Social media is an extremely valuable marketing tool for any business. Because so many people are using social media on a constant basis, a strong social media presence can greatly broaden the reach of your marketing content while promoting trust in and engagement with your brand. To make the most of social media, it’s important to share the right kind of content that will maximize engagement and send the right message to your audience.

Videos

Video is the fastest growing type of content on the Internet. More than 2 in 3 people now prefer watching videos over reading text to learn about a product or service. Because educational content should be a big part of your marketing strategy, this statistic is very important. Additionally, over 75% of people say that they would share a branded video if it was entertaining, meaning creating video content is the best way to get your followers to share your content, maximizing your reach. Because videos are so popular and useful, it’s essential to make them part of your marketing strategy.

Tips for Video Content

1. Shorter is Better

People like watching videos on the Internet, but studies have showed that most people lose interest after a minute or so. Do your best to keep your videos, short, interesting, and to the point.

2. Create Educational Content

If you want your videos to be enjoyed and shared, make them educational. Take advantage of explainer videos and videos aimed at answering questions or solving common problems. This type of video is more likely to be watched and shared.

3. Use Good Visuals

You might think this goes without saying, but video content is successful when it’s high quality. Make use of good visuals and animation to reflect positively on your brand. If you create low-quality videos, you might as well skip creating video content altogether.

Photos

Social media is becoming increasingly visual-focused, making photos highly important. Instagram focuses primarily on photos, while using photos on platforms like Facebook and Linkedin will allow you to take up significantly more space on the page, grabbing viewers’ attention. Photos are great for grabbing people’s attention and can often spark more engagement than text, as they are easier to digest and more likely to get your point across. The Internet is becoming increasingly visual, so it’s important to center your marketing content around visuals.

Tips for Photo Content

1. Focus on High Quality

One of the most important things to remember when sharing videos is to share high quality photos. With smartphones having higher and higher quality cameras all the time, there is almost no excuse for a low-quality photo these days. Because of these high quality cameras, people tend to notice when your photos aren’t high quality, lessening their trust in your brand.

2. Make Them Interesting

If you’re going to post photos, make sure they’re photos that people care about. Consider attractive photos of your products or of people using them. You might also use photos to show off your company culture, sharing photos of office events. There are many different types of photos that can be successful, but before you share one, ask yourself if your followers will find it interesting.

3. Consider Engagement

One of your primary goals when creating a social media post should be to spark engagement. For this reason, it’s important to share photos that will encourage people to like, comment, and share. Each time you post a photo, consider how your followers will react to it to maximize your engagement.

Short Text

Because social media is becoming increasingly visual, you might think that there’s no place for text. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. Text can still be very valuable for social media, but you it should always be short. People are unlikely to read long-winded paragraphs and will shy away from a large block of text on their screen. Instead, use text as a way to supplement visual content and get clear and concise points across.

Tips for Text Content

1. Keep it Brief

Any textual content should be brief. Write captions on photos, short sentences, and messages to your followers. People like to read a little bit of content, but they are very likely to scroll past a large volume of content without reading it.

2. Make it Engaging

Your textual content should be focused on engagement. Ask your followers questions and encourage them to share their opinions on the content you share. Use text to have a conversation with your followers and encourage them to talk back.

3. Supplement Visual Text

Don’t create text just for the sake of having it there. Instead, use it to add something to your post. When you share videos or photos, text can provide an interesting caption that can make the visual content funny or cast it in a different light. A photo of someone lying face down might be funny, but when you add “me on Monday mornings,” it becomes funnier and more likely to spark engagement.

ImageWorks, LLC | CT Social Media Marketing Agency

Does your social media marketing strategy consistently fall short of your goals? Knowing is half the battle. If it’s time to rethink your strategy, all is not lost. Do research on what others in your industry are doing in social media: what works, what doesn’t and their tone.  Take the time to get to know what your potential clients or customers want to see from you.

We understand that social media can be overwhelming, and it's not always easy to change with each update or refresh. If you are looking to boost your social media marketing then you may want to take a step back and reevaluate the online presence you already have.