Social media has taken all the attention in the world of marketing. This comes as no surprise since people are mesmerized by this digital phenomenon.

73% of marketers believe that their efforts through social media marketing have been “somewhat effective” or “very effective” for their business.

 

73% of marketers believe that their efforts through social media marketing have been “somewhat effective” or “very effective” for their business.Click To Tweet

 

All the focus on social media is as good as it is bad.

On one side, this marketing channel is highly effective.

But on the other side, the ways of exploiting these platforms have been overused.

If you want to stand out and drive attention to your business, you need to surprise the audience. Give them something different and unexpected.

In case you don’t have any ideas on how to spark up your campaign, here are a few tips that can get you out of the rut.

 

Share user-generated content

 

When you can’t think of any new ideas for social media posts, rely on your loyal customers.

Re-post a happy customer’s picture or publish a review.

Google Review Social Media Post

Your post can go something like this:

  • If you want to know what our clients are saying about us, check this out: ”…”

Create a post that’ll be conversational and friendly.

Your current customers will feel appreciated and you’ll get yourself some social media content. At the same time, you’ll boost the trust in your potential customers.

 

Research the competition

 

There is nothing better for getting your blood running than some healthy competition. Check out your competitor’s social media to see the quality of their content.

Of course, doing some research on the competition doesn’t mean that you should steal ideas. It is just a great way to learn about industry trends and get inspired.

Another method you can apply is to search for businesses in your niche from other countries. There is no need for you to know the language. Just type in Google translator “the best real estate companies” in French for example. Then go to the first few websites that come up, search for the Instagram icon on the website page, and get some motivation.

 

Create “tag a friend” post

 

The audience loves this type of post. They are entertaining and engaging. Not to mention that your followers can attract plenty of potential customers.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Just a little reminder for you this Thursday.💃🏽 Tag the goddesses in your life.

A post shared by ALEX AND ANI (@alexandani) on

All you need to do is to write something like this:

  • Tag a friend that needs to buy you margaritas/that is a crazy Game of Throne fan/that is destined to be a billionaire.

This post aim is to find something your audience can relate to, tease their friends with, and laugh about. If you hit the cord, you’ll get tons of comments.

What’s great about this type of posts is that they never get old and the users keep the post active.

 

Poll your users

 

It seems that people are getting crazy about polls. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram had this option for a while and even Snapchat has a social polling app Polly.

 

Create polls to get some useful information and keep your audience interested. Most users enjoy these polls because they let them express their opinion.

If you decide to do it on Instagram, use Instagram Stories. This type of polls is currently trending so get some use out of it while it lasts.

Let’s say that you sell real estate. What you can do is to post a picture of home your listing and ask your followers to vote for the following two options:

  1. My dream home!
  2. Thanks, but I’ll pass.

The description of the post can be: “What do you think about this new house on the market?”

Just keep in mind that you’ll need to get the owner’s approval first.

 

Curate informative content

 

You can never go wrong or run out of options with this tactic. All you need to do is to do some research on a topic that is related to your niche and post the stories you find interesting and informative.

In this way, you’ll present yourself as a real expert in the field who keeps up with all the news.

Besides, your posts won’t be just about promoting your services. Show your audience that you are a trusting source of information.

Use editing services from reliable companies like Trust My Paper if you want to put the story in your own words and make it even more effective.

 

Collect inspiring stories

 

Has it ever happened to you that you found an interesting post but you didn’t have the time to read so you clicked that X button and it was gone?

When you come across a web page that you like and feel inspired by, save them for later by using digital tools. Pocket and Instapaper are just some options.

Save any post or a story that you find intriguing even if you just had the time to read the headline. Then, when you run out of ideas, just go back to these posts.

No longer will there be regret about the posts you’ve missed.

 

Recycle the old content

 

If you need an instant fix when you don’t have any new ideas, just re-use your old content.

 

In the case above we took a 60 second clip of our Youtube hosted video and posted it on Instagram.

Browse through your profile and pay look for the posts that your audience loved the most. There are several ways you can recycle your old content. You can rephrase to make it seem different or you can post a throwback.

In case you decide to simply rephrase it, or post the same content, don’t worry if your audience will notice.

Your followers are changing and those who are loyal followers will be happy to see the post again.

Not to mention that your new follower will have the chance to see it since they probably wouldn’t scroll all the way down.

 

Cooperate with other business

 

Those who want to add something new and interesting can team up with a fellow brand.

Two minds can sometimes create better ideas than just one. Pick each other’s minds and find a solution that will benefit you both.

 

You can post about that business and how you love working with them and they can do the same for you.

Another option is to do a collaborative giveaway through social media. The condition can be that the user needs to follow your social media accounts. In that way, you’ll boost your number of followers and engage your users at the same time.

 

Create videos

 

Videos are popular right now so your audience will love some video content. Based on research, 54% of consumers want to see more video content from a brand or business they support.

You really can’t go wrong with this type of content.

The choices are endless. Some of the options are:

  • Tutorials
  • Introduction of employee
  • Live videos
  • Short vlogs
  • Edited video ads
  • Tell stories

If you really want to interact with your followers, invite them to ask you any question, then film yourself answering the most frequent ones, and that’s it! This will also boost customers’ experience because you’ll show them that you care for their inquiries.

 

Find out what your audience likes

 

Why not just ask your audience directly what they would like to see? Popular sites like Quora and Reddit allow you to ask any question.

The audience will let you know what they like and dislike and give you information about their preferences. The choices will be endless.

If you want to take a less direct approach, just browse through the profiles of your followers. See the type of posts they like and what type of content they prefer.

With so many different people on the list, you can find lots of options.

Also, look out for the posts they are sharing. They can tell you all that you need.

 

Look up to influencers

 

Influencers are the experts in social media. If someone knows how to create content, it’s them. Just think about the fact that some of them have made millions just because of their posts.

real estate influencer

Their post can reveal some new trends and hot topics that can inspire you.

Search for influencers in your industry. In that way, you’ll keep up with the post that your target audience loves.

Another useful suggestion is to repost their content. Who knows, maybe they’ll like your brand and post about your business as well.

 

Some final thoughts

 

There it is! You just got yourself some new fresh ideas on how to create new social media content. It is normal that sometimes you can’t get your creative juices flowing so these options can save the day.

Make sure that you incorporate your own twist to each post. Always aim for authenticity if you want to lead a successful social media campaign.

 

Please be sure to share this post with your followers!!