101 Social Media Post Ideas for Business: Increase Engagement & Never Run of Content Again
One of the most difficult tasks for a social media manager is constantly coming up with fresh and exciting ideas for your social media profiles. When you've got 365 days to fill and often multiple time-slots to fill, that's one tricky task. Of course, post recycling can go a long way to plugging the gaps, but if you need some new and and exciting ideas to inspire you, this post will help!
Below, you'll find a mighty 101 social media post ideas for business. Some are obvious, some less so, but all are paired with a real-life example from big brands to show you how you could go how you might want to create something similar. Ready? Let's go.
1. Ask fans to help you make a business decision
Customers relish feeling a sense of ownership and input into your business, so give them an opportunity to help.
2. Ask a question
Doesn't get simpler than this! Ask fans a question to get them engaging with your content. Make it relevant to your brand, and easy to answer - a response that needs only one or two words works best.
3. Share your successes
Trumpeting on social media about your successes - like awards - has two benefits. It shows existing fans that they are investing in something positive and inspirational, and it's social proof that shows potential fans that your brand is worth a look at.
4. Be funny
Funny posts are some of the most popular on social media, and even if your brand is quite "serious", there's always room for a bit of humour.
5. Show behind the scenes
Give fans a sneaky peek at the workings of your brand with a look "behind the curtain." This type of content makes fans feel like they are getting a special treat (seeing something that is normally hidden), and as a result, makes them feel more closely attached to your brand.
6. Liven up “boring” topics by pairing them with light-hearted stuff
This one's particularly useful for brands who consider themselves to be "boring" or "serous". Not many people really want to read posts about insurance on social media, but by pairing it with something more popular or light-hearted, you make it something that people are much more likely to pay attention to.
7. Ask fans to caption a photo
8. Publish a cartoon strip
Whether you've got an idea for an original cartoon yourself, or have found something funny to share that you think your fans will get a dig out of, cartoon strips can be a fun, eye-catching piece of content.
9. Theme a series of posts
Building a theme around a certain kind of post - and watermarking each time that you post it - is a quick and easy way for fans to identify it in their news feeds.
10. Challenge or ask your fans to take a pledge
Everyone loves a challenge, or the chance to show that they are "in" with a cause,. so why not set a challenge to your fans that relates to your brand?
11. Showcase your history
Whether the history of your brand is long and stories or only very short, fans love to hear about tales and anecdotes from your past. Whether they're posted as standalone pieces of content or linked to longer blog posts, why not give them a go?
12. Share contest entries
When you host a contest on social media, one easy way of pleasing fans and encouraging further entries is to post a gallery of "entries so far." Obviously, this works best with contents that share a visual element!
13. Host contests
You're sharing the entries, so yup, you must have a contest. For the best change of targeted entries, choose a prize that your fans would particularly be interested in.
14, Share a coupon
The ease of sharing on social media means that a coupon for one of your products can spread like wildfire if incentivises people enough to buy. Either share the code direct within your post, or link to a page where fans can grab it.
15. Ask fans to get creative with your product
Does your product have any potentially "alternative" uses? Challenge fans to come up with them and share the best on your social feeds.
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17. Create custom artwork
Custom art and graphics are more labour intensive, but the results might just pay off. If you can tie the artwork into something topical and weave your brand logo into it - like Heinz has done below - all the better.
18. Share customer testimonials
If a customer leaves your brand a lovely review on Amazon or another website, don't keep it to yourself! Grab a portion of the text and share it - along with an image of the product - on your social feeds. You can't beat promotion like real social proof!
19. Share something cute
There's nothing like making someone say "aww" that is going to tempt them to hit the Share button, so whether it's cute humans or animals, experiment with how cuteness can work for your brand.
20. Create a product diagram
Released a new product and want to show off all its features in one go? Create a diagram. It's a quick, easy, and digestible snapshot for your fans.
21. Tell your fans to come back and visit
The way social media news feeds are, chances are that most of your fans will not see all of your posts. So, if you're running a series or sitting on some exciting news, actually reminding people to come back and visit might just be what they need to have them head on back.
22. Create an explainer image
If your product or service - or just an element of it - can be explained in a few simple steps, then a "step" explainer image can be a quick and punchy way to break it down for fans in a much clearer way than text alone.
23. Have a fan of the week
Highlighting a fan of the week can be a great way to incentivise fans to visit and engage with your content on social media. How you choose a fan of the week is up to you - the best story, video, or picture shared, or just at random.
24. Share user-generated content
Nothing pleases a fan of a brand more than to see their images re-shared on one of the social feeds of their favourite brand. So, encourage fans to take photos of your products and highlight the best on your profiles.
