Social media is a driving force behind brand visibility, audience engagement, and business growth. This guide provides key strategies to create social media content that resonates, engages, and converts.
In today's ubiquitous digital world, social media is more than just a platform for conversations—it's a driving force behind brand visibility, audience engagement, and business growth. However, cutting through the noise to create genuinely engaging social media content requires more than just posting regularly. It demands a strategy rooted in understanding your audience, crafting compelling visuals and copy, and delivering content that adds value to their lives.
In this guide, we'll walk you through the key strategies to create social media content that resonates, engages, and converts—backed by data and actionable tips.
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
Creating content without a deep understanding of who your audience is will result in shouting into the void. To ensure your content hits the mark, analyze your audience's demographics, behaviors, and preferences. Social media platforms offer built-in analytics that provide insights into who your followers are, where they're from, and what type of content they engage with the most.
PRO TIP: Use social listening tools like Talkwalker, Brandwatch, and Mention to track conversations around your brand and industry. These tools help you stay on top of trends, understand audience sentiment, and create content that truly resonates.
Know why your followers use social media—according to the 2023 Sprout Social Index Report, social media users reported these reasons for following a brand.
- 68% of consumers follow brands to stay informed about their new products and services.
- 46% follow brands to have access to exclusive deals or promotions.
- 45% follow brands because the content they post is enjoyable and entertaining.
- 28% follow brands to engage with the community or customers.
- 21% follow brands because their values or mission aligns with mine.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT PLATFORM FOR YOUR AUDIENCE
Not all social media platforms are created equal. Each has its own unique audience, content style, and engagement patterns. Choosing the right platform is critical to reaching the right audience and delivering the right message.
Sprout Social estimates there will be 5.2 billion social media users worldwide in 2024, with an average person using 6.7 different social networks monthly.
Here's a breakdown of the most popular social media platforms and their primary audiences.
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Facebook
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Instagram
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LinkedIn
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Pinterest
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TikTok
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X
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YouTube
OLDER DEMOGRAPHICS
Facebook is popular among older demographics (ages 30-65+), ideal for B2C and community-focused content.
YOUNDER AUDIENCES
Instagram is a highly visual platform for younger audiences (ages 18-34), perfect for product-driven and lifestyle content.
PROFESSIONALS
LinkedIn is the go-to for professionals (ages 25-49), ideal for B2B content, thought leadership, and industry insights.
WOMEN
Pinterest is primarily used by women (ages 25-54), great for visual inspiration, DIY, fashion, and home-related content.
GEN Z & MILLENNIALS
TikTok is fast-growing among Gen Z and Millennials (ages 13-34), great for short-form video content that grabs attention.
YOUNGER ADULTS
X (formerly Twitter) is known for real-time content and quick engagement, popular among users aged 18-49.
ALL AGE GROUPS
YouTube is popular across all age groups, best for long-form video content, tutorials, and product demos.
CRAFT COMPELLING VISUALS
In the world of social media, visuals are everything. Whether photos, videos, infographics, or even memes, eye-catching visuals can stop users from scrolling and make them engage with your content. Quality is critical, so invest in professional-grade images or create visually compelling graphics that align with your brand's style.
PRO TIP: Video content consistently outperforms static images on social platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Consider integrating short-form videos or stories into your content plan.
What impact do videos have on consumers? According to a Wyzowl study, 82% of people have been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a video, and 89% of consumers want to see more videos from brands in 2024.
WRITE ENGAGING COPY
While visuals draw users in, your copy will keep them engaged. Short, impactful headlines and clear, actionable copy can drive higher engagement rates. Make sure to use a tone and style that are authentic to your brand while appealing to your audience's emotions.
PRO TIP: Test out different calls-to-action (CTAs) to see what resonates best with your audience. Is it "Learn More," "Shop Now," or "Join the Conversation"? Also, try personalizing different CTAs to see what produces better results depending on the goal.
How can compelling copy help your business? HubSpot analyzed and compared more than 330,000 CTAs over six months. They found that personalized CTAs convert a whopping 202% better than basic CTAs.
INCORPORATE USER-GENERATED CONTENT (UGC)
Your audience is your greatest content creator. Encouraging your customers to share their photos, reviews, and experiences with your brand adds authenticity and builds trust with potential customers. Plus, it saves you time on content creation!
PRO TIP: Run a UGC campaign by creating a branded hashtag, or incentivize your audience with giveaways for sharing their experiences.
What impact does user-generated content have on purchasing decisions? According to a Bazaarvoice study, 89% of online shoppers consult product ratings and reviews before buying.
LEVERAGE HASHTAGS STRATEGICALLY
Hashtags help users discover your content beyond your immediate audience, making them essential for expanding your reach. However, it's not about stuffing your posts with as many hashtags as possible. Instead, focus on a mix of popular and niche hashtags relevant to your content and brand.
PRO TIP: Research trending hashtags in your industry and create branded hashtags to encourage audience participation.
How does the number of hashtags in your social posts impact user engagement? According to a Statista report, Instagram posts containing three to four hashtags had an average impression rate of 3.41 percent, making this number of hashtags the most effective in terms of user impressions. They also found that user engagement decreased when posts used more than five hashtags.
