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You get it. Your business needs to build and grow a social media following.If you know this, then you are most likely doing your best to share content that you think will attract engaged readers on a daily basis. You have a posting schedule and a handful of quality content waiting to be shared. You master the tools and techniques as laid out by social media gurus. You might even be familiar with the fact that posting in social media is all about timing. There are certain studies that suggest an ideal time to post in social media, and it might work for you.But it’s not just about timing. You also need to focus on something more important. It’s not just a matter of when you post, but what you post.What type of content does your audience actually want to view and share with their followers? That would depend on your audience. Are your followers adventure-seekers or couch potatoes? Do they respond to beautiful photos or short, funny videos? It’s your job to find out. Once you’ve got a sense of what your target audience will resonate with, you can start looking at seven types of content that you can share on social media.
1. Blog posts
While blog posts or articles are not the most shared type of content, they still get shared a lot on social media. That’s because people still want to read intriguing, helpful or entertaining content. If it’s something they think they need to read, then they’ll click on it. They might even share it with their friends. It doesn't have to be a standard post either. Hubspot conducted a study in whichthey found out that blog posts that enumerate a list -- called a List post -- get the most shares (22%). So be creative when you write, make it exciting, entertaining, interactive.Use numbers, creative titles, enticing pictures. Check out this example from Whole Foods. They got me with the number, the short title, and the awesome grill action:
2. Videos
Our next must-have content type is videos. We all know that they are captivating, after all nothing else really goes viral except for videos. When have you heard of a book going viral? According to Forbes, videois the future of content even beyond social media. A Facebook report says that 50 percent of Facebook users in the U.S. watch an average of one video a day. Whether it’s recipe or Taylor Swift’s latest video, people will find it easier than ever to watch and engage with the things (and people) they love. Videos can be a stronger way to send a message and it’s less work for your audience. All they have to do is to hit play.
3. Infographics
Statistics and hard facts can be boring, but not if they’re organized and served in a pretty infographic. People who like to look at research and survey findings will appreciate an infographic that sheds more understanding toward a certain topic. It’s also a great way for a reader to retain information as half of our brain is designed for visual function.
4. Polls/Quizzes
Want to know something about your audience before creating more content? Run a poll and get answers. You not only get your followers to engage, but you also get a peek at their thoughts -- and use that to generate content that is made for them.Quizzes, on the other hand, isn’t necessarily designed to gather data but to simply entertain a reader. This interaction is valuable to any business simply because your readers are interacting with your content. For quiz ideas, check out Buzzfeed, which is a leading site for a slew of online quizzes that are shared across social media. There’s even a list post of Buzzfeed quizzes that apparently we all need to take right now.
5. Photos/Images
Instagram is proof that people love looking at photos. The photo-sharing platform has grown from 90 to 700 millions users a month in a span of nine years. It’s not surprising at all. Photos are more personal and effective than a blog post. It can evoke an emotion, tell a story or change a person’s mind. It’s also quicker to engage in social media with photo as the content. It takes less than a minute to look at a photo and decide to share it -- something that is unlikely to happen with other content formats.
6. Product/service update
Some people like to be secretive about their work on social media, but a product or service update is an exception. A product or service update is any new information that involves your business. This is the kind of information that you would want your followers and customers to know as soon as possible, so sharing it on social media is not only acceptable but necessary. If your followers are truly interested in your work, then the occasional update from you would make them feel like they are part of your growth and they are rewarded for being the first to know about exciting things you have in store for them.Here is a video that Snapchat did about the launch of their new Spectacles product.
7. Memes
Memes are funny images, texts and GIFs that use a certain format and gets shared on the internet. You can take any photo on the web and create a meme or choose from the gif library available on eClincherThis type of content can be versatile and will fit most businesses or brands. The key to a great meme is being able to connect the humor to your product or service in a way that makes sense. There is a risk that some people might find your meme offensive, so think things through before committing a possible social media fail.
Which of these content will get shared most by your audience? It’s really up to you to find out. Experiment with each type and see which ones convert. Whatever your niche or industry, these content types can all work to spread your message and reach more people. You can be creative with your approach and discover a content strategy that helps you grow your business.
Kim is a tech writer and blogger. She helps writers with the technical side of managing a freelance writing career. Go to her site www.kimthewriter.comget her free e-book, Hire Me: Build A Website That Transforms Visitors To Clients.
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