The key to any successful social content mix is motivating audience engagement \u2013 to generate likes, comments, re-posts, and keep followers scrolling through your account.<\/p>\n
But finding the optimal content mix can be difficult. How do marketers find the social media content mix that delivers the best results?<\/p>\n
We ran a survey to find out. A total of 118 marketers shared their insights, and their best content recommendations are listed below. But first, let\u2019s find out how often marketers include popular types of posts in their content mix.<\/p>\n
Building a social media content mix<\/h2>\n
We asked marketers how often they included various types of posts in their content mix (see charts below). They were also given a choice between six different frequencies: not at all, rarely, sometimes, often, very often, or extremely often.<\/p>\n
The results showed that most marketers prioritize posting fun content that resonates with their audience, and promoting other trust-building content (such as blog posts).<\/p>\n
Here are the types marketers post \u201coften,\u201d \u201cvery often,\u201d or \u201cextremely often\u201d:<\/p>\n
- \n
- 78% post fun content that resonates with their audience<\/li>\n
- 74% promote other content, like blog posts<\/li>\n
- 26% promote new products<\/li>\n
- 45% post about existing products<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
We\u2019ve included the full breakdown of results below.<\/p>\n
New product posts<\/h3>\n
![\"how](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/pasted-image-0-19-1024x533.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nFun content that resonates with audiences<\/h3>\n
![\"how](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/pasted-image-0-20-1024x526.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nPromotions of other content (such as blog posts)<\/h3>\n
![\"How](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/pasted-image-0-10-1024x518.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nUser-generated content<\/h3>\n
![\"how](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/pasted-image-0-14-1024x525.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nPromotions of existing products<\/h3>\n
![\"How](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/pasted-image-0-8-1024x532.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nOther types of content<\/h3>\n
![\"how](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/pasted-image-0-21-1024x528.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nSome types of posts included in the \u201cother\u201d category include educational posts to directly build thought leadership, promotions of others\u2019 content, \u201cbehind the scenes\u201d looks at a business, and other company updates.<\/em><\/p>\n
Constructing a content mix to boost engagement<\/h2>\n
To build a consistent brand presence and drive engagement from the target audience, what types of social media content<\/a> do experts recommend? Let\u2019s find out.<\/p>\n
Post content that resonates with your audience<\/h2>\n
Alison Schroeder of Vye<\/a>\u00a0says, “Write for your audience. You need to identify which buyer persona<\/a>\u00a0you are crafting the message for. Then, identify their values, goals, and interests.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour personas guide the topics you cover on social media, the memes you may include (or definitely not <\/em>include), and the platform on which the messages will be placed. Using personas creates a connection between your brand and the audience. It fosters trust \u2013 a monumental piece of the buying process.”<\/p>\n
Haley Johnson of Refuel Agency<\/a>\u00a0advises, \u201cBuilding a brand on social media is all about building trust with your audience through consistency, commitment, and valuable content.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour social media presence has to provide more than fluff for anyone to want to stick around. Know your target audience well<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 and then solve their problems, answer their questions, and give them a reason to want to listen to you. Create a social media presence that\u2019s so valuable that they can\u2019t afford to miss out.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"refuel](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/pasted-image-0-23.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"refuel](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/pasted-image-0-15.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nRefuel Agency on Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n
Gabriella Horvath of PanIQ Escape Room<\/a>\u00a0says, “The key is to identify the top interests of your potential customers and consistently entertain them. In our case, we post brain teasers and funny memes for escape room enthusiasts. We also focus on graphic design so we have a strong brand identity online.”
