5 Tips for the Right Mix of Social Content

Too much straightforward self-promotion and you’re likely to lose your audience. Too many memes and they stop taking you seriously. Too many videos and they get tired of watching. Finding the right mix of content for your social media posts isn’t always easy. Here are five tips to help keep you on track.

Create a Social Media Calendar.

Don’t roll your eyes, I’m serious. You need one. If you wait until posting time and then scramble for content, you’re not going to be successful. A lack of strategy and planning compromises any progress you have made or want to make with your social accounts. Unsure of how to create and maintain a social media calendar? We can help!

Create Labels or Categories for Your Posts.

In your social media calendar, there should be a Summary or Description or Label column for your posts. Use this space to describe the type of post. Is it a blog? Is it industry news? Is it a branded video? Is it about your products or promoting a sale? Try to limit the number of categories to five or six by grouping similar themes together and using them consistently.

Having a visible label or category for the post helps you assess at a glance whether or not your content has an interesting mix. You can rearrange posts so you don’t have multiple posts of the same type of content back-to-back unless there is a reason for it, like a sale or contest. You should consider post content in terms of topic and format, which includes text, photo, video, or link.

Incorporate Holidays.

You need to think and plan ahead for holiday posts and how those holidays impact your industry. Don’t just slap up a stock photo with “Happy Halloween,” and call it a day. Think about what’s “scary” to your audience and determine how your unique selling points can eliminate the problem for them. Customizing holiday posts when appropriate is a great way to promote while you celebrate and it has the benefit of offering more variety to your standard posts.

And keep in mind that many people celebrate different or additional holidays and not just the ones you celebrate. Consider recognizing holidays your audience celebrates. Always ensure the way you acknowledge a holiday is respectful and genuine. Try asking a coworker or friend who celebrates that holiday to assist you or do plenty of research before you craft your post.

Include Industry-Relevant Posts.

The best way to achieve this goal is including industry-related posts shared by the experts to communicate important information relevant to your audience. If you’re in the banking industry, maybe share helpful tips on personal finance from trusted financial news sources. If you’re in the health and fitness space, you can share articles on the best exercises to burn fat or how to stay motivated when you don’t feel like hitting the gym from acknowledged experts.

These inclusions into your social media calendar offer value to your audience without directly selling anything to them or expecting anything from them in return.

Use a Variety of Media.

Sometimes a photo and caption do the trick. Other times, a description and link are enough. However, if you’re posting a link, be sure it auto-populates an image, or have one ready to insert alongside the link when you create the post. Just know that sometimes, with a social media management tool, it may preview properly but not post properly, so review your post after it goes live if possible.

Sometimes you might want to change things up by posting memes (as long as they’re relevant and in good taste) to lighten up your feed the day after you post a direct product promotion post. This is a great way to drive more engagement after a sales-focused post that might not get much traction.

Video is hugely popular, and typically sees more engagement than just images. Make sure you pay attention to all the different options when posting a video. For example, you want your video to auto-play anytime a viewer has that feature enabled. Studies show most videos are watched without sound. To be accessible to your entire audience, use caption and narration in your videos. Depending on the platform, you can also schedule a release of the video and let it release “Live” if you want it to be more of an anticipated event.

Ultimately, striking the right mix of content and formats for social media is a constant balancing act. It takes time, attention, and a willingness to sometimes try new things to see what works. Keep what works, leave behind what doesn’t, and move forward toward social media success!

And remember, if you need help managing your social media accounts, EVG has experience driving results on social media and can help you strike the right balance! Contact us today to learn how we can help you succeed.