One of the most difficult parts about posting content to your social media pages on a consistent basis is coming up with ideas. Sure, a great idea may strike you here and there, but when it comes down to filling out a monthly calendar of social posts, the creative well can often run dry. When curating digital content for our clients, we have a few go-to strategies to make sure we are keeping things fresh, relevant and interesting.
Consult the calendar
First and foremost, check the calendar each month. Major holidays, national weeks, hashtag holidays (i.e. #NationalSandwichDay, #GetToKnowYourCustomersDay) are low-hanging fruit in terms of content inspiration. Basing your content off of certain dates on the calendar is also productive in that it automatically connects you to a larger national or even global trend.
Relate to what’s going on locally
Along with the broader concept of the calendar, it’s good to relate to what’s going on locally when curating digital content. Is there a farmer’s market this weekend? Remind people, and ask who’s going. New park under construction? Take a picture and ask who’s excited about it opening. These local touches really help your followers relate to your brand and remind them that you are an important part of their community.
Take followers behind the scenes
The best thing you can do on social media for marketing purposes is talk about your business. We are thrilled when we get the opportunity to help our clients post a staff spotlight, a “did you know” segment about the business and its products, or even about an employee night out at the bowling alley. This type of content humanizes your business page and helps make a connection between a brand and its followers.
Announce news, updates and recent developments
Along the same lines, we always think about what’s new that we can talk about on behalf of our clients. New staff member? New product? New storefront? Or even just a new picture you hung on the wall. If it’s new, it’s content-level quality!
Educate and offer advice
No matter what business vertical you’re a part of, we want to paint you as an expert in your field when curating digital content. That means using your digital content as a teaching tool for your followers. Give helpful tips, offer suggestions or even do a video tutorial illustrating how to complete a certain task. The idea is to portray yourself as a resource that your followers can benefit from—and that they keep coming back to for information.
Browse social for ideas
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Well, the world is your oyster on social media. OK enough of the clichés…what we’re trying to say is, there’s no harm in using other posts you see on social media as inspiration for your own! We advise against straight out plagiarizing a design; however, there’s certainly nothing wrong with using others’ content as a springboard for ideas.
Don’t discount your “shower thoughts”
We all have them. You know, those times when you’re in the shower, and genius strikes! Don’t discount your “shower thoughts” if you have a random idea for a social post during your daily hygiene routine—or any time of day. For our clients, we keep an ongoing list to which we are constantly adding ideas for blogs and social posts. You never know when a great idea might come along.
Summary
Curating digital content may seem daunting, but following these guidelines for content creation inspiration can help guide you in filling up your social media calendar. Don’t want to mess with it? That’s what we’re here for!
McNutt & Partners is a full-service advertising and digital marketing agency. Contact us today for your marketing needs! Call 334-521-1010, or visit our contact page.
