In my decade running social media campaigns and content, I‘ve helped shape strategies for brands both big and small. And hands down one of the top questions I get asked is:
"What types of content should we actually be creating?"
I get it! Coming up with fresh new ideas that resonate with your audience is half the battle. So consider this your master blueprint – a comprehensive guide to nine distinct content formats that engage and convert across social platforms.
For each type, I‘ll share:
-
💡 Multiple real brand examples complete with data and results
-
📈 Tailored advice to optimize for your goals and metrics
-
💪 Best practices for creating killer content that pops
Let‘s dive in!
📣 1. Branded Hashtag Campaigns
Hashtag challenges and viral prompts that align to your brand essence or themes perform incredibly well across social platforms – especially TikTok, Instagram and Twitter.
For example, to promote Jurassic World Dominion, Universal Pictures launched an epic TikTok hashtag challenge #JurassicWorldSweepstakes with over 104 million views and counting!
The key is nailing a branded hashtag that resonates. Include your:
-
Company or product name: Boosts awareness. e.g. #JustDoItNike
-
Campaign slogan or motto: Encourages UGC. e.g. Invisalign‘s #NewYearNewSmile
-
Purpose or social cause: Shows you care. e.g. Dove‘s #SpeakBeautiful
Then incentivize participation through customer co-creation or sweepstakes promotions.
Pro Tip: Enlist employee ambassadors or loyal fans to seed initial trend-setting posts. Their authentic engagement sparks a viral effects with fans quick to piggyback.
🤝 2. Influencer Collaborations & Takeovers
Influencer marketing is slated to grow into a $20 billion dollar industry by 2027. And it‘s easy to see why – influencer collaborations put your brand and content in front of tens or hundreds of thousands of new, targeted eyeballs.
Micro and mid-tier influencers are hugely popular partnerships now thanks to their niche, hyper-engaged communities.
@PacksLighter‘s stylish travel content made for an excellent collab pairing with Away Luggage (image: PacksLightHer)
The key is choosing partner creators closely aligned to your brand and audience. Analyze factors like their content style and quality, engagement rates, customer testimonials etc. beyond just vanity metrics like followers.
Campaign formats like takeovers, reviews and social contests work incredibly well. Track sales lift using special promo codes to showcase ROI.
🎥 3. Educational Video Series
88% of marketers leverage educational video content – and for good reason! Viewers perceive your brand as an authority while gaining valuable skills relevant to them.
Commit to an ongoing series structured as short digestible lessons around topics your audience cares about. Tech review site ASUS runs weekly live tutorial broadcasts called ASUS Diaries:
ASUS shares weekly educational videos to engage their tech savvy audience
Batches film episodes in advance for an optimal calendar. Promote new releases across your social channels and email lists.
Here are some popular series styles to consider:
-
🎓 Explainer series: Demystifies complex niche concepts
-
🪄 How-to/DIY series: Teaches a creative skill
-
🧠 Expert Q&A series: Answers audience questions
-
✍️ Interview series: Chats with industry insiders
The value you provide positions your brand as a trusted leader!
🤝 4. Spotlight Loyal Brand Fans
User-generated content created by your own customers and fans is social gold – it lends your brand bonafide credibility and authenticity. And the great news? Most people who proudly post selfies wearing your merch or products are thrilled to get featured.
Outdoors brand REI spotlights loyal customers camping and hiking while tagging them:
REI adventures reposted from happy customer @FloraJung is authentic social proof
The key is making it super easy to tag your brand. Include your Instagram handle prominently on your product packaging, on signs in your stores etc. Run contests for user photos and feature various fans.
📊 5. Interactive Polls & Crowdsourcing
Interactive polls across IG Stories, Twitter, Youtube Community posts etc. are fantastic for crowdsourcing quick opinions from your audience for everything from product decisions to hashtag ideas and more.
Software company Mailchimp leveraged an IG poll for naming consultation:
Pro Tip: Counterintuitively, landslide results can sometimes seem less exciting so consider purposely framing your poll question around two polarizing choices!
You can also crowdsource UGC by having fans vote on a weekly featured submission.
🏆 6. Awards Won & Company News Highlights
Sharing exciting company announcements and PR wins helps you rally employees while keeping external stakeholders engaged – whether it‘s nabbing coveted media placements, receiving recognition at trade conferences or even new funding secured.
What many brands miss is repurposing these meaty company milestones across their social channels with custom graphics and captions catered to customers versus just stakeholders and prospects.
For example B2B HR software company Gusto highlights their certification as a Great Place to Work across channels:
Treat social fans to insider access of your progress. This helps humanize your brand too!
🎬 7. Behind-the-Scenes Sneak Peeks
Speaking of insider access, social media fans just love raw behind-the-scenes footage taking them where customers rarely get to go.
Give them an exclusive ticket to your:
-
Product testing labs
-
Big budget commercial shoots
-
Event setup and venues
-
Retail store openings
-
Team parties and events
It makes them feel special while highlighting your employer brand! Have employees take over IG Stories for a day documenting their work.
Here‘s a cool example from coach brand Vahdam showing a new tea blending workshop:
A rare look inside @vahdamteas production facilities resonates with tea fans
The voyeuristic quality builds serious FOMO and brand affinity!
🤝 8. Cross-Promotions & Brand Partnerships
Co-marketing campaigns with complementary but non-competitive brands in your space makes a ton of strategic sense. You effectively tap into an aligned audience while expanding reach.
For example, Microsoft and Adobe co-created a frictionless "Share to Teams" plugin to enable seamless connectivity:
A clever product integration partnership highlighted across social media
Relevant brand collaborations also add credibility signaling the "prestige endorsement".
Ensure partner synergies align, collaborate on co-branded content and incentivize happy customers to share reviews showcasing the integration‘s value-add.
📋 9. Listicles & Roundups
Articles formatted as listicles and roundups promising the "5 best budget laptops" or "10 quick morning yoga flows" should be easy bites to consume, hence their immense popularity across social platforms and blogs alike.
The key is making your roundup highly specific to precisely match your audience‘s wants. Interior design blogger The Budget Decorator tailors decor lists to the college demographic:
Hyper-specific listicle targeting budget dorm makeovers
Listicle headline formulas like "How to X in X Steps" or "X Ways to X" tend to grab attention as they promise quick easy wins.
I hope these nine thoroughly explained examples and strategic best practices help provide serious inspiration for your next piece of social media content!
As you brainstorm what makes sense for your brand objectives whether it’s running a viral campaign, trying influencer sponsorships or showing cool BTS footage, the key is ensuring content stays on-brand, helpful and relevant for your audience. Continually test new formats and use metrics to guide your roadmap doubling down on what works best!
For even more guidance, explore my YouTube channel where I share regular videos breaking down winning social strategies. And feel free to schedule a quick call if you have any other questions!
