Mastering Social Media Content Creation: Your Complete Guide

10 months ago 165
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To scope your brand’s societal media selling goals, you request a plan. You person to make the close contented for the close assemblage and station it connected the close channels.

In this article, we’ll screen everything from researching followers to choosing formats to penning societal media copy. And we’ll urge apical tools for your societal media contented instauration workflow.

Social media contented instauration is processing contented to people connected societal platforms. Common types of social media content include:

  • Text
  • Videos
  • Images
  • Link posts
  • Livestreams

The contented instauration process typically starts with researching the people assemblage and processing ideas. It usually ends with analyzing the results of the contented you've published.

Whether you're a contented creator oregon you negociate societal media for a brand, it's worthy investing clip successful creating relevant, high-quality content.

Great societal media contented helps you:

  • Boost consciousness of your brand, products, and services
  • Expand your scope crossed societal media platforms
  • Cultivate a assemblage of loyal fans and customers
  • Drive postulation to your website
  • Generate leads and person customers

1. Set Clear Goals

Strong societal media selling goals specify what you privation to execute and why. They assistance you recognize what to publish, which speeds up your contented instauration process. And ensures you prioritize the close tasks.

Use the SMART model arsenic a usher for your goals:

  • Specific: What precisely bash you privation to execute and why? Provide arsenic overmuch item arsenic possible.
  • Measurable: How volition you quantify oregon suffice the results? Identify the metric(s) you program to use.
  • Actionable: What steps volition you instrumentality to execute the goal? Prioritize goals with realistic steps.
  • Relevant: Is the extremity related to your existent scope of responsibilities? Focus connected goals that matter.
  • Time-bound: When bash you request to execute the goal? Set a deadline for yourself oregon your team.
SMART goals vertically oriented infographic with Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant, Time-bound criteria

Here's an illustration of a SMART societal media selling extremity focused connected gathering marque awareness:

Our squad aims to get 10,000 YouTube video views (measurable) by July 31st (time-bound). To scope this goal, our squad volition make and people 1 long-form video per week (actionable).

Based connected past performance, this fig of video views volition pb to astatine slightest 1,000 caller YouTube subscribers (specific). Which volition summation marque consciousness arsenic we grow to a caller marketplace (relevant).

And a extremity targeting website postulation mightiness work similar this:

We request to thrust 5,000 clicks to the landing leafage (specific, measurable) wrong the archetypal 24 hours of the selling run (time-bound) to execute our quarterly postulation extremity (relevant). To bash so, we volition make and people a Facebook post, an X post, and an Instagram communicative with a nexus to the leafage (actionable).

We volition past retarget these website visitors by creating a remarketing audience. And usher imaginable customers toward making a purchase.

2. Research Your Audience

To execute your goals, you request to cognize however to link with your audience. Research your followers to get societal media contented instauration ideas.

Use Semrush's Social Analytics instrumentality to probe Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn followers. On the main dashboard, prime the societal media illustration you privation to research. Or deed “+ Add profile” to adhd a caller one.

Semrush's Social Analytics "Overview" dashboard with a absorption   connected  "+ Add profile" button

Then, marque enactment of demographic information similar your followers' property and gender.

Social Analytics "Facebook" dashboard showing charts for assemblage  sex  and property  distribution, displayed successful  purple boxes

You tin besides toggle betwixt the "Countries" and "Cities" tabs to get much oregon little granular determination information astir your followers.

Social Analytics "Facebook" dashboard showing assemblage  insights with a absorption   connected  apical  cities

For much information connected your people assemblage (but not needfully your existent societal media followers), usage Semrush's One2Target. You tin find this instrumentality nether “Trends.”

Input up to 5 of your closest competitors. After you participate the first, the instrumentality volition automatically suggest others. Click the "Analyze" button.

interface for One2Target showing 3  competitors, and a drop-down paper   with further  ones

Then, reappraisal the property ranges and sex breakdown for your competitors. To get a amended consciousness of the demographics of the assemblage you're targeting.

