, creative and relevant! These ideas will suit any brands be it small local businesses, entrepreneurs or corporates.
Start putting your time back into the important stuff- creating more value for your audience!
- 1) People behind your brand
- 2) Looping Micro-Video
- 3) Memes
- 4) Presenting Data
- 5) Business Tools
- 6) Client Projects
- 7) Quotes
- 8) Infographics
- 9) Screen Recording
- 10) Tips & Tricks
- 11) Before & After
- 12) Behind the Scenes
- 13) Answer Common Questions
- 14) Funny Definitions
- 15) True or False
- 16) Visual Analogy
- 17) Personal Recommendations
- 18) Re-share tweets or memes
- 19) Play with video speed
- 20) Puzzles & Brainteasers
- 21) Updating your status
- 22) Ask a Question
- 23) Interactive Content
- 24) Listicles
- 25) Daily Checklist
- 26) Talking Head Video
- 27) How-To Video
- 28) Flatlay
- 29) Graphical Meme
- 30) Company News
1) People behind your brand
Putting a spotlight on your staff or the people behind your brand is a great way to create an immediate personal connection with your audience. Not to mention, it gives you the opportunity to recognise your staff’s hard work, and let them know that they’re valued members of your business.
By letting your audience put a face to your brand, you also appear more personable, more approachable, and more relatable. Being able to identify with your brand is one of the first steps to helping your audience see how your products and services can serve them. And also, when people feel they know who they’re talking to, they tend to trust you more!
Clothing brand The Emperor’s Old Clothes took the opportunity during #fashionrevolutionweek, to introduce the production team involved in bringing each piece of their clothing to life.
Initiate conversations starting by showcasing your people and culture, and through that form a genuine connection and deeper engagement with your audience!
P.S. Meet our team here! 😉
2) Looping Micro-Video
Videos on Instagram and Twitter loop indefinitely, while Facebook loops any video under 30s, for 90 seconds. To optimise that function to your advantage, create really short videos that look good on repeat! Think boomerangs, cinemagraphs, or motions that are so satisfactory or therapeutic to watch on and on and on…
But why create such micro-content? With the average human attention span dropping to around 8 seconds (less than a goldfish!), shorter content naturally reaps great performance on social media! Especially with auto-play being a default feature most of the time, your audience would be able to easily watch your entire looping video while scrolling.
If the video loops seamlessly, the audience may not even realise they’ve finished until they’ve watched it several times, which translates to great engagement!
In this post, Broma Bakery cleverly uses a cinemagraph instead of a still photo to bring the viewers’ attention directly to their baileys caramel sauce, which is exactly the star of the post!
Making these micro-videos can actually be easy and cheap! Although the above example isn’t so straightforward to make, you can always go for Boomerang videos! The boomerang option is already built-in into Instagram itself, which makes creating short looping videos so readily accessible.
The best part about this type of content is that there are so many possibilities, so get creative, and start creating!
3) Memes
To meme or not to meme? If a little humour and casualness suit your brand image, and you want to reach a younger target audience, then why not? Memes help your business’ social media appear more relevant and fun. When done well, memes can be relatable and shareable!
The account Business Humor shares original memes about the truths and struggles of entrepreneurship that many entrepreneurs would be able to relate with.
When sharing or creating memes, make sure that the context of the memes is something your main audiences can understand.
On the flip side, you’ll want to make sure that your meme isn’t offensive, embarassing or cringey. When in doubt, avoid posting political or potentially sensitive topics.
4) Presenting Data
But don’t necessarily start with “Did you know..”!
Sharing industry statistics or market data is a great way to help audiences indirectly link back to the value that you provide in the same area, through your products or services. Getting your audience curious to learn more is the first step to prompting them into action. Ideally, your products or services would be at the end of that line of action after doing their research or learning more.
Wall Street Journal frequently highlights the main part of their articles into bite-sized data for viewers.
