Top Social Media Content Ideas for Entrepreneurs

Securing social media accounts for your brand was probably one of the first things you did as an entrepreneur or small business owner. Maybe you even did it before your business was officially created! Once you have those usernames or handles ready, you might find yourself asking, “now what?” 

Creating the accounts is step one, but developing a content plan and distribution strategy to help promote your brand and its offerings takes a lot of time and research.

You should consider the following:

• Which platforms should my brand be using?
• What type of content performs best on each platform?
• How can I generate content for social media posts?

 

The Golden Rule of Social Media Marketing: Diversify Content

The platforms, content types, and distribution strategies your brand should be utilizing will vary depending on many factors, including your industry, audience, and marketing goals. But there is one rule that is universal for all brands’ social media marketing plans: content should be diversified across channels.

Here’s why.

Consumers are constantly inundated with content. Whether they are reading life updates from some distant relative on Facebook, scrolling through ridiculous cat videos on TikTok, or seeking ideas for a new project on Pinterest, they are guaranteed to be presented with some form of branded content.

Branded social media content that blends seamlessly with the organic content a user was already expecting to see on their app-of-the-moment is what leads to conversions. But for that to happen, the content must be specific to the channel it’s being distributed on.

Basically, the branded video you slip into a trending TikTok sound should not be shared on Facebook with the goal of achieving the same reach. Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and YouTube all exist at the same time for a reason–each provides users with a unique and interesting digital experience. 

To capitalize on this, your brand’s social media content should be hyper-targeted and strategically developed for the channel it will be dispersed on.

 

How Can You Keep Social Media Content Diverse?

Now that you understand the importance of diversification, it’s time to dig into some social media content ideas for how to do that. The mix of content you distribute on your branded channels should look different from that of your competitors or other brands in different industries. 

That may seem obvious, but it does limit how specific we can get for content ideas. Instead of providing a list of specific pieces of content, we have developed some recommended strategies that can be applied to brands of all kinds.

(And, hey, if you really want ideas specific to your brand, we have a whole team of digital marketers who are pros at it.)

 

Repurpose Content (Especially Long-Form Content)

Though social content should be presented in a way that is specific to the channel it’s distributed to, it is possible to repurpose the same information across multiple channels. For example, one blog article could feature a YouTube video, be shared as a Twitter thread, and be condensed into an Instagram Reel. Three different formats and user experiences for the same message.

Long-form marketing efforts are the most applicable to repurposing and filling up a social media content calendar. This includes a webinar or digital conference that you’re hosting. Multiple social media posts and/or email campaigns would be required to drive registration ahead of the event, but there is also a ton of options once the curtains close.

Content distribution across social media channels is a great way to repurpose real-time mindshare in other digital, consumable forms – keeping you in the minds of your target audience well after your event. 

Spoiler alert: while this strategy does provide great value in social media content ideas, a significant amount of marketing expertise, time, and resource is crucial to getting it done, and getting it done right.

 

 

Consider New Social Platforms

Maybe you identify with this situation. We recommended that you diversify the content you share across channels, and you thought: We’re supposed to be on more than one channel?!

Though your ideal customer may spend most of their time on one social media channel, the answer is yes, your brand should be on multiple channels. Today’s consumers are seeking information about products and services on social media more than ever before. If a prospective customer can’t find your brand on, say, TikTok, but can find one of your competitors, they may be more likely to convert with them instead of you.

#FAIL.

Leveraging only one social media platform is not a good strategy for any brand in any industry. If your brand is putting a lot of resources into Facebook Ads but not getting much out of it, it may be a sign that it’s time to branch out (and save those wasted dollars).

We may sound like a broken record, but it’s not enough to just open up a new account. Your brand’s content should be unique to each social media channel to provide a reason for prospective or existing customers to follow you. If they see the same thing on Instagram and LinkedIn, they may have less incentive to follow your account on both channels.

 

Map Out Your Social Media Content Ideas

Keeping track of multiple social media channels, each with different content, may seem overwhelming or even impossible. This is why mapping out your social media content ideas in a weekly and monthly calendar view can be so helpful. Trust us.

Viewing content by category and channel with a top-down perspective can help you stay organized and identify gaps in your content strategy. Using a social media scheduling tool such as Sprout Social, or better yet, hiring an agency that’s a certified Sprout Partner (hi!) will benefit both your overall productivity and results.

 

Get Tight With Your Audience

As we mentioned briefly above, your target customers most likely favor a certain social media platform. You may be limiting your brand’s social media reach by focusing too heavily on only one target customer.

We recommend identifying a few target personas and understanding their pain points in the buyer’s journey. Designate a social media platform for each persona, and develop a strategy specific to them. This will help diversify the content you’re sharing across channels, and fill your content calendar.

To be clear, the goal isn’t just to build a following on each of these social channels. What’s most important is distributing content that your target personas care about, that adds value, or solves a problem in their lives. You are building a digital community through your social handles, which is an essential aspect of what keeps a customer coming back to your brand. And as we know, a loyal customer is more likely to make more than one purchase or even refer you to a friend.

 

Why You Should Consider Hiring a Content Marketing Agency

Developing a diverse social media content strategy that spans channels and leads to conversions sounds like a lot because it is a lot. If your resources as an entrepreneur or small business owner are limited, you should consider outsourcing content marketing to a responsive and agile marketing agency that knows the ropes. 

The social media landscape is constantly changing, and you deserve a team at your back who is on top of the trends. We understand how to make each platform work for your brand and its unique story, and can guarantee a social media marketing strategy that adds value effectively and efficiently. 

To set up a consultation directly with our agency’s founder, Alexa, and discuss launching a social media content strategy, click here. 

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Which social media platforms are best for small businesses?

Which social media platforms your small business chooses to use will vary depending on your marketing goals and industry. It is recommended that your brand has an account with some amount of social media content on every channel to maximize conversions.

What does it mean to repurpose social media content?

Repurposing social media content refers to the use of the same topic or piece of content on multiple social media channels in different ways. For example, information shared in a blog post can be distributed on YouTube as a video, on Instagram as a Reel, and on LinkedIn as a long-form post with a poll.

How many hours does it take to create a content calendar?

It may take many hours to create a social media content calendar, and the calendar would need additional resources for updates throughout a campaign. It’s best to hire a social media marketing agency that is solely focused on calendar development and adjustments.