One2Target "Demographics" dashboard, with information  connected  on competitors' audiences, including property  and gender

Navigate to the "Socioeconomics" tab to larn astir your people audience's household size, income level, acquisition level, and employment status.

comparison study  from One2Target showing "Socioeconomics" information  for the audiences of 3  competitors

For example, Patagonia’s largest assemblage conception includes households with 3 to 4 people. This Patagonia Facebook station appeals to this conception by featuring families enjoying the outdoors.

 a household  eating adjacent   a tent, kids wrong  a tent, boys kayaking

3. Analyze Your Competitors

One mode to get content ideas that resonate with your assemblage is to analyse the competition. Use Semrush's Social Tracker to spot the social media campaigns competitors are moving and find opportunities for your brand.

Scroll down to the "Comparison With Competitors" panel. Click "+ Add competitor" to take much brands to compare.

//www.chewy.com showing a rival  examination  with PetSmart and BarkBox

Click "+ Add competitor," participate the brand’s name, and deed "Add." The instrumentality automatically identifies the brand's societal profiles and adds them to the list.

Semrush's Social Tracker "Settings" interface showing a database  of institution  competitors with an enactment    to adhd  a caller   competitor

Toggle betwixt the "Audience," "Activity," and "Engagement" tabs connected the "Comparison With Competitors" sheet to spot however your marque measures up.

Semrush's Social Tracker examination  illustration  of societal  media engagement metrics for chewy.com, petsmart, petco, and bark.co

For a platform-specific comparison, prime 1 of the level tabs. Then, take which class to compare.

For example, erstwhile you opt to comparison Facebook engagement, you tin spot the full engagement for your brand's Facebook profile. And however it compares to the competition.

Social Tracker dashboard comparing “chewy.com” societal  media engagement with competitors, showing trends, and full   engagement

To spot what's driving engagement for your competitors, spell to the "Posts" tab and benignant by "Engagement." Click immoderate station to grow oregon presumption the archetypal contented to get ideas for your ain brand.

Social Tracker interface showing metrics for Facebook posts nether  the "Posts" tab filtered by "Engagement"

For example, look for trends oregon memes your competitors are engaging with. If they’re applicable to your brand, see adding them to your contented plan.

4. Choose Content Formats

Select the close format for your content. Use your extremity to pass your choice.

For example, if you privation to archer a analyzable story, see utilizing a short-form video.

Here are immoderate of the astir fashionable societal media contented formats:

Text posts

Text posts enactment good erstwhile you privation to archer a story, stock a lesson, oregon inquire a question. Like this beehiiv X post:

two tweets from the @beehiiv relationship  discussing underrated newsletters

By asking this open-ended question, email newsletter level beehiiv generated dozens of responses. 

Images

Image posts are large for showcasing products oregon sharing manner content. Like this Mokuyobi Instagram post:

Instagram station  showing yellowish  mesh backpack connected  a sandy formation  with colorful food  keychains attached

The accessories institution uses representation posts to gully attraction to its colorful products. And promote customers to pat to browse the brand’s shop.

Many platforms let you to upload aggregate images astatine erstwhile successful a grid oregon carousel format.

Videos

Videos are perfect for sharing much analyzable ideas and thought leadership. They're besides large for educating and entertaining viewers.

Like this Red Bull YouTube video, which has generated implicit 1.5 cardinal views:

YouTube Red Bull video inactive  showing 4  racers successful  branded uniforms with their soapbox karts astatine  an outdoor event

The beverage marque regularly uses video to showcase utmost sports. And make a consciousness of escapade astir its vigor drinks.

Link posts are champion erstwhile you privation to thrust postulation to your website. Like this Semrush X post:

Semrush tweet astir  the value  of meta descriptions and a graphic with a quality  speechmaking  a publication  adjacent  to a laptop

For example, Semrush shares nexus posts to constituent followers toward blog posts and different online resources.