Presenting relevant statistics can spark a conversation on the topic that you’re sharing, and gain more insights about your audience from there!
Using software like Canva (which is free!), you can easily present statistics visually quickly and easily.
5) Business Tools
Spotlight one of the tools that you use directly or indirectly for your business, that you really love!
Be it a piece of equipment, hardware, software or mobile app, this insight can help audiences get a better understanding of how you do what you do, and also a candid look into your work process.
For Meagan, co-founder of Emerge Mentoring, planners play an important part in managing her business schedules and planning out her social media and content. Not only does it give you a sneak peek into how she works, but can also serve as a helpful recommendation for others looking to invest in a planner themselves.
If you’re using reputable or industry-standard tools in your business, it would help your brand appear more credible and trustworthy. If you have an alternative that isn’t commonly used yet doesn’t compromise on the quality you’re providing, don’t be afraid to show it as well!
6) Client Projects
This should be a no-brainer yet something so essential to show: your past works!
This idea may be applicable only if you provide tailored services or products for your clients that can be showcased. In the case where you don’t have an actual deliverable to show, you can also do a visual post of your clients’ testimonial!
Showcasing client projects through a mixture of media is an integral part of Lemon Lime Creative’s social media strategy,
By showing past client projects, you’re giving a sneak peek of the quality of your work and capabilities to prospecting clients 😄
Putting a client’s name to your work also provides social proof and validation that you are trusted by others! And it definitely only adds to your brand credibility if your client is reputable or well-known.
7) Quotes
Everyone is probably familiar with this content idea – quotes. But instead of throwing in an inspirational quote, consider using visual quotes to highlight important parts of your text posts, articles or blogs.
You can also use them to share tips, advice or insights from key people at your company, or from other experts in the industry!
The female entrepreneur network Girl Boss uses a quote to summarise their weekly chat with an inspiring female figure.
8) Infographics
If you have a lot of information to share, the best way to get your points across is through infographics! Infographics are visual representations that help readers digest information quickly and easily.
Similar to our market data content idea, you can use infographics to share in-depth industry statistics, or summarise a report or research.
Many of Hubspot’s users use social media in their marketing efforts, so sharing such data with them through a barchart helps them visualise the potential of each platform better.
Vertical infographics works well for reading on blogs, but you can organise them into horizontal chunks for easy reading on social media!
9) Screen Recording
Great for creating tutorials or how-tos for anything that you need to explain on your computer screen or even mobile phone! From softwares, to websites, to apps, anything that’s digital, you can guide your audience or demonstrate a set of processes.
LOBO Films frequently shares his editing screen to show viewers how his workflow looks like for his video projects.
10) Tips & Tricks
Share some tips and tricks of the industry, or insider advice to your products and services!
There’s many ways to do this, such as using Idea #9 (Screen Recordings), or visual tutorials with photographs and captions.
Add in resources, links, tools, anything that makes life easier for your audience!
Social by Carlisle delivers helpful, bite-sized advice on Instagram strategies to their audience through graphics and its post captions.
By helping and adding value for your audience, you can earn more trust from them, and also help establish yourself as the go-to person in the subject-matter over time.
11) Before & After
People love to see the magic of transformations. Take photos or film the process of before and after you add your magic touch, such as for client projects, makeovers, revamps, to really highlight the difference your service or product has made!
To make things more interesting visually, use an image comparison slider instead of putting your photos side by side!
We’ve done a simple animation to create a smooth slider effect, to showcase before and after colour grading has been done to our videos.
If you don’t have any video editing software, you can try out Juxtapose JS to create a free Before & After slider online. Record your screen as your slide, and you can instantly achieve that “animated” before and after look!
12) Behind the Scenes
Get your audience involved by showing what goes on behind the scenes!
Your audience should already be familiar with your end-product, but often, they’re unaware of all the blood and sweat that takes place.
By showing a process in your work, you’re helping audiences understand how you deliver quality to them. In turn, they would appreciate and value your work more.
