Creating Content
Have you ever had that moment when you’re just sitting there, staring at your phone, for what feels like forever, wondering, “what the heck should I post?”
I’m guessing that the answer is “yes.”
There is a real art to creating content for social media. It needs to be thought provoking, entertaining, informative, and visually compelling. It also needs to be authentic and genuine. Conversely, it can’t be too “salesy” or you’ll lose your following. In fact, some of the algorithms in place specifically target promotional posts and make them less visible.
So, with allll of that in mind… how do you get your message out there among the millions of posts that are made every minute of every day??
The answer is CONTENT.
Check out last month’s Social Media for the Creative Professional article:
BUILDING AN ORGANIC FOLLOWING
Let’s take a look at the biggest trends on social media. These are the images and content that get shared the most... the stuff people go nuts for.
“Content is king!”
Human faces
This is the number one shared content on social media across the board. Despite all of the criticism social media gets for replacing actual human iteration, social media is indeed SOCIAL... and people love the social aspect to it. People want to know other people. They want to know you. This creates a personal connection and allows relationships to begin.
• Selfies. Yup, you gotta post selfies.
• Have a photoshoot — get a professional to do the job.
• Share photos of others—people you work with, clients, friends, family, celebrities, historical figures, etc.
Curated content
Not all of your content needs to be created by you. In fact, many successful online brands and influencers are curating content. What does this mean? Basically, it is the process of searching and sifting through masses of existing content, organizing it, and then re-presenting it as a collection. This is the most common practice on Pinterest and is becoming very popular on Instagram as well.
Video
Video is the new black. Videos receive a higher algorithm rating and are among the top posts to be shown. Now, this doesn’t mean you have to go out and buy a GoPro (but, let’s be honest, you wanted one anyway).. video takes all shapes and forms. Instead of a static image and text, do it with video.
• How-to / tutorials / instructional
• Conversational
• Traditional
• “Moving art”
• Results
Quotes
People loooooove quotes. Seriously. They do. You can quote me on that ;) You can source quotes from literally anywhere: celebrities, history, humor, motivational or inspirational, or even your own two cents.
Quotes are also really fun to create branded content with. Apply your colors and fonts to reinvent a popular quote. Other trends for displaying quotes include: letterboards, hand written, calligraphy, and photo overlays.
Day prompts
Get on this bandwagon, because people just love day prompts as well. We’ve all seen them, we’ve probably done them too... these are posts like “Throwback Thursday” or “Happy Fri-yay!” They’re simple, but effective. Plus, its a fun and easy way to fill out your content when you’re in a slump. I’ve included an entire list of day-of-the-week hashtags for you to try out.
Animals, landscapes, and gifs
These are some of the highest shared and liked images out there. Post a photo of your cat and watch those numbers climb. Content doesn’t always have to be super thoughtful or even informational. Just sharing something beautiful or cute or goofy can do the trick. Social media shouldn’t feel like school or a commercial. And while we’re all to get our message out there, don’t forget to have fun with it too.
The Yolk’s Big Fat List of Content Prompts
Still need ideas? We got you, boo!
The following list will keep you, and your social media, busy for months, if not years! Create a content calendar (future blog post alert) or simply “roll the die” and pick any of the following when you need a little creative inspo.
Personal
PHOTOS OF YOU!
IN-PROGRESS IMAGES
INSPIRATION: TEXTURES, OBJECTS, COLORS
BEHIND-THE-SCENES
WORK SPACE
“A DAY IN THE LIFE”
TELL A STORY
#TBT — THROWBACK PHOTO
Promotional
GIVEAWAYS/INCENTIVES
RESOURCES
SPECIAL OFFER/DISCOUNTS
SERVICES
Audience Engagement
OPINION/FEEDBACK POST
SURVEY/POLL
QUIZ
Pass it On
CUSTOMER APPRECIATION
OTHER BUSINESS’ WORK
INDUSTRY ARTICLE
INTERVIEW
NEWS
Media
BLOG/VLOG
BOOMERANG
COLLAGE
VIDEO
SLIDESHOW
Advice/Info
HOW TO...
HELPFUL TIPS
BUSINESS TIP
“DID YOU KNOW...?”
INFOGRAPHICS
FAQS
GUIDES
EQUIPMENT OR TOOLS
BOOKS — WHAT ARE YOU READING?
REVIEWS
LISTS
HELPFUL APP OR WEBSITE
Fun
SOMETHING FUNNY!
MEME
QUOTES
WORD/PHOTO OF THE DAY
Events
NATIONAL ________ DAY
HOLIDAYS
HEADLINES
BIG EVENTS
DAYS OF THE WEEK
More social media tips every month!
We’d love to hear from you… Which of these are you already doing? Which do you want to give a try?
Article by Devin DuMond | Graphics by Bre Vachon