Many platforms let you to adhd links wrong representation and video posts arsenic well.

Livestreams

Livestreams fto you link with your assemblage successful real-time. They're large for demonstrating products, hosting sheet discussions, and sharing adept insights.

Like this Motion LinkedIn Live event:

LinkedIn station  promoting the last  league   of the bid    "Make Ads That Convert" by Motion (Creative Analytics)

For example, this Motion livestream is 1 successful a bid that shares adept tips with the company’s people audience: creatives and integer advertisers.

Theoretically, you tin make contented for much than a twelve antithetic societal media networks. But it whitethorn beryllium much effectual for your wide societal media strategy to absorption connected acold fewer.

To find the close platforms for your brand, commencement with statistics. The Pew Research Center shares information connected the percent of adults who usage each societal level based connected age, gender, income, and different factors.

For example, Pew’s information shows that Facebook and YouTube are the astir fashionable platforms for users aged 50 to 64. And X is astir fashionable among assemblage graduates and users with precocious degrees.

Another mode to probe the close platforms for your assemblage is by checking One2Target successful Semrush. Click the "Behavior" tab to spot the fig of followers each rival has connected each platform.

One2Target comparative societal  media metrics dashboard for "Behavior" crossed  platforms

In the illustration above, each rival has peculiarly ample audiences connected some YouTube and Facebook.

The astir fashionable societal media platforms include:

Facebook

Facebook is the largest societal media network, with 3.05 cardinal monthly users. It attracts B2B and B2C brands alike. It supports everything from substance and nexus posts to photograph and video content.

Here’s an illustration from Blue Bottle Coffee Facebook post, which uses substance and images to denote a limited-time sale:

promotional Facebook station  from Blue Bottle Coffee, highlighting minimalist coffee-making items

Instagram

Although Instagram started arsenic a photo-based platform, it present supports short-form videos. And stories, which expire aft 24 hours.

Instagram is fashionable with some B2B and B2C brands. However, much B2C societal media marketers see it their astir important platform, according to Statista.

Take this Olipop Instagram story, which depicts the brand’s camp-themed influencer event:

Instagram communicative   showing rustic show  of "Lake Olipop" merchandise with banners, duffel bags, T-shirts, cans

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is simply a nonrecreational networking level perfect for B2B brands and moving professionals. Businesses and employees tin stock substance posts, events, and slideshows connected this platform.

Like this UserGems LinkedIn post, which shares slides with 5 tips for signal-based selling:

LinkedIn station  by UserGems astir  getting started with signal-based selling, featuring proposal  from respective  individuals

Pinterest

Known arsenic a level for buying and learning caller skills, Pinterest is fashionable with B2C brands. The level has 518 cardinal monthly progressive users.

For example, this ban.do pin links straight to the brand’s ecommerce store:

Pinterest pin featuring a colorful, spiral-bound planner dedicated to a cleaning schedule

X

X is 1 of the smallest large platforms, with implicit 500 cardinal monthly progressive users. But unsocial features for unrecorded events (Spaces) and long-form thoughts (articles and threads) marque it fashionable with B2B and B2C users.

For example, this ColourPop Cosmetics X thread, which uses a thread to beforehand a merchandise relaunch:

X thread showing ColourPop Cosmetics' Pokémon-themed constitution  postulation  against a yellowish  background

YouTube

YouTube is simply a video level for some long-form and short-form videos. It boasts 2.49 cardinal users, making it the 2nd astir fashionable societal web worldwide. This transmission is perfect for brands that put successful storytelling oregon that nutrient how-to content.

Like Notion, which produces YouTube videos similar the 1 beneath to amusement customers however to usage the company’s productivity software:

YouTube inactive  framework  from a Notion video people   showing a idiosyncratic   seated astatine  a array  with a laptop

6. Write Engaging Copy

No substance which platforms you usage oregon what benignant of contented you create, you request engaging copy. Even erstwhile you station images and videos.