POST CONSISTENTLY AND AT OPTIMAL TIMES
Consistency is key when building an engaged social media following. Post regularly, but don't overwhelm your audience. Stick to a schedule that aligns with your brand and monitor when your audience is most active to maximize engagement.
PRO TIP: Use social media management tools like Sprout Social, Hootsuite, and Buffer to schedule posts at optimal times based on platform-specific data.
So, how often should you post? To help answer that question, RivalIQ developed a Social Media Industry Benchmark Report that researched more than 5 million posts and 10 billion likes, comments, and favorites on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter) from top brands in every major industry to provide benchmark data for posting frequency, post types, hashtags, and more. Here's the median weekly posting frequency for all industries: Facebook 4.7, Instagram 4.7, TikTok 1.9, and X 3.3. Use the report to see benchmarks for your industry and create a social media schedule accordingly.
EXPERIMENT WITH INTERACTIVE FEATURES
Social media platforms constantly roll out new interactive features, like polls, quizzes, live videos, stories, and reels. These tools increase engagement and provide valuable insights into your audience's likes and dislikes.
PRO TIP: Use LinkedIn Polls to engage your audience with questions, quizzes, or surveys. Interactive content tends to generate more comments and shares.
How can interactive content boost online engagement with your social media posts? According to this Content Marketing Institute survey, 66% of respondents reported that their audience engagement increased since using interactive content tactics. Another 75% reported that nongated interactive content helped provide a "sample" of the brand, resulting in more lead nurturing opportunities.
TELL A STORY
Storytelling allows you to build an emotional connection with your audience. Whether you share customer success stories, give a behind-the-scenes look at your brand, or highlight your company's mission, storytelling humanizes your brand and fosters a deeper connection.
PRO TIP: Use Instagram and Facebook Stories to give followers an inside look at your business, showcase new products, or share customer testimonials.
How does storytelling help you connect with your customers? In this Harvard Business Publishing article, co-authors Vanessa Boris and Lani Peterson, Doctor of Psychology, say storytelling derives its power from engaging all types of learners, making it an effective way to connect with diverse audiences. They cite Paul Smith's "Leader as Storyteller: 10 Reasons It Makes a Better Business Connection": In any group, roughly 40% will be predominantly visual learners who learn best from videos, diagrams, or illustrations. Another 40% will be auditory, learning best through podcasts and discussions. The remaining 20% are kinesthetic learners, who learn best by doing, experiencing, or feeling through interactive content. Storytelling has aspects that work for all three types. Visual learners appreciate the mental pictures storytelling evokes. Auditory learners focus on the words and the storyteller's voice. Kinesthetic learners remember the emotional connections and feelings from the story.
MEASURE AND ANALYZE PERFORMANCE
Creating engaging content is just the beginning. In addition to tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) like engagement rates, impressions, reach, and conversions, you need to understand how your content stacks up against the competition to know if your efforts are working. Use analytics tools from social media platforms or third-party solutions like Brandwatch, Meltwater, or Talkwalker to evaluate what resonates with your audience and benchmark against your competitors.
PRO TIP: Set regular intervals (monthly or quarterly) to review performance metrics and adjust your strategy based on what resonates best with your audience.
How can understanding your competitor's social media efforts inform your strategy? Let's look at the Sprout Social 2024 Content Benchmarks Report for insights. The report analyzed over 2.1 billion messages from over 1 million active public social profiles between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023. Data includes posts from Facebook, Google My Business, Instagram, LinkedIn company pages, Pinterest, TripAdvisor, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter). Engagement activities include actions that generate a published message, such as reposting or commenting. The report does not consider non-publishing activities such as likes and reactions.
Here are the publishing and engagement benchmarks across all industries.
- Average posts published per day: 10
- Average inbound engagements on content per day: 70
- Average outbound engagement per day: 2
- Average daily inbound engagements per post: 12
The report details these benchmarks across social networks and 25 industries, including Automotive, Computer Software & Technology, Food & Beverage, Hospitals & Healthcare, Industrial Manufacturing & Services, Retail, and more.
The study also found that not all networks are equal when interacting with brand content. Across industries, brands receive an average of 22 daily engagements on Facebook and Instagram, compared to 13 on X.
There is also a correlation between company size and engagements—for instance, enterprise organizations (with over 1,000 employees) see an average of 42 Facebook engagements per day, compared to 25 for mid-market (51-1,000 employees) and 14.5 for small to medium businesses (1-50 employees).
Contrasts like this make it even more critical to closely watch where your audiences spend their time and where they don't. Making data-driven decisions about where your brand shows up on social allows you to efficiently allocate resources to creating more original, resonating content.
VENTI DIGITAL IS HERE TO HELP
Crafting engaging social media content is an ongoing process that requires understanding your audience, using the right tools, and constantly measuring your success. By applying these tips and regularly optimizing your content strategy, you'll be well on your way to building a loyal and engaged social media following.
At Venti Digital, we're experts at crafting vibrant social media strategies that drive real results. Need help elevating your social media presence? Contact us today, and let's start creating content that captivates and resonates with your audience.
