Planning out Social Media Content: The Doʼs and Donʼts

Social media has become one of the biggest and best ways to market a product, brand, or even a person. It is a very smart thing to leverage, as it is a great way to reach people externally. According to St. Thomas University, "The facts and figures make it apparent that social media should play a role in any marketing strategy. Not only does it allow a business to connect with a customer, but it also builds brand loyalty and can boost sales." As someone who has worked behind several social media pages, many of which are the top of their class, I know a thing or two. Here are a few tips that I've learned:

1. Branding is Key.

When you look at any big social media page, you can instantly tell that all of the graphics and marketing are cohesive. When marketing a product or brand, you want the consumer to recognize it instantly. A great example of this is the marketing behind 2023's Barbie Movie. In preparation for the film's release, they had bright pink billboards with nothing but the release date.

The Drum talks about this, saying, "There is no better campaign to demonstrate the power of classic OOH than for the Barbie movie. It’s difficult to think of the bright (pink) beacon that’s been applauded across the advertising, entertainment, and fashion industries, to name a few, of anything other than sensational." The whole idea of this campaign circles back to branding. All the billboard was Barbie pink and the font. The fact that that's all consumers needed to recognize the brand shows how strong it is. When designing social media branding, that should be the goal. If you are designing posts individually, this will hurt you in the long run.

2. Consistency, Consistency, Consistency.

The best way to build a brand on social media is through consistently posting. It is important to use all the features of your platform to your advantage. For example, Instagram has posts, reels, edits, stories, highlights, lives, and so much more. It is important to take advantage of these in order to grow your audience. Keeping up with the Instagram example, I try to make a post at minnum of a post every other day, as well as a few stories and reels mixed in. In Forbes' article about this topic, they mention, "Whether you publish blogs every day or once per week, it’s crucial for your organization to choose and adhere to a schedule. When your content quality, quantity, or schedule isn’t consistent, it can confuse your customers. Keeping with a regular strategy not only helps create a better customer experience but it also helps build credibility, reputation, and brand trust."

3. Post Content Your Audience Would Want to See

When posting on social media, it is smart to post content that is entertaining. If you are posting just straight advertisements, no one would be interested in the page. There are several ways to make your content feel less corporate while still being able to show off your product. Following trends and other similar things, it makes your brand feel more down-to-earth. This is very important to people as a brand is more trustworthy when this is the case.