\n![\"paniq](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/pasted-image-0-22.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n@paniqroom on Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n
Theresa Lina of Lina Group<\/a>\u00a0says, “Help your audience. Many companies make a costly mistake: They lack a theme and point of view that\u2019s immediately clear to the audience and adds meaningful value for them. This mistake creates confusion about what you stand for and squanders opportunities to build valuable, differentiated brand equity. In contrast, a single theme and point of view helps make you the go-to for a particular issue. You actively help your audience with insights and stand out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark Hayes of Kintell<\/a>\u00a0shares, “On our social media, we regularly chat with subject matter experts, celebrate customer success stories, and give people real insight as to what it’s like using our platform. Our audience can enjoy free snippets of expertise courtesy of the experts on our platform, and can decide for themselves whether there’s a professional they’d like to speak to.”<\/p>\n
![\"kintell](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/pasted-image-0-16-513x1024.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nMaria Saigatova of Blast Sourcing<\/a>\u00a0advises, \u201cWhen it comes to our brand\u2019s online presence in social media, it is all about building relationships and providing value. We are doing it not to hard-sell our services, but to establish trust and promote ourselves as a reliable brand. We choose people and relationships with them over sales and constant offerings. Providing value is simple. It starts with being responsive and helpful when it comes to general queries, customer challenges, and solving their pain points.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"optimizing](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/pasted-image-0-6.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nBlast Sourcing on Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n
Oliver Andrews of OA Design Services<\/a>\u00a0shares, \u201cIf you create content that is informative, useful, and valuable to viewers, they will see your brand in a positive light. For example, create a contest on your social media platforms and let your followers share the news. Set up the contest so that for each action, your fans receive an additional entry into the contest. \u00a0People love to win something for nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stand out in people\u2019s feeds with quality content<\/h2>\n
Kim Brown of Condo Control Central<\/a>\u00a0advises, “People are exposed to hundreds of brands on social media every day. You need something to make you stand out, and quickly, so your target audience doesn\u2019t keep scrolling. It might be video, it might be a very simple design or logo. Whatever you do, it has to be representative of your brand and catch your audience\u2019s attention.”<\/p>\n
Kirsten Selvage of ShopPros<\/a>\u00a0tells us, \u201cMake sure you\u2019re offering something to your prospective clients. Tips, tricks, pieces of advice \u2013 people recognize selling on social media in the time it takes for a post to show up in a newsfeed. Quality content branded to your business, posted regularly, is important to engage clients. So when you do post a sale or offer, that post is in front of as many eyes as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Limit the overtly promotional content<\/h2>\n
Patrick Garde of ExaWeb<\/a>\u00a0advises, \u201cStop talking mostly about your business. Just like in real life, most people will pay no attention to your social media page if you talk about your business 24\/7.<\/p>\n
\u201cInstead, share something that\u2019s interesting or adds value so fans will engage with your page. In our experience, the posts that get higher engagement are non-promotional. Our Monday motivation post gets more likes than any other post for the week because people can relate to it more.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"exaweb](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/pasted-image-0-13.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nExaWeb on Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n
Kerry Thompson of ClientsFirst\u00a0says, \u201cBe conversational. Plenty of businesses on social media too frequently only broadcast outbound messages. Followers are soon turned off by that one-dimensional nature. Instead, initiate conversations with others, mention them, and turn the spotlight to external content once in a while. Talk to your customers on social media like you would talk to them in person. Do this, and you’ll get far better engagement, more followers, and greater click throughs when required.\u201d<\/p>\n
Create long-form posts<\/h2>\n
Hilary Droke of Fracture<\/a>\u00a0shares, \u201cDon\u2019t be afraid of long-form captions on Insta. Your fans follow you for a reason \u2013 they want to know what you have to say! Take advantage of the generous character limit and use it to tell a story or educate your following on a topic that aligns with your brand values.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou always want to ask yourself the ‘Why?’ behind what you\u2019re posting. What value are you giving your followers with this post? By taking advantage of long-form content, you’re giving yourself the time and space to share authentically. Your followers will notice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ask for your followers\u2019 input through your posts<\/h2>\n