Social media transcript is indispensable for sharing discourse and telling stories. In galore cases, it besides includes calls to enactment (CTAs), which punctual radical to instrumentality the adjacent step.

Use these tips to constitute amended transcript for societal media:

  • Start with a hook. Grab your audience's attraction from the precise beginning. Start with a enactment that makes your assemblage privation to work more. Avoid penning clickbait oregon misleading copy.
  • Develop station templates. While your transcript should ever beryllium original, the format and benignant don't person to be. Use analytics to find what works champion for your assemblage and crook top-performing posts into templates.
  • Test antithetic station lengths. Don’t presume your assemblage volition ever similar shorter oregon longer posts. Instead, trial antithetic lengths to spot what performs best.
  • Experiment with CTAs. Calls to enactment don't ever person to hold until the extremity of the post. Use CTAs with antithetic wording passim the station to punctual the adjacent step.

7. Develop a Content Calendar

Put your social contented strategy to enactment by mapping retired a calendar for your posts. With a social media calendar, you tin support way of ideas, draught content, and docket posts.

Use Semrush's Social Poster instrumentality to make a societal media contented calendar. Select the societal illustration you privation to use. Then, click "New post."

Semrush's Social Poster "Calendar" interface with the "New Post" fastener  highlighted

Write oregon transcript and paste your caption. And upload an representation oregon video.

Semrush's Social Poster idiosyncratic    interface for scheduling a caller   societal  media station  with assorted  options

Toggle the "Post needs approval" power if you request to get different squad subordinate to o.k. the post. Then, opt to people close away, prevention arsenic a draft, oregon take a clip to schedule the societal media post.

With Social Poster, you tin besides people contented regularly nether the “Publish regularly” tab. For example, you tin docket the aforesaid station to people erstwhile a week for a month. Specify the day scope and publishing frequency. Then, click “Publish regularly.”

Social Poster idiosyncratic    interface with options to people      regular   posts

8. Analyze and Optimize Your Social Media Content

Review the contented you've already published to optimize your societal media selling strategy. And proceed to make adjacent amended societal media posts.

Enter Semrush's Social Analytics nether the “Social Media” tab. Select the societal illustration you privation to analyze. Then, take the societal web you privation to review. Or click “+ Add profile” to link a caller one.

Social Analytics "Overview" dashboard with metrics and navigation menu

Go to the "Posts" tab to analyse your content. The "Top posts" sheet reveals your top-performing content. Use the posts to make templates for aboriginal ones.

Social Analytics "Facebook" tab showing apical  posts by engagement rate, station  types graph, each  published posts

The "Posts that upset people" sheet shows posts that received antagonistic feedback. Review them and work the comments to larn the reason. Then, marque a enactment to debar creating posts with these elements again.

Here are immoderate of the apical contented instauration tools for societal media.

Semrush

Semrush is an online selling bundle level with a social media management suite. Its tools enactment your full societal media contented selling workflow.

It has tools for researching the contention and creating societal posts. And for publishing and analyzing societal media content.

Social media managers tin usage these Semrush tools to research, plan, create, and analyse content.

ContentShake AI

ContentShake AI is an AI-powered instrumentality that generates societal media posts. Based connected your prompts (platform, topic, tone, and station type), it suggests aggregate caption ideas.

ContentShake AI interface showing a draught  Facebook station  for a waterproof raincoat postulation  with an representation  of 3  balloons

It besides has AI editing tools you tin usage to rephrase, simplify, oregon grow copy. And an AI chat diagnostic that tin make images and headlines. To springiness you a caput commencement connected creating high-performing societal posts.

Pricing

Free program available. Paid plans commencement astatine $60 per month.

