As a small business owner, coming up with ideas for social media posts can seem like a needless task. While we know it is critical to show up on social media regularly, it can feel daunting to generate new content all the time. Here are a few of our favorite prompts when it comes to generating ideas:
1) Use customer questions to inform content
Every business receives frequently asked questions. One of the best ways to develop valuable content for social media is to provide answers to these questions online. Be sure to vary the format and find what resonates best with your audience. Videos are typically one of the best options if you have the capability. Bonus tip: Keep your answers short but complete. Expound on your answer over multiple posts to keep your audience engaged and learning.
2) Add value for clients you want to attract
Some posts are popular but don’t drive a lot of value. You could post pictures of cute puppies on your page, and you may get a lot of likes, however, if you’re hoping that people will hire your excavating business—puppy posts won’t drive the right kind of engagement for your business. Be sure to offer content that educates your audience about your business and expertise in an engaging way.
3) Show your expertise
A great way to educate your audience about your business and be engaging is to show your expertise instead of telling them about it. Post photos or videos of past projects, include examples of past work, or show you and your team working behind the scenes. Content like this will create a bond of trust between you and your audience.
4) Telling customer success stories
Lastly, incorporate some social proof. You can talk about how great your business is but it will never have the same effect as a satisfied customer telling their personal story of working with you. Social proof is a powerful tool for building trust with prospective clients. On your social media channels, share Google reviews or anecdotes you have received from satisfied customers.
These are our top suggestions, but there are certainly more ways to formulate creative post ideas. The key to top-performing posts is knowing your target audience. If you can discern the types of posts your audience engages with, you can create your content using those ideas as templates. For instance, if your audience often engages with behind-the-scenes videos, try a few posts using video. Show them how you create your products or what it’s like to work in your office.
The nice thing about social media is it is a great medium to test out new content and change it up later. If a certain type of post does not drive any engagement, it’s easy to try something else. Soon you’ll start to see what sticks and what doesn’t.
