11 Social Media Content Types And Examples via @sejournal, @annabellenyst

Social media has been astatine the forefront of integer selling for rather immoderate time, and it’s improbable this volition alteration successful the adjacent future.

In fact, we are inactive seeing caller social media channels and platforms look – alongside a wide assortment of contented types, features, and formats.

This nonfiction volition screen the apical social media content types and which channels they are champion suited for.

We volition besides item immoderate of our favourite examples of however brands person excelled successful each benignant of content.

Let’s dive in.

1. Short-Form Video

If you’ve spent immoderate clip connected societal media successful the past fewer years, you cognize that short-form video has go 1 of the astir communal – and fashionable – types of societal content.

Short-form video could beryllium defined arsenic immoderate portion of video contented that is nether 10 minutes long, but typically, the shorter, the better. When I deliberation of short-form video, I deliberation of video contented astir 0-3 minutes long.

From Reels to TikTok to YouTube Shorts, short-form video has proven to beryllium an incredibly effectual format for reaching audiences connected societal media.

Why? Because, erstwhile done right, it packages compelling ocular storytelling into a bite-sized, digestible portion of contented – which is precisely what today’s progressively distracted and engaged users are looking for.

Short-form video is besides versatile. You tin usage it to execute antithetic objectives, whether showcasing interior thought leadership, highlighting a lawsuit lawsuit study, oregon featuring your product.

The Best Social Media Channels For Short-Form Video

Given the request for short-form video, it works good crossed astir societal media platforms, from TikTok to LinkedIn. However, the pursuing basal retired arsenic the champion fit:

• TikTok – This 1 should beryllium obvious. As the most popular societal media level worldwide, TikTok is the person successful short-form video.
• Instagram – With the instauration of Instagram Reels successful 2020, the level has leaned into short-form videos. If you make abbreviated videos connected Instagram, the algorithm volition apt reward you.
• YouTube – While YouTube is amended known for long-form videos, which we’ll dive into below, the level has besides been branching into short-form videos. It launched YouTube Shorts successful 2020, which present has implicit 1.5 billion monthly users.
• Snapchat – The pioneer of the ephemeral video story, Snapchat has somewhat faded into the inheritance successful presumption of societal media chatter. But don’t beryllium fooled; it has implicit 530 million monthly active users.

Brand Example: Short-Form Video

Mediterranean accelerated casual nutrient brand, CAVA, is simply a large illustration of a institution that leverages short-form video connected societal media.

The marque has amassed implicit 87,000 TikTok followers by making fun, snappy video contented that features CAVA’s products and often employs trending TikTok sounds oregon formats.

Here is an illustration of a video wherever CAVA utilized a remark by a lawsuit to make video content.

Jeffrey stamp of support ☝️ #CAVA #foodreaction #saladrecipe #foodreview

♬ Rich Flex Carter Walsh Remix – CarterWalsh

2. Long-Form Video

Long-form video is video contented that is 10 minutes agelong oregon longer.

And portion you whitethorn not spot arsenic overmuch of it successful your day-to-day societal media activities, it decidedly plays an important relation successful marque marketing.

Long-form video tin beryllium a almighty instrumentality for much in-depth marque storytelling and content.

Some examples of long-form video contented you whitethorn privation to leverage for selling purposes are documentaries, branded series, video profiles, interviews, and more.

The Best Social Media Channels For Long-Form Video

If you’re funny successful distributing long-form video contented connected societal media, YouTube is wherever you privation to be.

YouTube is the person erstwhile it comes to long-form videos, and you’re astir apt to find your assemblage there.

While you tin – and should – stock shorter clips and cutdowns from your video connected apps similar Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok, galore of these platforms won’t adjacent let you to upload longer videos.

Brand Example: Long-Form Video

The squad down BuzzFeed’s Tasty knows what it takes to marque large societal videos, including long-form content.

Tasty’s YouTube transmission features tons of video content, ranging from speedy recipes and tips to bid similar “I Draw, You Cook” – an occurrence of which is featured below.

3. User-Generated Content (UGC)

User-generated content, oregon UGC, is contented created by individuals unaffiliated with your marque astir your marque – and it’s cleanable impervious of what makes societal media contented truthful powerful.

Over the past decennary oregon so, UGC has go 1 of the astir pervasive types of marque contented connected societal media, and for bully reason.

UGC leverages word-of-mouth selling to physique spot and assemblage with your people audience. This is due to the fact that radical are much apt to spot a proposal from their peers than judge successful selling straight from a brand.

UGC tin travel successful galore forms, from representation oregon carousel posts to abbreviated videos, Instagram Stories, etc.

The Best Social Media Channels For UGC

Instagram is the evident prime for sharing UGC.

It’s ocular by nature, has a hyper-engaged idiosyncratic base, and provides antithetic avenues and formats depending connected the contented itself – from Stories to Reels oregon posts connected your grid.