Helen Hall of Blender Bombs<\/a>\u00a0says, \u201cI consistently ask over 100k of my followers their opinions on new flavors, what stores consumers want to see Blender Bombs products in, and how our \u00a0products can be improved. I also use Instagram polls, questions, and challenges to gauge consumer feedback \u2013 and it’s working!<\/p>\n
\u201cIn fact, I used Instagram to ask my followers if anyone had a connection to Whole Foods, and that’s how I was able to secure Blender Bombs products in their stores \u2013 all from a direct message from a follower. Whole Foods just began carrying Blender Bombs in 350+ stores.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"blender](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/pasted-image-0-18.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"blender](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/pasted-image-0-12.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n@blenderbombs on Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n
Use Instagram Stories to show authenticity<\/h2>\n
Christina Cay of C\u2019mon Mama<\/a>\u00a0says, \u201cUtilize Stories on Instagram. People love<\/em>\u00a0to see the face behind the brand. They feel like they know you when you share videos, talk to them, or ask them things. My engagement on my Instagram Stories is through the roof, even compared to my engagement on classic posts. Stories have that alluring behind-the-scenes appeal and should absolutely be used to every brand’s advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"cmon](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/pasted-image-0-17.png\" "\\"\\"")
![\"cmon](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/pasted-image-0-4.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n@cmon.mama on Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n
Repurpose and promote blog content<\/h2>\n
Thomas Bolt of Big EVAL<\/a>\u00a0advises, \u201cOn any social media platform, it’s ideal to take advantage of the opportunity to highlight your blog content. On your blog, you likely feature your products or services in great detail, so directing a reader or potential client to your blog to take advantage of a how-to guide can really lead to conversions.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"big](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/pasted-image-0-24.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n@BiGEVAL on Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n
Matthew Stormoen<\/a> shares,\u201cGet the most out of your content by repurposing for social media. Match the content format with the channel; this will help make it seem fresh even if it\u2019s being repurposed. Present your content in different formats that are fit for the channel. Say, from a blog article, white paper, or case study<\/a>, information can be turned into a nifty infographic for Twitter and Facebook.\u201d<\/p>\n
Laura Burden of Burden Brand Management<\/a>\u00a0shares, \u201cI will usually stretch one blog post into multiple social media feed posts, a few videos, multiple pins on Pinterest, multiple stories on Instagram, and more. I like to use Asana to organize my content and keep tabs on which format it’s been made into and what formats it still needs to be made into for social.\u201d<\/p>\n
Invest in quality visuals<\/h2>\n
Rorie Devine of Gro.Team<\/a>\u00a0shares, \u201cVisual content<\/a>\u00a0attracts the users of social media much more than textual. Experiment with different visuals: include videos, infographics, quotes, tips, GIFs, and eye-catching images. Photos on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, get more engagement. Even adding images to LinkedIn posts will give you a higher engagement rate.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carmen Varner <\/a>advises, “Invest in photography. Custom photography will go a lot further than dull stock shots of people at the beach or a random coffee. People want to see your team, your office, what you do. You don’t have to spend thousands. Simply determine some content and ideas, and take a bunch of photos. It doesn’t have to be a big production. If you’re scared, pay your iPhone-savvy 14-year-old niece to take some photos – office decor, meeting room, products, team, people working, and start there. Even some starting photos tell a story: “Wow, look how far we’ve come!”<\/p>\n
Use video to your advantage<\/h2>\n
Brian Robben of Robben Media<\/a>\u00a0recommends, \u201cWhen the goal is to build a brand through social media, commit to videos. Short, medium, and long videos will do more for your brand than anything else. In a clip, audiences get to not only see your brand, but get to better understand your mission and values. Not only that, social media users are more likely to engage with videos, leading to more brand interactions.\u201d<\/p>\n
https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/B0gYIqSAfwl\/<\/p>\n
Natik Ameen of Incrementors Web Solutions<\/a>\u00a0tells us, \u201cIn our experience, video plays an important role in building your brand. It gets maximum engagement on popular social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter. Creating video-based content will boost your brand awareness<\/a>\u00a0and increase your number of followers.”<\/p>\n
Kim Hale of Kim Hale Public Relations<\/a>\u00a0says, \u201cStop telling people what you do, show them what you do. Instead of posting graphics and flyers telling people about your brand, create engaging video content that shows people what you do. In the case of the Debbie Allen Dance Academy Instagram, I regularly shot video of students in their daily dance classes. These videos served as the brand’s \u2018storefront window.\u2019 Nothing fancy or highly produced. With this strategy I was able to organically grow the brand’s Instagram following from 0 – 151K in a few short years.\u201d<\/p>\n
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