An exclusive look into these usually undisclosed moments can also create interest in keeping up to date with what you do.
Instead of photos of their completed bespoke rings, LivLov Jewelry shared a candid moment of her crafting at her workstation, shedding a light on the sweat that goes into each of their jewellery.
If you’re already integrating behind-the-scenes in your social media, think about which process your audience doesn’t usually get to see, and showcase that. Another idea to try is doing a timelapse instead of your usual photos or videos.
13) Answer Common Questions
Sharing and answering questions is a great way to engage your audience. Before you start, you can even do a poll to collect interesting questions from your viewers. Otherwise, compile some common questions that you get from clients and customers.
These common questions point to an area where it may be hard for your audience to find the answer or solution. It may also highlight some common misconceptions which you can step in to clarify!
On top of answering this common question from her clients, hair & makeup artist The MakeupKween also provide resources for her viewers to master the technique.
By answering common questions, not only are you adding value for your audience, you’re helping them save time and also better understand the topic that relates back to your work. Being a reliable source of information for your audience can also help you better establish yourself as the go-to person on the subject matter!
14) Funny Definitions
This is a fun idea whereby you choose a word or phrase, and give your own definition to it!
Instead of actual dictionary definitions, this re-definition would ideally be a hilariously honest take on the word that readers would be able to relate to!
You can also ask your audience to share with you their interpretation of this word, to initiate a conversation and get to know your audience better!
15) True or False
True or False question types are a way to give answers to your audience quickly.
You can do True or False, Yes or No, or even Busted or Confirmed (Mythbusters anyone?).
Instead of using a carousel, Go Safe Online Singapore takes advantage of different sizes of Facebook photo album covers to create an interactive True or False questionnaire for viewers.
If you’re posting to Instagram instead where such layout is not possible, you can still use carousels to get your audience involved. Separate the question and answer on different carousel slides, so your viewers can preview the answer when they’re ready.
16) Visual Analogy
Try using analogies to explain a complicated idea or concept. To make things more interesting, present your analogies visually through illustrations, graphics, animation or video!
In our visual analogy video, we used everyday items to explain ‘content marketing’. Get creative and try this idea out even from home! You can also film yourself narrating while doing a live drawing on a paper or whiteboard.
17) Personal Recommendations
Share with your audience some personal recommendations that you think they may like too!
Unlike our ‘Business Tools’ in Idea 5, this can be something that isn’t even related to your business or services/products, and doesn’t conflict with any interests you might have. Look at your target audience, what they might have in common and their interests.
With her usual content focused on product photography for fashion and lifestyle brands, Tara Wokulski’s genuine recommendation for a hair care product fits in nicely with her existing audience’s interest.
This is a great way to connect with your audience by being authentic and sharing something you yourself like! Especially for small businesses, getting personal can help your audience relate more to your brand and break down walls.
If you’re including unsponsored shoutouts to other brands, it also creates an environment for collaboration and cooperation over competition.
18) Re-share tweets or memes
Sharing a tweet or meme from another platform in your post is a content type that’s getting more popular currently.
However, there’s a grey area in sharing other’s tweets or content on your own account even if attribution has been given, so please do so at your discretion! As a general guide, if you’re sharing someone else’s tweet instead of your own, be sure to include the original account handle and credit them on your post. Never use them to pose as your own original content!
Do not share tweets or content from a private account, and do not promote your products and services in the same post! Always avoid using others’ content to generate possible revenue unless explicit permission has been obtained.
Otherwise, these contents are great ways to share opinions and thoughts from industry experts or members of your community across platforms! Or it could just be a humorous or relatable content that your audience can appreciate. Alongside the content, share your own take on it to start a conversation among your own community
Or you can always reshare your own tweet to make a statement like internet & IP lawyer Maria Spear Ollis did in her post.
19) Play with video speed
Play with speed in your next video to change things up! Most cameras and mobile phones nowadays allow you to play with the frame rates, which allows you to slow down and speed up your videos smoothly.