X (previously known arsenic Twitter) tin besides beryllium a bully level for sharing UGC, depending connected your manufacture and the assemblage you’re trying to reach.

Brand Example: UGC

Adobe features plentifulness of UGC made by customers connected its assorted products. Here’s an example from the Adobe Creative Cloud Instagram account.

4. Live Streams

Live streaming has been connected the emergence successful caller years, and brands are progressively getting involved.

It’s go truthful fashionable that platforms similar Instagram, YouTube, and adjacent TikTok present person dedicated unrecorded video products.

Beyond this, caller platforms built wholly astir unrecorded streaming person popped up to cater to fans of this contented format.

For brands, unrecorded streams supply an accidental to prosecute successful real-time with your assemblage and connection a much authentic, “behind the scenes” look astatine your marque than produced contented can.

The Best Social Media Channels For Live Streaming

As mentioned above, Instagram Live, YouTube Live, and TikTok Live are each large avenues for your live-stream content.

Where you take to play volition beryllium connected wherever your people assemblage spends the astir clip and what signifier your contented volition take.

Depending connected this, Twitch is different almighty level for unrecorded streaming.

This unrecorded streaming work was initially built astir video gaming contented but present houses a assortment of unrecorded contented – and could beryllium the champion spot to big your adjacent unrecorded stream!

5. Polls & Questions

The champion benignant of societal media contented engages your assemblage and encourages them to interact with you.

Enter: assemblage polls and questions.

Whether you’re utilizing a canvass diagnostic successful a circumstantial societal platform, oregon asking an open-ended question, posing questions to your assemblage tin beryllium a elemental mode to thrust engagement and cod adjuvant data.

Questions tin screen things specified arsenic your brand, your product/s, manufacture trends, oregon adjacent what benignant of contented your assemblage would similar to spot from you.

The Best Social Media Channels For Polls & Questions

Here are the champion platforms erstwhile it comes to canvass and question content:

• Instagram – You tin usage Instagram Stories to make some polls and questions, arsenic it has abstracted tools for each. You tin besides make an representation asking your assemblage a question and upload that to your grid, and past radical tin reply successful the comments section.
• LinkedIn – LinkedIn besides has a dedicated canvass diagnostic and lends itself good to posing questions wherever your assemblage mightiness privation to stock their acquisition oregon sentiment successful a comment.
• Twitter – Another level with a canvass feature, Twitter is simply a large spot for immoderate benignant of question-related contented owed to its text-based nature.
• Facebook – You tin canvass radical successful Facebook Groups oregon airs questions successful immoderate of your Facebook content.
• Reddit – If your marque is progressive connected Reddit, you should see utilizing the platform’s canvass relation oregon asking your assemblage questions.

Brand Example: Polls & Questions

Fortune is 1 illustration of a marque that often uses polls to prosecute its audience.

On LinkedIn, the institution often leverages canvass contented to quiz followers connected a circumstantial taxable earlier linking retired to a related nonfiction for them to larn more.

Screenshot from LinkedIn, April 2024

6. Influencer Collaborations

By now, I’d conjecture there’s a decent accidental that erstwhile you perceive the words “social media,” you deliberation of influencers.

Influencers truly person “taken over” societal media by gathering loyal communities that look to them for amusement and inspiration, arsenic good arsenic recommendations and advice.

Partnering with influencers tin boost your brand’s scope and springiness it vulnerability successful beforehand of an engaged audience.

Influencer collaborations tin instrumentality galore forms, but the cardinal to doing it close is to find an authentic and earthy transportation betwixt the influencer and your brand.

The Best Social Media Channels For Influencer Partnerships

If you’re looking to spouse with an influencer, see 1 of these channels:

• Instagram – Given however connected Instagram creators are to their followers, it’s a apical prime for influencer collaborations. It besides provides antithetic possibilities for however your concern volition travel to life, e.g., an Instagram Live interview, a Stories feature, a carousel featuring a creator’s apical 5 products from your brand, etc.
• TikTok – As brands commencement to drawback up to the TikTok hype, much and much are partnering with trending creators to get their institution successful beforehand of the Gen Z consumer.
• YouTube – Home to immoderate of the world’s astir beloved video creators and profoundly engaged users, it’s nary astonishment that YouTube is simply a fashionable avenue for influencer partnerships.
• Twitch – If your marque has immoderate transportation to gaming oregon wants to link with that audience, Twitch is your platform. Twitch creators are amassing immense fanbases, and their unrecorded streams let you to scope streamers astatine the close moment.

Brand Example: Influencer Collaborations

Dunkin’ is simply a marque good known for its influencer partnerships.

Perhaps 1 of its much well-known collaborations was with TikTok creator Charli D’Amelio – not conscionable 1 of the platform’s astir followed influencers but a known Dunkin’ fan.

the champion portion of immoderate time @Dunkin’ dunkinpartner

♬ archetypal dependable – charli d’amelio

7. Infographics And Charts  

The champion societal media contented tin archer a communicative utilizing lone visuals.

