By Graeme Cornish on Oct 14, 2021
Facebook and Instagram are two of the biggest social media platforms in existence with over 2.8 billion and 1 billion monthly active users respectively. With these numbers in mind, you can be sure that a huge chunk of your target audience is active on these platforms. The key is to find and connect with them.
A big part of this is regularly posting engaging content that they will enjoy. But, for many business owners, generating a steady stream of content is the most challenging part of social media marketing. If that is something you struggle with, this article is for you. We’ve compiled a list of 15 Facebook and Instagram post ideas that are effective at boosting engagement.
All of the post ideas we discuss below can work for both Facebook and Instagram. And, since Facebook now owns Instagram, you can share a post directly from Facebook to Instagram – and vice versa. While this practice of cross-posting can save you lots of time and effort, there are a few things to keep in mind:
So, while cross-posting is a time-saving option, it is best to tweak content made for one platform before posting to the other rather than just hitting the button to push from one to the other.
Now that we’ve gotten those cautionary notes out of the way, here are some of the most engaging post ideas you can use to improve your social media marketing strategy:
Since social media platforms give you direct contact with segments of your target audience, posting content from your blog on social media is one of the best ways to drive traffic to your website. It is easy to share links to your blog posts on Facebook. Facebook automatically adds a preview of what a link leads to along with its featured image. All you need to do is add a short enticing piece of text to get people to click and read the whole thing.
On Instagram, you can’t add clickable links to your post or caption. One way to get around this is to add a link in your bio and direct people to view the link there. Instagram allows you to have only one link in your bio, however. Fortunately, there are a few ways you can avoid having to change this link every time you want to share a new post that is associated with a link.
One option is to use a link service like LinkTree or Campsite to create a link that will lead followers to a page that contains a list of all the relevant links on your Instagram page. You can also use an app like Metricool to create a link to a page that looks just like your Instagram page. On this mirror page, followers can click on the images associated with your post and end up at your website’s blog.
Sharing quotes that come from your company’s founder or a prominent team member is a great way to connect with your audience. You can also use tools like Stencil, QuotesCover and WordSwag to search for famous quotes and create stunning visuals quickly. To boost engagement, make sure that these quotes are always in line with your brand’s voice and your audience’s interest.
Pictures and videos featuring your products or services make great posts for both Instagram and Facebook. For greater impact, find ways to capture your product in settings that your audience can relate to and picture themselves in.
People love to see the human side of businesses. So, whether it’s a group photo of your team or a short video showing a day in the life of one of your employees, bringing your team to the spotlight can help you connect with your target audience on a deeper level.
This is an offshoot of the last point. Giving your followers a peek of what happens behind the scenes is a great way to connect with them and help them understand the day-to-day operations of your company. Try posting videos of employees creating your product or shots of your office space with workers in action.
Videos are the favorite content type for most consumers today. And, as one of the most engaging types of content, they are a social media trend that is here to stay.
From product videos to behind the scene shots, most of the ideas mentioned in this article can be in video format. For those times when you want more polished video rather than using your phone, but you don’t have the tools or expertise for professional videography, you can employ the services of a social media marketing agency. A good agency that offers video marketing will have industry-leading tools to create high-quality videos that can wow your audience.
Educate your audience by sharing industry-related stats in a visually appealing manner. You can take it a step further and create infographics that combine multiple stats and images to send a message across. As they are liked and shared three times more than other content types, infographics are particularly powerful for boosting engagement.
Is something new happening in your industry? Are there any exciting trends coming up? Chances are, your audience will be interested in learning about them. Sharing these on your Instagram or Facebook page can help them stay up to date on what is happening in your industry.
Polls are a great way to trigger massive engagement and learn about your target audience. While you can ask about anything under the sun, it is best to go with questions that are relevant to your brand. For instance, if you run a coffee store, you can initiate fun debates with questions like “Cappuccino or Latte?” and “Cream or Sugar?”
On Instagram, you can only run polls via your Instagram Story. But, on Facebook, there are a few different options. You can run polls on your Facebook story, add a poll to a Facebook group or create a poll on a Facebook page.
A variation of running polls is to simply post an interesting question and ask your followers to write their answers in the comment section. This allows you to interact with and learn more about them. Plus, Facebook and Instagram algorithms will smile gleefully at your active comment section.
You could also let your followers do the asking by hosting an ‘ask me anything’ (AMA) session. You can base the session on a specific topic like a new product or it could be about your brand in general.
On Instagram, you can use the Question sticker on your Instagram Story to host an AMA session. Or, you can set up a live video. On Facebook, you can use the Q&A feature or run a live stream.
If you are looking for a shortcut to massive engagement, contests and giveaways are the answer. For the best results, offer prizes that are relevant to your target audience. For example, if you run a spa, you can offer winners free facials.
Since 14% of customers are more likely to trust the recommendations of another customer than that of a brand employee, user-generated content (UGC) is social media marketing gold. To encourage users to produce UGC for you, you can run a contest where you ask your followers to take creative pictures that show them using your product. Promise an enticing price for the best picture and be sure to seek permission to repost.
On both Instagram and Facebook, creating a branded hashtag for users to attach to such pictures is a great way to boost brand awareness.
Every new offer or sale your company runs is an opportunity for a Facebook or Instagram post. These announcements will not only increase sales but they can also boost brand awareness as followers share the news of your offer with their family and friends.
Holiday-themed posts that are timely and relevant to your target audience can produce a lot of engagement. On Instagram, you can leverage the power of seasonal hashtags for even better results. For instance, adding hashtags like #Thanksgiving, #HarvestSeason and #TurkeyDay to your Thanksgiving-themed posts (particularly on Instagram) can make it easier for people to find them. Remember that adding too many hashtags to Facebook posts is not a good practice.
As we’ve highlighted, there are tons of ways to create fresh and engaging content for your social media accounts. But, doing this regularly for several accounts can be overwhelming, especially if you are a business owner with a long to-do list.
The good news is, you don’t have to do it yourself. Employ the services of a reputable social media marketing company like Umbrella Local. As an award-winning Facebook advertising agency that handles up to 5000 campaigns each month, you can trust Umbrella Local to do all the heavy lifting for you. Contact us today to learn more.
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