6 Essential Types of Post Content For Social Media Strategy

Struggling to increase audience interaction on social media posts for your brand? Wondering how to step ahead of double figures in interaction like many successful businesses?

Quality and variety of social media posts has a major role to play in the growth of your brand digitally. Content for social media comes in a variety for different levels of reach and engagement. For social platforms, visual, interactive and entertaining content might bring in short term results but to achieve a strategy that delivers real, tangible long term results for your clients, this variety of content needs to be strategized according to the brand’s target audience, short term and long term objectives.

It is essential to overcome the perception that a social account exists solely to sell a product or service. In actuality, social accounts for your clients should engage with your target audience through fresh, exciting and varied social media post types.

So let's discuss the 6 essential types of post content helpful in optimizing your social media handles.

1. Engagement Posts-

Creating such posts requires designing an engagement oriented content strategy, deciding the message type, and further converting that message into a social media post.

Why It’s Beneficial -

It boosts interaction with the target audience and piques the audience’s interest without them perceiving it as just a promotion for products and services.

Content Examples -

Posts with giveaways, open-ended questions, competitions, polls and surveys, live streams, etc.

2. Testimonials-

For boosting your sales through social media, what can be better than posting reviews of satisfied clients. In fact, according to Nielsen research, “92% of people will trust a recommendation from a peer, and 70% of people will trust a recommendation from someone they don’t even know”.

Why It’s Beneficial -

Testimonials help build trust and strengthen brand relations with the audience. It raises brand recognition and brand reliability, in turn adding on to sales.

Content Examples -

Customer reviews, Quotes, Peer review websites, etc.

3. Promotional Posts-

Two-thirds of Facebook users report visiting a local business Facebook Page at least once a week. This is where promotional posts like sale posts, lookback photo albums, behind the scenes posts etc. can help you with increased sales. Make sure that the content in such posts, apart from being promotional, is fun

and valuable too.

Why It’s Beneficial -

This type of post content connects the target audience to your brand and provides necessary value by updating them about the brand’s products or services.

Content Examples -

Sale posts, Look books, Behind the scenes, Product launch, etc.

4. Influencer Content-

Influencer content is another way for promoting your brand through social media platforms. 22% of consumers find new social media content through influencer posts, exemplifying an influencer’s place in brand sales funnels.

Why It’s Beneficial -

Its benefits include increased conversions, authenticity, brand credibility, connections with engaged consumers and lower costs when compared to in-house content creation costs.

Content Examples -

Reviews, Trending formats. Sponsored content, Contests & Giveaways, Product collaborations, Takeovers, etc.

5. Moment Marketing and Trending formats-

Moment marketing happens when you focus on targeting your brand to consumers by inserting it in currently trending moments. It is also necessary to be aware about the current trending formats for moment marketing.

Why It’s Beneficial -

It helps brands to stay closer to their audience and remind them about their brand. It also increases engagement and reach by targeting the moment and relatability factor.

Content Examples -

Marked calendar events, trending formats and memes, etc.

6. User-Generated Content-

User-generated content is often the most effective content for brands. Many brands gain favor by sharing their followers’ (users’) content. User-Generated Content is a great way to increase engagement and reach.

Why It’s Beneficial -

Cost-effectiveness, increased brand loyalty and content authenticity are some of the reasons which speak in favor of including User-generated content in your social media strategy.

Content Examples -

Feed posts, Videos, Tweets, etc.

Content that connects and increases relatability works to strengthen the relationship between your brand and the target audience. Ensure that you brand’s objectives are completely aligned with your understanding and work back from there to strategize a content calendar that is performance oriented and in line with achieving your goals. For further understanding of the same, read our case study Creating Community where we used Instagram as a brand awareness and audience building tool for Millennials and Gen Z for a leading lifestyle accessories brand.

5 Ways To Optimise Reels To Build Your Business

So what are reels and why are they all the rage?

Remember a time when Tik Tok wasn't banned and no matter the nature of the content, we would always find ourselves scrolling, being entertained for hours? Well, thank god we have reels now!

Reels are an extended feature of Instagram where you can create quick short and easy 15-30 second videos. What's even cooler are its impressive features which include engaging filters, trimming options, music features, and much more!

It took over Instagram really quickly because of its features, and the fact that it's an extension of Instagram, so you get the best of both worlds!

Instagram Reels vs Story

Instagram stories are a good tool when it comes to updating a quick fact, a time-limited update, or when you want to engage directly with your followers. However, stories disappear in 24 hours.

Unlike stories, reels are there to stay. It's designed in a content format that becomes a part of your feed - if you wish. Alternatively, you can keep the reels in a separate section giving you the flexibility that stories and posts don’t. Instagram reels can be put to use for business purposes by participating in trending formats, sharing bite-sized information about your brand, and increasing brand visibility through the same.

5 ways to optimise reels for your business

One of the biggest reasons why reels are the best way to increase reach is because the content is quick and easy to digest. Reels are also likely to be featured on the explore page which is where 50% of users are for discovery, according to Instagram Business.

Here are 5 ways to optimise the use of reels

1. Use trending hashtags

Hashtags are the best way to increase reach anywhere. There are certain hashtags that automatically feature posts on the explore page, for example, #love, #photooftheday, #Instagram and more depending on your brand’s requirements. Once you're on the explore page extended reach and engagements are a matter of time.

2. Understanding the Instagram algorithm

Algorithms of any domain can get quite complicated as it keeps on changing over time. Understanding algorithms can double your reach if you use it accordingly. To do the same, it is essential to stay up-to-date with the latest marketing trends and news on platforms like Facebook Newsroom and Search Engine Land. It is also essential to follow relevant marketing agencies like yours truly, @sociallyindiaofficial, to stay up-to-date.