Infographics and charts are large examples of this, which is possibly wherefore they person go a go-to contented type for some individuals and brands alike.

These images let you to synthesize accusation successful a mode that’s optimized for societal audiences (meaning it’s digestible and clear).

The Best Social Media Channels For Infographics And Charts

If you’ve got an infographic, a chart, oregon a data visualization that you privation to share, I urge investigating it retired connected immoderate of the pursuing channels:

• Facebook.
• Twitter.
• Instagram.
• Pinterest.
• LinkedIn.

Brand Example: Infographics & Charts

Here is an example of an informative Instagram chart produced by HubSpot.

8. Memes 

What would societal media beryllium if not for memes?

These entertaining and relatable images, videos, and substance catchphrases that iterate connected a trending thought oregon taxable are the “bread and butter” of societal media content.

While brands should beryllium mindful of which memes they usage (ask yourself if you person thing to adhd to the conversation), erstwhile leveraged correctly, memes tin execute a home-run selling infinitesimal for you.

The Best Social Media Channels For Memes

Instagram and Twitter are the go-to spots for each your memes, though LinkedIn is accelerated connected its heels with immoderate much professional/work-related meme content.

For video memes, look to Instagram Reel and TikTok.

Brand Example: Memes

If you’re looking for a marque that knows however to usage memes, look nary further than Netflix.

The brand’s Instagram relationship often creates memes utilizing clips from fashionable Netflix shows and movies, similar this example.

9. GIFs

Graphics Interchange Format, much commonly known arsenic GIFs, are small, soundless video oregon animation clips that are fashionable with societal media users.

GIFs are typically utilized to correspond however 1 feels oregon picture a peculiar concern and are often shared arsenic a absorption to a portion of societal content.

For brands, GIFs tin beryllium a amusive and relatable instrumentality erstwhile speaking straight to members of your societal community.

The Best Social Media Channels For GIFs

Want to enactment GIFs into your societal strategy? Twitter and Facebook person agelong been the spot for that, though Instagram precocious launched GIFs successful comments.

If you privation to make customized GIFs for your brand, see creating a illustration connected GIPHY. Here, you tin make a illustration for your institution that houses each your uploaded GIFs.

This volition let users each implicit the net to usage your GIFs done assorted GIPHY integrations with different platforms.

Brand Example: GIFs

Here is an absorbing example of Salesforce leveraging a GIF to make a social-friendly meme.

10. Webinars & Events

Connecting with your assemblage connected societal media is each astir providing them with invaluable content. And what’s much invaluable than an acquisition webinar oregon virtual event?

These types of contented let you to prosecute connected a deeper level with your assemblage and scope a planetary idiosyncratic base.

While webinars are typically presentations that spell heavy connected a circumstantial taxable – and often diagnostic cardinal speakers from outer organizations – different events tin screen thing from a integer league to a workshop.

And these tin each beryllium unrecorded oregon pre-recorded.

The Best Social Media Channels For Webinars & Events

LinkedIn is the champion level for promoting and hosting your webinars and events.

Aside from offering each the functionality you need, it besides has an assemblage that is much apt to beryllium looking for acquisition and nonrecreational content.

Facebook and YouTube are besides adjuvant platforms for hosting unrecorded video events.

Brand Example: Webinars & Events

Bizzabo is simply a marque that comes to caput erstwhile I deliberation of webinars.

It often promotes and hosts informative virtual events for its followers connected LinkedIn – which makes cleanable sense, fixed that Bizzabo is an events company.

Screenshot from LinkedIn, April 2024

11. Contests And Giveaways

If you’re looking to get your followers excited and engaged, see trying a contention oregon giveaway connected societal media.

This involves offering a peculiar prize – whether that beryllium a escaped product, money, oregon a travel – successful speech for circumstantial interactions from your users (e.g., remark below, tag a friend, travel this account, similar and stock this post, etc.)

The Best Social Media Channels For Contests & Giveaways

Instagram is astir apt the astir commonly utilized societal transmission for contests and giveaways.

However, you tin besides tally them connected Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and adjacent TikTok.

Brand Example: Contests & Giveaways

Plenty of brands execute contests and giveaways, particularly astir the holidays. Here is simply a caller example of a giveaway hosted by Escape Brooklyn.

In Summary

These are conscionable immoderate of the galore societal media contented types to take from. And with truthful galore options, determination are besides respective ways to attack societal media marketing.

Understanding which formats enactment champion for your marque – and resonate astir with your assemblage – usually takes experimentation.

I urge starting with a fewer of the contented types we explored supra based connected your overarching contented strategy, people platforms, and the resources disposable to you.

Then commencement posting and spot what happens!

More resources: 

• 17 Awesome Examples Of Social Media Marketing 
• 7 Content Types That Gain the Most Engagement & Links
• How To Create A Social Media Content Plan

Featured Image: Black Salmon/Shutterstock