25. Ask fans how they are feeling
Sometimes a simple "how are you?" is all you need to kick-start some engagement on your pages, but there are plenty of other ways to get a sense of the mood amongst your followers - and tie it in with marketing - as Jimmy Dean shows below.
26. Share an "on this day" post
If you've got the history in your own business for it, or if your industry as a whole has a colourful past worth sharing, then an "on this day" post can provide a wealth of fun and interesting opportunities.
27. Give away something for free
Everybody likes something for free, and depending what the offer is, can generate you a lot of engagement. Whether it's free samples ("Quick! They're limited!), a free guide, or something else - particularly if it used to cost in the past - try it and see how your fans react.
28. Share a fun statistic
Snippets of fun (somewhat useless, maybe?!) information are very shareable on social media. Take an idea from your business or industry as a whole and - like 1-800 Flowers below - see what your fans think of it.
29. Share a gallery of images
A gallery of images that depict a product launch, your staff's Christmas party, the development of a product, or whatever it might be, is a quick and easy way to add some depth to a single post on social media. And fans are always really interested to get a sense of your brand's inner-workings, or its culture of work.
30. Share a GIF
The uses of GIFs to express an emotion or reaction to something on social media has exploded in recent years, and plenty of free online tools make them really easy to create. So, instead of an image, why not experiment with the odd GIF?
31. Show your brand giving back
You may not always show it overtly, but social media is for most brands a sales channel. What they often forget to show - and what fans would really appreciate - is ways that your company gives back to its community or other causes. Showing that your brand reflects the ideals of your fans and has a compassionate side, is very endearing.
32. Celebrate big holidays
Here's a nice and easy one. Use national holidays as a way to celebrate with your fans (and promote your product or service).
33. Show the individuals behind your brand
Nothing helps to bring the "social" side of social media out more than showing the faces of the people behind your brand. Doing so will help fans connect with the human side of your business, and see you than more than just a faceless entity.
34. Capitalise on fleeting trends
The Ice Bucket Challenge was perhaps the most popular viral, charitable cause that social media has ever seen. So, as long as your intentions are good and true, and the cause - whether charitable or not - is suitable, don't be afraid to ride the wave of popular trends before they die out, and the opportunity is missed.
35. Incorporate your hashtags
Most brands now have one or several brand-related hashtags, so where the opportunity is right, don't forget to feature yours in social posts.
36. Share an infographic
As a way of breaking down more complex subjects into bite-sized, visually appealing pieces of content, the infographic is perfect. On social media, you can either share a snippet of a longer infographic (and ask users to click through to see it in full), or share a smaller, more compact design made for your feed. On Pinterest, of course, either option would work just fine.
37. Be an inspiration
When people scroll through their news feeds, much of it is done automatically, mindlessly even. If you can create a post that inspires, one that jolts people out of their reality for just a moment, you could be onto a winner. See how Visa - a finance company, no less - manages to do just that, below.
38. Run an instant win contest
People online are after instant gratification. So, while long-form contests that require a bit of time and effort are good for some situations, sometimes "quick and dirty" types can provide a welcome spike in engagement, too. Check out below how Kate Spade hurries fans to enter within just 60 minutes.
39. Interview and expert
Whether its one of your staff interviewing another, or if you bring in a professional related to your field, interviews - either written or in video, are a great way of showing your brand as a destination for intelligent and engaging discussion.
40. Advertise a job opening
If you're hiring and your fans might be some of the people who would be interested in applying, posting a job opening on social media can be a good way of finding the perfect candidate. Even if a fan isn't right for the position, they might often tag a friend in the comments (especially if you ask) to let them know.
41. Ask fans to "join you" for special events
Big television events, big news conferences, live-streamed product launches, and the like, are the perfect opportunity for you to ask fans to "join in" and watch with you. Encourage conversation, and be a part of it, in the comments!
42. Keep questions simple
The easier a question is to answer, the more likely fans are to make the effort to reply. So, keep a selection of your questions shorts and snappy - yes or no, A or B, etc.
43. Share a life-hack or tip
Everyone is looking for little ways to make their lives easier, so if your product, or an industry tip can help make that so - even in an unconventional way - then let your fans know.
44. Ask fans to "Like if..."
A super simple one, this. Encourage fans to interact by asking them to "Like if" they... whatever it might be! Keep it fun!
45. Ask fans to "Like if" / "Share if"
In a similar vein to the previous example, give fans a choice of options and ask them to "vote" by either liking or sharing.