3. Sharing relatable and educational content

Everybody loves to learn new skills and learn new things, especially when it's visually portrayed. Some examples of such content could be 5 ways to style a blazer or 5 interview questions you should prepare for. Participating in trends is another way to share impactful content. To do so, it is essential to follow social media trends on a periodic basis and create content that stands out even amongst the trend.

4. Sharing BTS content

Relatable content gets the most reach as people share content they relate to either on their story or with friends! BTS clips are usually fun, goofy, and candid, which can be put together to create an entertaining reel.

5. Using trending music

Music is one of the most crucial parts of creating a reel. Users save and use trending songs to hop on the bandwagon. Using trending songs as background scores increase the number of views which in turn increases your reach. It is also one of the many helpful ways to get featured on the explore page!

Structure and Application

Researching and applying analytics and reporting tools will help you with almost all of the above tips. Taking the time once a month, ideally twice, to look at the numbers and see what’s working in terms of content, posting time, and hashtags will save you a lot of time and energy since reels are one of the easiest yet smartest ways of increasing your reach and following. The process seems slow at first but once the foundation is laid, it's only upwards and onwards after that!

​20-Minute Guide To Increasing Your Brand Reach Through Customer Reviews

Did you know - 95% potential customers review a brand’s reviews before making a purchase? Customer reviews are a great way to build trust amongst your target audience. What’s more, they’re truly the gateway to gain the trust and loyalty of your consumers while fostering retention. But why do we need customer reviews?

The reasons why are endless, but here are the ones that matter the most:

1. Know your customers better and increase positive experiences

A brand's heart lies in creating a fulfilling experience for its customers. This is further enhanced by customer reviews as analyzing reviews left by customers can provide the business with feedback regarding what customers want.

2. Become a credible and reliable source

Attaining credibility can boost the business as it allows the consumers to believe and put their trust in the brand. Reviews allow customers to rely on the same consumer reviews to understand and gain credibility over the brand and its products or services.

3. Stand tall with established competitors

Reviews allow businesses to reach and remain at par with established competitors and attain a niche loyal customer base.

4. Improve rankings

Reviews are the most distinctive way of getting rankings when it comes to searching locally. It helps businesses rank well, even if they have low-quality link profiles.

But wait, there’s more than 1 kind of review!

There’s a variety of reviews that exist and your brand should ideally have a healthy mix of all of them. Here are the 3 most important important ones:

1. Testimonials

One of the best and most common ways to garner reviews is to directly collect testimonials and showcase them on your website as well as social media. Short and crisp, and mostly works for a company website, they help give the brand credibility and authenticity.

2. Peer review websites

Peer review websites are the most general form of getting reviews and include Google reviews, Facebook reviews, Yelp, Amazon etc. These work best for local/small businesses.

3. Social media

Social media is the complete package when it comes to customer reviews. It's the place where you can build your brand and get feedback at the same time all at once.

Not only are customers using their accounts to share opinions and reviews but also turning to social media to ask brands questions or learn about their services.

Now that you know why reviews matter and you’re aware of the categories that exist, here comes the most important part:

Getting Reviews for Your Brand in 5 Easy Ways:

1. Claim listings

One of the key methods of attracting customer attention is to claim not one, not two but multiple listings! Google or Facebook is a great start but to reach a larger audience, it is important to have a larger footprint. This can be done by claiming listings on websites like Yelp and Tripadvisor and similar websites where customers have an option to choose from multiple avenues to leave their reviews!

2. Send an email or SMS

Another great way to get better and more reviews is by creating review request emails and SMS messages. After a user leaves your location, you can directly reach out to them by sending requests for a review on the concerned email IDs or contact information. However, this kind of communication is possible only if the user is open to sharing their personal information on the said location or website. For example, a lot of online shopping brands want to work personally with their consumers. Therefore, businesses like Nykaa, ensure to fill your inbox with requests to leave a review about the brand and/or purchase concerned.

3. Review my brand on Google

Google is the largest search engine in the world. When a potential customer searches for your business on Google, it automatically leads them to other reviews, as well as opens up an avenue for them to write a review for the same. And this can work as an advantage for any business, a simple Google search acts like a free advertisement for the brand. How cool is that?

4. Using UGC platforms

User-generated content is another way of free marketing done by consumers that automatically exposes your brand information in the public eye. Any type of content – videos, images, blog posts, testimonials, social posts, reviews, and other media – that is created by an unpaid consumer is publicly available for others to view. It acts as social proof and shows potential new consumers that current customers are happy with your product or service.

5. Ask to rate!

A short and quick way to generate immediate and better reviews is to ask customers to rate before they leave the location or website. This can be done by creating a dialogue box that pops up right before a user is about to leave the website. A feature that allows you to easily ask customers to leave a rating or short text review of the business should be included in the box. A cool example is the Zomato domain. After every purchase, they notify you to leave a rating or a small comment!

As a digital marketing agency ourselves, we deal with multiple brands closely enough to see how reviews have worked for them. What’s more it’s an active part of our strategy to help facilitate brand reviews for our clients. Not only does it allow us to witness immense growth of the brand but it also allows our clients to showcase customer loyalty in imaginative and impactful ways.

In a nutshell, customer reviews as the most immediate and direct form of communication that takes place between consumers and businesses are deeply valuable and here to stay. It is truly one of the best ways to build a better connection and stay connected with your target audience.