It’s no secret that social media has become an essential part of the marketing landscape. In this article, we will explore what social media content is and how branded social media can help your brand stand out from the crowd. Continue reading to learn how your business can benefit from a programme of bespoke social media content planning and design.
Branded social media content is best described as information distributed across social networks such as LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook. In these settings, ‘social media content’ ranges from blog and article posts to more visual mediums such as images, videos and infographics. With the adoption of these technologies now commonplace, many users now exclusively rely on social networks for access to information on news, products and services. This has presented two important opportunities for brands:
With more time spent on platforms like LinkedIn, Pinterest and Instagram than ever before, the demand for social media content has skyrocketed. To help satisfy this demand, many companies are now investing resources into their own internal teams to create brand-specific social media content — a process known as ‘social media content planning’. This is in contrast to the traditional model of outsourcing social media content creation, which has become an increasingly difficult task due to a greater emphasis on speed and flexibility.
While both options have their pros and cons, we strongly believe that firm foundations should be built before content is created. That is because every great business needs a communication plan. For example, a good brand strategy will account for social media content, define the core target audiences and the type of content they will resonate with. Without this plan, it is almost impossible to consistently create content that will connect with consumers or clients.
In addition to this, we strongly recommend that a flexible brand identity system is created to help drive consistency through all materials. From the tone of voice and brand-writing tips to visual guidelines, brand identity guidelines should be robust enough to help content makers do their job effectively.
Recent examples of social media content include The Feather Company, The Scottish Football Association and ScotFoam.
Given the huge abundance of social media channels, there are many varying types of social media content. Some of the most common examples are:
Long-form content is the staple of social media content. No matter what industry your business operates in, you will likely need to create written social media content at some point. The types of information that can be included are still largely the same as they were before the rise of social media (i.e. product descriptions, news stories and company updates). However, with more time spent on social networks, we have learned to be more succinct and visual with our messaging.
Another type of long-form social media content comes in an audio format. Electronic books, more commonly known as eBooks, and podcasts are great, accessible ways to share a message or story with your audience.
Visual assets have always been important for brands on social media — however, it has become increasingly necessary to have a social media content plan in place. Images and infographics are extremely popular on social networks, particularly Instagram where users can now upload up to 15 photos per post.
This kind of social media content is often found on platforms such as Pinterest and Instagram.
Social platforms like Facebook introduced the ability for brands to create videos with autoplay capabilities back in 2013. Since then, the demand for video content on social media has increased exponentially. Video can be used to tell a story, promote a product or simply entertain users — and we believe that if the personalisation of the content is done right then it will resonate with audiences on first viewing.
This kind of social media content is most commonly found on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram but is increasingly popular on LinkedIn and Pinterest.
Social proof remains one of the most influential ways to influence the sale of a product or service. Whether it’s an online review, Facebook testimonial or story, customer reviews are one way that social media content can prove its worth for brands. This kind of social media content can be found across all platforms.
Social platforms have become increasingly important in brand communication — particularly when launching new products and services. Announcement posts not only offer brands the chance to reach a wider audience but also increase brand awareness.
This kind of social media content can be found across platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
Social media contests are still one of the best ways for your business to gain exposure amongst an engaged target audience. Competitions allow you to not only promote engagement with your existing fans but can help attract new ones too. This kind of social media content is often found on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.
If your business would benefit from a fresh approach to content creation, please get in touch and we will be happy to advise on the best route forward. We recommend that a strong brand identity is defined to ensure all printed, physical and online materials are unique, consistent and effective.
We partner with ambitious businesses to breathe new life into their brands, products and services. If you have a vision for your business, we’d love to hear from you.
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