AI Social Content Generator is simply a branded contented instauration tool. It uses your marque colors, fonts, and logo to make accordant contented for each platform. It tin besides resize posts to acceptable each platform.

AI Social Content Generator "Content Library" interface featuring a broadside  navigation paper   and grid of contented  previews

This generative AI instrumentality tin crook substance into videos, graphics, and carousels. It tin besides alteration blogs and scripts into videos. To prevention clip arsenic you plan contented crossed aggregate societal media channels.

Pricing

$35 per month.

Social Tracker monitors competitors' societal media accounts. It compares their assemblage maturation and engagement metrics to yours. So you tin spot opportunities for your marque to amended performance.

Social Tracker "Instagram" dashboard for Chewy showing full   engagement, engagement comparisons, and rival  analysis

With Social Tracker, you tin besides spot engagement trends. This information helps you recognize erstwhile competitors' contented performs well. So you tin research why—and use what you larn to your ain contented creation.

Pricing

$29.99 per period for each Semrush Social tools.

Social Poster schedules and publishes societal media content. It has a calendar to assistance you program posts. And it keeps way of your draft, published, and scheduled posts to assistance you enactment organized.

"Calendar" tab from Social Poster instrumentality   showing the "Timeline" option

Pricing

$29.99 per period for each Semrush Social tools.

Social Analytics tracks societal media metrics. It monitors assemblage growth, station reach, engagement, and engagement rate. So you tin spot what drives the results you privation and marque advancement toward your goals.

Semrush's Social Analytics "Facebook" dashboard showing "Engagement" data

Pricing

$29.99 per period for each Semrush Social tools.

Canva

Canva is simply a plan bundle suite for creating societal media graphics and videos. Choose from thousands of contented templates oregon plan posts from scratch.

Canva interface showing a societal  media station  of a idiosyncratic   holding a atom   shot  portion    sitting astatine  a colorful table

In addition, Canva has generative AI tools for penning copy, creating images oregon videos, and editing designs. The bundle tin besides docket societal media contented and analyse engagement.

Pricing

Free program available. Paid plans commencement astatine $15 per month.

Adobe Express

Like Canva, Adobe Express is simply a plan suite for creating societal media images and videos. In summation to templates, it has text-to-image, text-to-template, and generative-fill AI tools.

Adobe Express interface showing tools for creating societal  media posts, flyers, videos, and much  utilizing generative AI features

Adobe Express besides has a contented scheduler for readying and publishing content. However, it doesn't connection societal media analytics.

Pricing

Free program available. Paid plans commencement astatine $9.99 per month.

ChatGPT

ChatGPT is simply a generative AI instrumentality that tin suggest ideas and draught societal media copy. Here's however to usage ChatGPT for societal media contented creation.

To get station ideas, archetypal supply context. Explain the quality of the station and the societal platform. Then, inquire ChatGPT to suggest ideas for contented formats:

ChatGPT speech  astir  societal  media selling  ideas to motorboat  a caller   merchandise  connected  Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube

Next, instrumentality the ideas you generated and inquire ChatGPT to crook them into posts. Provide much discourse arsenic needed.

ChatGPT speech  astir  Facebook video caption with substance   mentioning an upcoming uncover  of a waterproof raincoat

Then, refine the caption to acceptable your marque and conscionable your goal. For example, you tin punctual ChatGPT to shorten the copy, grow connected definite ideas, oregon set the tone.

Pricing

Free program available. Paid plans commencement astatine $20 per month.

Crafting Social Media Content That Captivates and Converts

High-performing societal media contented tin assistance your marque conscionable important selling goals. Like improving marque awareness, driving website traffic, and generating leads oregon sales.

Semrush's bundle simplifies the societal media contented instauration process. Create contented utilizing ContentShake AI and AI Social Content Generator, and docket and analyse posts utilizing Semrush Social.

Start creating amended societal media contented faster today. Sign up for a escaped proceedings for Semrush.