46. Celebrate little-known / weird holidays
We talked about celebrating big holidays earlier on, but just as effective - often because so many of them are wacky or unusual - is using social media to celebrate little-known holidays. See how Birds Eye capitalises on World Smile Day below.
47. Share live updates of big events
If your brand or industry is going to hold or attend a special event - especially one that not all of your audience can get to - let them know that you'll be live-blogging/tweeting it, and encourage them to follow along for updates.
48. Be a bit loud...
A little bit controversial, this one! Typing in capital letters is often quite shouty and off-putting, but if the situation calls for it, a whole string of capital letters can be funny, and certainly eye-catching within the news feed. Don't use this one too often, that's all!
49. Use a timely meme
Memes come and go all the time, but if you utilise one while the timing is still right, you could achieve some positive results. Remember that time where people were using hot dogs as their sexy sun-tanned legs? Even Pepto-Bismol got in on it.
50. Motivate your fans
Inspirational/motivational quotes are some of the most popular on social media. If you can post one that incorporates elements of your brand (not just some random stock image of a mountain-top), then you could be onto something.
51. Advertise your newsletter
Most brands only really think about promoting their newsletter on their website, but since list-building is so valuable, giving your tally a boost with some exposure on social media every once in a while certainly can help. After all, once someone is on your list, they're much more captive an audience than on social media.
52. Share nostalgic memories
"Remember when...?" type posts are hugely popular on social media, so if your company has a little bit of heritage to share, don't keep it to yourself. You can also encourage your fans to celebrate with you, and share their memories of your product or service.
53. Partner with an influencer
Influencer marketing has risen sharply in popularity in the last few years. So, while the influencer themselves will be promoting your brand, there's no harm in giving them a little mention in a post, and nudging existing fans in their direction.
54. Share a photo collage
There's something about a collage that is just nice and pleasing to the eye, especially if the colours co-ordinate. In the example below, IKEA does a lovely job of inspiring its customers with a simple four-photo collage.
55. Have a photo of the day
You might post a photo a day on social media as it is, but if there's an over-arching theme and you make the choice to actually name the images Photo of the Day (or even number them 1 to 365), then you give fans an incentive to return for more, or to explore past images.
56. Ask fans to Pin for Later
If you're sharing something creative, many fans will have a Pinterest account that they may want to save the piece to for later, especially if they're pushed for time. Take all the effort out of the equation by providing a direct link to pin the article to Pinterest (especially if sharing on Facebook, for example).
57. Play on words
Sometimes you just can't beat a corny joke. Your fans will groan, but it might make them smile and want to share with their friends.
58. Run a mini-poll
We talked about asking simple questions earlier on, so how about doing it in the form of a mini poll?
59. Capitalise on popular hashtags
Certain hashtags have cemented themselves into the fabric of conversation on social media, so don't be afraid - if the moment is right - to take advantage. See how Chips Ahoy! uses #thatmomentwhen below.
60. Highlight a product of the week
You might feel a bit uneasy promoting products direct on your social pages, but framing them in regular posts - like a product of the week - is a way of doing it that isn't so unexpected, or forced. Use it as an opportunity to showcase products and sell the benefits.
61. Promote a live stream
Services like Facebook Live, Periscope, and YouTube Hangouts have made live streaming a simple and straightforward prospect for almost any brand. So, if you're planning to go live at any time in the future, don't forget to notify fans well in advance - including just as you start to broadcast.
62. Promote upcoming events
If your aim is to tell fans about something exciting happening with your business - especially in the real world - then social media is the perfect platform to do it, either in standalone posts or by creating an Event page on Facebook, for example.
63. Promote your other social profiles
What better way to grow your following on one social platform, than to promote your presence there on another? If you can, sell the benefits about why following you on one social network - or several - is worth it.
64. Announce contest winners in public
Every contest entrant wonders who the winner was - or kind of, if the actual contest was legit - especially if they don't hear about a winner. So, use social media as a platform to publicly congratulate winners. It lets all entrants know the contest has come to an end, and gives the eventual winners the buzz of seeing their name on your page.
65. Hold a quiz
Rather than simply asking a question with text, why not actually design a little visual puzzle for fans to solve? Compare the two to see whether a more visual challenge grabs fans' attention more.
66. Share motivational quotes
Another social media biggie - the motivational quote. Like nostalgic images and the like, if you can tie the quote into your brand's message or culture, all the better.
67. Share public announcements
If some kind of critical error with your product or service is taking over, an announcement on social media (pinned to the top of your profile) can be a quick way of letting lots of people know that you are aware of the issue, and doing your best to solve it. Prevents many people from contacting you to ask the same questions.
68. Announce big brand changes
If your brand is going through a major refresh, then social media can be a great platform to announce any changes, and get super fast (and honest) feedback.