Slow down your videos to emphasise a key highlight in your video, such as a product/item, a subject, an action or a moment. Speed up a short, unimportant part of the video leading up to the slow-motion, to guide your viewer’s attention towards what’s coming next!
Filmmaker Daniel Schiffer uses a mixture of fast and slow movements to bring attention to the details of each ingredient, and steps involved in pizza-making.
By playing with the speed in your video purposefully, you can attract and retain your audiences’ attention. Avoid doing it too much throughout your video, as it can confuse and be uncomfortable for the viewer.
20) Puzzles & Brainteasers
Puzzles and brain teasers relating back to your brand can be a fun way to attract eyeballs and engage audiences. On social media where people often browse on and on, puzzles can be a way to get their brain juices going, and also create curiosity and interest.
When content becomes fun, you can build better relationships with your audience!
Mattress brand Casper uses sleep-related puzzles to engage their audience and get them to think about “sleep”, and ultimately to keep the brand in the audiences’ minds when it’s time to shop for a mattress.
21) Updating your status
Have you been updating your audience about what’s going on?
Foreword Coffee Roasters keep things positive with a team photo while updating their customers about their online and physical stores.
Especially during such periods of uncertainty, keep your audience in the loop and check in on their needs to serve them better.
Share with them how your business is doing, what changes you’ve made or perhaps what you’re working on during this quiet period to cater to your clients and customers better when you’re back! Create meaningful engagement with your audience, see how you can support them, or even how they can support your business.
With employees having to work from home, many businesses are also starting to show more behind-the-scenes and candid moments from home. These moments are great to let people in during a time where people are looking to connect in isolation.
Be sensitive, but don’t be afraid to be honest and be human! Let’s use this chance to strengthen our connections and relationships, and come back stronger than before.
22) Ask a Question
Check in with your audience by asking them a question!
It’s important to talk about your business so people know who you are, but it’s also important to listen to them! Oftentimes, their perspectives will be valuable in identifying the areas where you can serve them better.
With a majority millennial audience, social cafe kómma pitches questions that is relatable and excitable for their viewers and get them to engage with the brand.
Even though the question isn’t directly related to their business, understanding the trends and hot topics surrounding your target audience is also one way to ensure that you stay relevant and fresh in your viewers’ eyes.
Make things more engaging by getting them to fill in the blanks, or collect open-ended answers in your Stories using the Questions sticker!
23) Interactive Content
Change things up by creating content that your audience can get involved in!
Illustrator Little & Sage encourages her audience to show their support to small businesses through certain prompts or ideas when they spin the wheel.
Some other very popular interactive content recently is the Bingo challenge and “Choose your quarantine house”. These content are great because it’s fun, and it’s easy to make while creating your own unique variation. It encourages your audience to participate, and they may even share it or tag their friends to try!
24) Listicles
A “listicle” is simply an article made up of a list! Listicles are great because the header sums up the entire list of what to expect, they’re easy to skim-read and also easy to digest huge chunks of information.
Essentially, listicles pack quality and value into a post for your audience, saving them time to research or get information on a topic. You can separate each point into an individual slide for social media, so your audience can swipe through your carousel post to read the entire listicle.
Renovation platform Qanvast gives their audience a sneak peek of their main listicle in their website using carousel photos to highlight each point.
While curating a list, you can also collaborate with other experts and professionals on the topic by including, mentioning or promoting them.
25) Daily Checklist
Create a checklist of items that your viewers can follow!
During this quarantine period, many are creating checklists on self-care and things to do at home. You can do this for your business too, but with items that can guide your viewers towards certain outcomes or goals!
Instead of using a conventional checklist, stationery essentials CGD London uses illustrations to put together a step-by-step for their audience wanting to start journaling.
If your viewers like your list, they may also hit the “Save to Collection” button! Checklists are highly saveable as people may want to come back again to refer to it! Checklists also encourage participation as your audience can track their progress and share it.
