A series of methods and tips will allow you to always find new ideas for new content for your social media marketing.
Finding new ideas that allow you to publish engaging content for social media marketing is not easy. Social media managers know well that making long-term editorial plans is very tiring because, after the initial emphasis in which communication flows smoothly because any topic is new and original, ideas start to run out and find new ideas.
In reality, the problem is often in the method. Many social media managers do not make extensive plans to sift through all the thematic areas they can address but limit themselves to always fishing in the same content areas, with the effect that, in a short time, they exhaust them. They also don’t consider the variations of each theme and all the different formats in which to publish posts.
But let’s go in order and review various ways that allow you to produce practical ideas for posts to publish on social media marketing channels.
Countless variations on a single piece of content
A single topic can be approached from numerous points of view, with different perspectives and new focuses each time. Let’s take an example. Suppose that a clothing and leather goods accessories shop has published a photo of a bag that has just arrived in the store, associating the caption: “Here is a new arrival that will appeal to all of you! It is the most beautiful bag that the designer Taldetali has created this year. Don’t you agree? You like it?”
After a week, the same bag can become the subject of another post, but this time the photo will show it in a model’s hands—caption: “The perfect bag for an elegant occasion. Our model paired it with this dress (and describes herself briefly). What would you wear it with? ”
Subsequently, the same bag can be re-proposed in a real situation, for example, a photo in which a model takes it with her to an aperitif. Caption: “For a special and elegant aperitif, the choice of the bag is fundamental. Our model has chosen the latest creation by the designer Taldetali”.
And so on. A single object has originated at least three posts, but with a little creativity, it can generate many more. So by working in this way, it is possible to conceive a very high number of posts even when you have limited sources and original content.
Use all possible formats
Another typical mistake that less experienced social media managers fall into is sticking to one type of format for posts to publish. For example, a photo and a launch (or caption). In reality, current social networks allow the creation of many different post types. For example, static images, galleries or posts with more than one image, carousels, videos of various types, stories, etc.
A topic can therefore be treated in various ways using different formats. The user who has seen the previous posts on the same topic will still be aware that it is the same object but will still perceive it as new content.
Of course, some posts are easier than others to make, which is why they are the most popular. But they are not always the most effective. Short videos are more engaging than photographs or graphics, and users will appreciate them more. Although they are sometimes more complex to produce if you want to make a good quality video, the surplus of engagement is usually paid off primarily by greater engagement and higher user satisfaction.
Take advantage of live streaming
Live streaming can be challenging, but paradoxically, it can sometimes be easier to make than a regular post. Suppose you prepare a topic to discuss, for example, the stock exchange mentioned above, by choosing a time in which presumably there are many active followers on the social network. In that case, you can launch a live streaming session and immediately collect many users interested in following the live broadcast for a while.
The advice is not to do river live streaming sessions, which would bore even the most enthusiastic fans. It is advisable not to exceed 10 minutes, to attract the attention of an adequate number of people without running the risk of tiring them or demotivating them to follow you.
The exhibition must be engaging and warm but without frills and digressions. Choose a theme well, make a precise lineup of things to say, and stick to this. The brevity and conciseness are of great value, and in this way, you will avoid downtime and useless chatter of very little interest.
Also, consider what audience you are speaking to. What does he expect from you? What are the reasons why he is interested in what you have to say? How can he be involved to the fullest extent? Always remember that in no case will you have your friends in front of you.
Those who follow your streaming almost never have a direct and personal relationship with you. They only appreciate your business, the company or brand you represent, and your products or services. Only in some exceptional cases does he know you because he knows who you are online and has seen your photos or other videos in which you appear firsthand. In some circumstances, some customers may connect to the streaming. Therefore perhaps they have had the opportunity to know you personally but do not have real confidence in you. They value you for what you stand for, your skills, and the way you approach various topics that interest them.
For this reason, you must avoid resorting to a way of expressing yourself that is too conversational and casual. Be loose and bright, but not boisterous and boisterous. Don’t use foul language and be friendly without being silky or clingy.
To put it more briefly: choose carefully with which “tone of voice” you want to express yourself. That is the style of your communication. If more formal, lighter, more cheerful, more rigorous, etc. The tone of voice is crucial in your being pleasing to your audience. And, of course, it should be chosen according to the people you expect to follow your stream.
At this point, identify a suitable place to record to have a pleasant and appropriate background and avoid annoying environmental noises. Light up your scenario well (very easy and with a negligible cost to find sets of lamps suitable for this type of situation), place your camera device (even a good mobile phone) on a tripod and go, go online!
Some social networks allow you to warn the audience that you will be streaming even days in advance to create a positive expectation. At the end of the registration, some social media allow you to save the streaming video, which you can then re-propose as stable content in various social media.
Question your followers
Social networks thrive on dialogue. If this does not develop spontaneously, it can – in fact it must! – induce through various stratagems. One of the most valid is polls (or polls, in English).
Some social channels allow you to launch polls directly – for example, in Instagram stories – others require using external apps instead. One of these is SurveyMonkey, which allows you to integrate into a post published on social networks and propose even very complex surveys to your followers.
Surveys are also beneficial for understanding what your audience thinks about topics that can help guide the development of your business. For example, the company we discussed earlier might ask what is the maximum price people would be willing to spend on a bag or what are the most popular brands.
Turn people into content
Are your customers who visit your shop delighted? Did you organize an event in your store and many people came? Is your company’s working climate such as leading all employees to carry out their work in a very positive spirit? Great: turn all of this into social media content!
Let your employees talk. Portray them with a video or photos as they work and explain what they are doing. Chat with your customers and ask if they are willing to give an opinion or show themselves with the products they are buying or have just bought. And so on: people are the best witnesses of the value of your business and can become content with inexhaustible wealth.
The only trick is to avoid self-referencing that nobody cares about and make the presentation of your content genuinely captivating. Post like: “Here are our seamstresses sewing a shirt” could be completely insignificant. The same image with a caption like: “Do you know what the real value of our shirts is? Our people who make them with passion. Every time you wear one of our shirts, their passion and enthusiasm will always be with you!”. Obviously, this is just an example, but it does well how you can turn a post destined for general indifference into a post that arouses attention and emotional involvement.
Post ideas that inspire your work or can inspire your clients
Why do you do what you do in your company? When a company is founded, it is always supported by floods of reasons and motivations that would galvanize anyone with their ardor. Over time, however, everything becomes routine, and we hardly remember the mission and the perspective of everything we do.
Retrieve these primitive ideas and communicate them with passion. Posts may come out that will inspire your audience and give them the feeling that your company doesn’t just thrive on trading but still follows ideals. People like ideals and followers will appreciate and respect you even more if you know how to pass on yours.
In other cases, try to link your products, services, or even your brand, to an occasion of inspiration. An example clarifies everything: a bag photo can be accompanied by a phrase like “Try to put even one of your dreams in this beautiful bag. Then go out and make it happen!”. Although it seems nonsense, such a post has a very high emotional, evocative power, and many users will not hesitate to give a like.
By working on these tips, you can significantly improve the value and richness of your social media marketing content. Above all, you can produce many more with the same effort, and your digital marketing will benefit substantially.