69. Share others' work
As well as your own content, sharing the work of others - especially peers, who have plenty of interesting stuff for your fans - can be a good way of padding out gaps in your social media strategy.
70. Share seasonal items
The change of the seasons can offer up great inspiration for social media posts. These times of transition are significant in lives of everyone, so use them as an opportunity to tap into the thoughts and feelings of your fans, especially if you can it all back to your product or service.
71. Post a selfie
I couldn't write a list like this without including selfies somewhere, could I? Whether its one of your own, or one taken by a fan - all tied back to your brand - they're always a safe bet.
72. Have fans share selfies
And here's exactly what I was talking about in the previous example - getting fans to snap selfies for you to share on your social media profiles. Check out how Right Guard encourages fans to snap selfies below.
73. Ask fans to share
Having fans like and comment on your posts is great, but for your reach to spread far and wide, then sharing's where it's at. Sometimes just asking fans to share a post - especially one that packs an emotional punch - is all it takes.
74. Share fans' content directly
Earlier on I showed an example of fan content re-sharing that was saved and re-uploaded to a brand's social profile. But, perhaps the more generous option - if available - is to share the item direct, or at least to tag the original creator in the caption. Doing so will likely encourage others to share their own content with you, especially if there's an opportunity for free promotion.
75. Share a new idea on something established
If you get the feeling that fans are getting "comfortable" with your product or service, show them a new twist, or a way to spice things up, just as Sainsbury's has done below. Suggest a new take on something established.
76. Post an offer
Earlier on we covered the sharing of coupon codes, but if your brand has an irresistible promotion going on, then don't be afraid to shout about it on social media. If the majority of your posts aren't too in-your-face salesly, then there's a chance people will appreciate the heads-up.
77. Share what inspires you
Chances are that you're a brand that inspires your customers, but they will probably be keen to know what inspires and drives you to run your business as you do. Let them know!
78. Share something shocking
We took a look at posting fascinating facts earlier on, but if that stat or tidbit can draw an emotional response - negative or positive - then there's potential for it to be much more share-worthy. Check out how Colgate achieves this in the post below.
79. Celebrate your growth
We talked about highlighting awards earlier on, but if your business is on an upward trajectory- particularly if the growth has come quickly, then show off a bit and let your fans know what they have helped you to achieve.
80. Show people using your products
You can demo your products all you like, but if you can encourage others to do it for you - particularly if there's something in it for them (like a photo on your feed!), then all the better. Can't beat that kind of social proof of how awesome your brand's offering is!
81. Share a snapshot of a larger image
As a way of breaking down more complex subjects into bite-sized, visually appealing pieces of content, the infographic is perfect. On social media, you can either share a snippet of a longer infographic (and ask users to click through to see it in full), or share a smaller, more compact design made for your feed. On Pinterest, of course, either option would work just fine.
82. Let your staff talk direct to your fans
Earlier on we highlighted how showcasing your staff is a good way for fans to get to see the human side of your brand. Here's taking that idea one step further: letting your staff speak directly to your fans to share their thoughts, ideas, and inspiration.
83. Ask fans to tag a friend
One way to get existing fans to spread the love about your brand is to encourage them to tag a friend in the comments. Check out how Vespa Americas encourages fans to do this in a clever way.
84. Ask fans to guess what you have in store
Teasing fans with announcements and asking them to guess what's coming next is a good way to build up excitement for an event or product launch.
85. Have an announcement countdown
Similar to the above tip, take things a step further by teasing a big announcement and counting down to it day by day.
86. Tease information in linked articles
You won't find too many people who like a click-bait-y title, but that doesn't mean that you can't build intrigue and encourage fans to click through to articles that you share - as long as the pay-off is worth it.
87. Tease upcoming products
This one's a step further along than the teasing of mystery information above. You've announced a product, for example, so now's the chance to drip-feed further information to keep fans interested in the lead up to its full launch.
88. Ask for feedback
One of the easiest ways to improve any aspect of your business is to ask fans for feedback, so why not use social media to get the ball rolling? To encourage responses, you might want to offer a little incentive like Dr. Martens has below.
89. Share professional testimonials
Previously, I mentioned using customer review snippets to share positive testimonials to social media. However, if a major news source or other publication (especially one that your audience trusts) has written something flattering about your brand, there's another perfect opportunity to bask in the glory a little bit by letting fans know.
90. Jump on topical events
I mentioned having fans joining you live for newsworthy events earlier on, but here's another way to use pop culture happenings to encourage engagement - simply ask your fans about it directly, especially if there's a tie-in with your brand.
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