26) Talking Head Video
The classic talking-head video. Talking-head videos are when the main action of the video revolves around someone talking to the camera.
Talking-head videos are straightforward to execute, and get your message across quickly, making it such a popular format! You can use this type of video for demonstrations, announcements, interviews etc.
At the same time, an otherwise passive and cold brand instantly becomes more personable by putting a face your audience can relate to.
If time and budget is a concern yet you want to get started with doing more videos, this is one of the best video formats to try!
Digital video publisher Our Grandfather Story often uses talking head videos to tell compelling stories of different Singaporeans.
You can also do a Live video, and subsequently upload the live session to your platforms. Live videos tend to be more casual and candid, and also helps in engaging your audience as they can ask questions and interact with you in real time.
27) How-To Video
How-to or tutorial videos are great for every business’ video strategy! You can teach viewers on any subject topic like how to use your product or service. Videos are the preferred way for the majority of people. So anything that your audience might be searching for to learn or do, that is related directly or indirectly to your business are all fair game!
Tastemade Home teaches their viewers various home DIY projects through how-to videos.
The best part of this content type is there’s so many ways to go about it, and can be easy and effective. One way is to do a talking-head video featuring yourself talking while you teach viewers how to do something.
28) Flatlay
Take a flatlay of your work-from-home setup!
Or if you’re a product-based business, you can also take flatlays of your products.
You can easily achieve the bird’s eye view style (you might just need a chair) using any surface or even your floor!
Mix up different products or items, play with the styling, and you can put together a story and bring these objects to life! Flatlays are also great for social media with its aesthetic look. You can go for the casually put-together look, or neatly arrange your items using symmetrical lines. Instead of a square crop, you can also try landscape and portrait formats!
Creative studio Chun Tsubaki posted a flatlay photo of traditional mooncake moulds as part of their festive greeting to their viewers.
It doesn’t have to be a “sales” post. Whatever the style or idea you use for your flatlay, do what conveys your brand message best!
29) Graphical Meme
Yes, more memes as content ideas because they’re relatable and pretty easy to make! What we mean by a graphical meme is a content that is originally created by you using icons, illustrations, and texts, instead of the usual screencap or photos.
See our previous post for an example of a graphical meme we made using a chart! Other popular graphical memes include using venn diagrams and pie charts to create authentic and relatable moments
Liz and Mollie uses illustrated memes to shed light on emotions and self-care while relating with working adults.
To brainstorm some ideas for your meme, think of common situations in your workplace, when you’re working on something, when you’re dealing with customers or clients, common problems faced, to name a few!
30) Company News
It doesn’t have to be updates that are news-worthy. It could be introducing a new staff, reaching a certain following on social media, adding a new feature to your website, anything that you’re excited to share about your company!
Keeping your audience up to date with your company matters big or small helps your audience feel involved in your company’s growth, and get them excited about you!
Even the launch of your website is worth celebrating and sharing! Creative studio Marrow Design posted about their website launch with a video to give their audience a sneak peek of the look.
If you have team outings, birthday celebrations for a staff, or Bring Your Pet To Work Day, share the fun photos from these moments with your audience.
By doing so, you’re drawing your audience in by being candid and authentic, and also attract potential hires that appreciate your company’s culture.
Inspiration is everywhere!
A pro-tip for finding more fresh content ideas is to always keep your eyes peeled when you’re on social media, be it for personal or work purposes. When you see something different or interesting, be sure to bookmark or save it!
For Instagram, there’s a quick “Save to Collection” button at the bottom right of every post. And in case you didn’t know, you can also save posts and videos in Facebook! Click on the triple dot at the top right corner of each post to save it for your future reference.
Your content should always reflect your brand
Try out some of these content ideas and see what works well for you! But never forcefully use a content type if it isn’t aligned with your brand. And also, always have a consistent branding for your content! You don’t want to confuse your audience by changing up the style with every new content.
