8 Tips for Content Optimization for Every Social Media Platform

It may be easy to promote and advertise on social networks whether it’s for social media shopping or to enhance a political campaign. But, are your posts and campaigns actually working? That’s the tricky thing with social media marketing. What may seem like a clever and interesting post to you, may not appeal to your audience.

There’s an art to creating a successful social media campaign. You need to think about content types, messaging, tone and imagery. You need to understand how to build marketing personas to ensure that you catch the right people’s attention on the right platform at the right time.

We’ll take a look here at eight simple but effective ways to create great content for any social platform.     

1. Create Short Videos

We know consumers love seeing mixed media in content, but video has proven itself a favorite. Marketers who use video in their ad campaigns receive 66% more qualified leads annually than those who don’t. A short video not only has a greater chance of being consumed during a social media scan, but it takes less time and does not require a professional to create and publish.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Twitch, and TikTok all have live video options. Instagram especially has a variety of video formats. Using short videos is a great way to engage followers, and monitor metrics related to your video. After the live portion of the video is over, it remains available for viewing, so users linked to your profile don't miss out.

2. Create Interactive Social Content

The more likes, shares, and comments your content sees, the more favorable it appears to social media crawler bots. Creating shareable content that invites users to engage and interact improves ranking and encourages brand loyalty. Some examples of interactive content include:

• Company Q&A’s
• Live interviews
• Follower polls and quizzes
• Calculators or tests (like DMI’s digital skills test)
• Promotions focusing on likes and shares
• Interactive maps
• Photo captioning contests

3. Evoke Humor & Emotion

Whether it’s a funny meme or a touching video that pulls at the heartstrings, evoking emotion humanizes your brand. This is particularly important in 2022 as consumers seek out brands that take a stand on social issues and show they care about key values.

Companies that connect with their followers on this deeper level, even just a silly GIF or meme, are more likely to see repeat comments, likes, and shares.

4. User-Generated Content (UGC) is Key

UGC, or User-Generated Content, includes memes, photos, videos, and even screengrabs made by other users. But, why is this helpful as a content optimization method?

It captures the attention of the creator, or followers of the creator and engages them. UGC also draws on the popularity of something already made and loved. This cuts back on time and efforts you would be putting into creating your own catchy content.

In addition, using UGC isn't copying somebody else's work so it’s unique to your brand. Just make sure that any of the content is shared appropriately, and respect is given where it's due.

Check out some great UGC examples to see what’s worked well for brands.

5. Read & Reply/Respond to Social Comments

It sounds like a simple strategy but reaching out to customers in comments is known to be a successful strategy. In social media, many companies sit back and wait for consumers to come to them. This should never be the case. Social media is now a customer service channel and a key way to communicate with prospects and provide solutions to their queries.

So, reach out, comment, like, even share interesting content which is relevant to your brand. It also looks good to other customers when they see you interacting, and it increases the chance that you’ll receive comments of your own.

6. Report on developments & trends

Staying on top of developments and trends in your industry is a great way to engage and impress social media followers. It brands you as an authority in your field and gives people a reason to look at your page from time to time. For example, if you represent a business in the fashion industry, their followers might just catch a glimpse of the new Spring line. They’ll follow your posts in the hopes of seeing more news they want to read about.

7. Invite Followers In

Businesses can appear corporate and stiff to followers, which paints your brand as a thing, not an authentic person. When you post relatable humanized content, like stories or videos of management and staff, it shows customers the real people behind your product or service.

Tactics that will give your audience an insight into your brand include:

• A ‘day in the life’ video
• Content posted by individual staffers on rotation to show different departments or personalities
• Post a funny meme or photo of the week from inside the office
• Live demonstrations of products or services
• How-to tutorials - for example, if your company sells makeup, show people how to use it properly! If you’re in the beauty industry, check out our case study on Glossier.
• A tour of the workplace
• Make a company podcast featuring staff

8. Ask for Social Media Connections & Followers

It sounds straightforward because it is! Marketers don't have to struggle to make connections – you can ask for them. Social media users are called that because they are social. They interact regularly and jump at the chance to help a brand they like. Ask for tags, likes, and shares when you post your regular content.

Think of it as a friendly call to action. Only, instead of asking your TikTok followers to request a free quote, you're asking them to tag friends or share it if they liked what they saw.

If you take anything away from this article, hopefully, it's that algorithms can help, not hinder. Some social media users view algorithms as ropes that bind us to specific rules, but they also help you create content that has the potential to go viral. It's learning the rules for each platform that will help you beat competitors and rise to the top.

Create Optimized Social Content that Engages & Converts

Whether you’ve just started out using social media or have a lot of experience, DMI’s Social Media Marketing course will teach you how to use the power of each platform from YouTube to TikTok to Twitter to drive leads and increase sales. You’ll also learn how to create a successful social media strategy, use social media for customer service and understand how to conduct social research to create better content. 

Related

• Toolkit: Creating Platform-Specific Social Media Content
• Social Media Style Guide and Template
• 10 Steps to Creating a Social Media Strategy