From the course: Introduction to Social Media Strategy

Creating content your customers want

From the course: Introduction to Social Media Strategy

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Creating content your customers want

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- In social media, you need to create content that will make people stop scrolling through their feed and look at what you have to say. In this video, I'll show you four different content types that work well and give you tips on how to create them. First, educational content or content that teaches people something new. Take this Instagram post from NerdWallet, a personal finance company. With a simple piece of text they tell their users something new. Lowe's, a chain of home improvement stores has a whole YouTube channel with how to videos like this how to paint a room video. Ask yourself, could I create content related to my industry that helps people learn something? Or can I educate them on different ways to use my product? Using educational marketing content is an excellent way to build brand authority and generate awareness for your product. Another content category that works well is aspirational content or content that helps people imagine a future they can aspire to. Like in this Facebook post from Casper, a mattress company showing what your well rested self could look like. Or the real beauty campaign approach of Dove focusing on a world in which people are confident in their skin. Or this example from SmileDirectClub, an orthodontics company with pictures on Instagram showing users the difference a new smile can make. Ask yourself, what's the benefit people will get from using my product and how can I showcase that? Images that help users imagine the future as it relates to your product before and after pictures or even posts that ask what if questions work well to generate interest. Many users see social media as a form of entertainment. So content that's funny easily grabs attention. Many brands have succeeded on social media with comical content. Take Dollar Shave Club, a men's grooming supplies company. With funny commentary on Instagram, they're able to call attention to their products. Taco Bell is another brand that's known for its social media comedy. Not only do they consistently post funny content, they keep the fun going in their interaction with users resharing users' posts, providing funny replies to user comments, et cetera. Ask yourself whether entertaining content is in line with your brand image and if so, use the kind of humor that fits your target audience. Put on your creative hat, keep it simple and be authentic and relatable. Finally, beauty attracts attention and that's especially true on social media. Beautiful imagery is especially important on image-rich platforms like Instagram and Pinterest. Take brands like National Geographic for instance, who please users with amazing nature shots on Instagram. Or check out the Instagram account of craft site, Etsy. With their beautiful images featuring their products, they need little in terms of words to make users want to check them out. Brands in the travel or fashion industry will often rely on beauty for their social media marketing. But you can also make this work in other categories. Ask yourself how you can portray your product in a beautiful and a creative way. Think about color schemes and themes you could apply. Maybe there's a particular filter that can give your images a unique look. Focus on showcasing your products. Keep it simple, use natural light and think outside the box. With these four categories in mind, start experimenting. Create content that fits your brand image and your users' needs and evaluate what sticks.

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