Social media has been on the forefront of digital advertising and marketing for fairly a while, and it’s unlikely it will change within the close to future.
In truth, we’re nonetheless seeing new social media channels and platforms emerge – alongside all kinds of content material sorts, options, and codecs.
This text will cowl the highest social media content sorts and which channels they’re finest suited to.
We will even spotlight a few of our favourite examples of how manufacturers have excelled in every kind of content material.
Let’s dive in.
1. Quick-Kind Video
Should you’ve spent any time on social media up to now few years, you understand that short-form video has grow to be one of the vital frequent – and common – types of social content.
Quick-form video could possibly be outlined as any piece of video content material that’s below 10 minutes lengthy, however sometimes, the shorter, the higher. After I consider short-form video, I consider video content material round 0-3 minutes lengthy.
From Reels to TikTok to YouTube Shorts, short-form video has confirmed to be an extremely efficient format for reaching audiences on social media.
Why? As a result of, when executed proper, it packages compelling visible storytelling right into a bite-sized, digestible piece of content material – which is precisely what right now’s more and more distracted and busy customers are searching for.
Quick-form video can be versatile. You should utilize it to realize completely different targets, whether or not showcasing inner thought management, highlighting a buyer case research, or that includes your product.
The Finest Social Media Channels For Quick-Kind Video
Given the demand for short-form video, it really works nicely throughout most social media platforms, from TikTok to LinkedIn. Nevertheless, the next stand out as the perfect match:
- TikTok – This one must be apparent. Because the most popular social media platform worldwide, TikTok is the chief in short-form video.
- Instagram – With the introduction of Instagram Reels in 2020, the platform has leaned into short-form movies. Should you create quick movies on Instagram, the algorithm will probably reward you.
- YouTube – Whereas YouTube is healthier identified for long-form movies, which we’ll dive into beneath, the platform has additionally been branching into short-form movies. It launched YouTube Shorts in 2020, which now has over 1.5 billion month-to-month customers.
- Snapchat – The pioneer of the ephemeral video story, Snapchat has considerably light into the background by way of social media chatter. However don’t be fooled; it has over 530 million month-to-month lively customers.
Model Instance: Quick-Kind Video
Mediterranean quick informal meals model, CAVA, is a good instance of an organization that leverages short-form video on social media.
The model has amassed over 87,000 TikTok followers by making enjoyable, snappy video content material that options CAVA’s merchandise and infrequently employs trending TikTok sounds or codecs.
Right here is an instance of a video the place CAVA used a remark by a buyer to create video content material.
@cava Jeffrey stamp of approval ☝️ #CAVA #foodreaction #saladrecipe #foodreview
2. Lengthy-Kind Video
Long-form video is video content material that’s 10 minutes lengthy or longer.
And when you might not see as a lot of it in your day-to-day social media actions, it positively performs an necessary function in model advertising and marketing.
Lengthy-form video is usually a highly effective software for extra in-depth model storytelling and content material.
Some examples of long-form video content material chances are you’ll wish to leverage for advertising and marketing functions are documentaries, branded sequence, video profiles, interviews, and extra.
The Finest Social Media Channels For Lengthy-Kind Video
Should you’re concerned with distributing long-form video content material on social media, YouTube is the place you wish to be.
YouTube is the chief on the subject of long-form movies, and also you’re most certainly to seek out your viewers there.
Whilst you can – and will – share shorter clips and cutdowns out of your video on apps like Instagram, Twitter, Fb, LinkedIn, and TikTok, many of those platforms gained’t even assist you to add longer movies.
Model Instance: Lengthy-Kind Video
The workforce behind BuzzFeed’s Tasty is aware of what it takes to make nice social movies, together with long-form content material.
Tasty’s YouTube channel options tons of video content material, starting from fast recipes and tricks to sequence like “I Draw, You Prepare dinner” – an episode of which is featured beneath.
3. Person-Generated Content material (UGC)
User-generated content, or UGC, is content material created by people unaffiliated together with your model about your model – and it’s excellent proof of what makes social media content material so highly effective.
Over the previous decade or so, UGC has grow to be one of the vital pervasive forms of model content material on social media, and for good motive.
UGC leverages word-of-mouth advertising and marketing to construct belief and group together with your audience. It’s because persons are extra more likely to belief a suggestion from their friends than consider in advertising and marketing immediately from a model.
UGC can are available in many varieties, from picture or carousel posts to quick movies, Instagram Tales, and so on.
The Finest Social Media Channels For UGC
Instagram is the apparent alternative for sharing UGC.
It’s visible by nature, has a hyper-engaged consumer base, and gives completely different avenues and codecs relying on the content material itself – from Tales to Reels or posts in your grid.
X (previously known as Twitter) will also be a great platform for sharing UGC, relying in your business and the viewers you’re attempting to achieve.
Model Instance: UGC
Adobe options loads of UGC made by clients on its varied merchandise. Right here’s an example from the Adobe Inventive Cloud Instagram account.
4. Reside Streams
Reside streaming has been on the rise in recent times, and types are more and more getting concerned.
It’s grow to be so common that platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and even TikTok now have devoted dwell video merchandise.
Past this, new platforms constructed completely round dwell streaming have popped as much as cater to followers of this content material format.
For manufacturers, dwell streams present a possibility to interact in real-time together with your group and supply a extra genuine, “behind the scenes” take a look at your model than produced content material can.
The Finest Social Media Channels For Reside Streaming
As talked about above, Instagram Reside, YouTube Reside, and TikTok Reside are all nice avenues on your live-stream content material.
The place you select to play will rely upon the place your audience spends probably the most time and what kind your content material will take.
Relying on this, Twitch is one other highly effective platform for dwell streaming.
This dwell streaming service was initially constructed round video gaming content material however now homes a wide range of dwell content material – and could possibly be the perfect place to host your subsequent dwell stream!
5. Polls & Questions
One of the best type of social media content material engages your viewers and encourages them to work together with you.
Enter: viewers polls and questions.
Whether or not you’re utilizing a ballot function in a selected social platform, or asking an open-ended query, posing inquiries to your viewers is usually a easy approach to drive engagement and gather useful knowledge.
Questions can cowl issues akin to your model, your product/s, business traits, and even what sort of content material your viewers wish to see from you.
The Finest Social Media Channels For Polls & Questions
Listed here are the perfect platforms on the subject of ballot and query content material:
- Instagram – You should utilize Instagram Tales to create each polls and questions, because it has separate instruments for every. It’s also possible to create a picture asking your viewers a query and add that to your grid, after which folks can reply within the feedback part.
- LinkedIn – LinkedIn additionally has a devoted ballot function and lends itself nicely to posing questions the place your viewers would possibly wish to share their expertise or opinion in a remark.
- Twitter – One other platform with a ballot function, Twitter is a good place for any type of question-related content material attributable to its text-based nature.
- Fb – You may ballot folks in Fb Teams or pose questions in any of your Fb content material.
- Reddit – In case your model is lively on Reddit, you must think about using the platform’s ballot operate or asking your viewers questions.
Model Instance: Polls & Questions
Fortune is one instance of a model that steadily makes use of polls to interact its viewers.
On LinkedIn, the corporate typically leverages ballot content material to quiz followers on a selected matter earlier than linking out to a associated article for them to be taught extra.
Screenshot from LinkedIn, July 20236. Influencer Collaborations
By now, I’d guess there’s an honest likelihood that if you hear the phrases “social media,” you consider influencers.
Influencers actually have “taken over” social media by constructing loyal communities that look to them for leisure and inspiration, in addition to suggestions and recommendation.
Partnering with influencers can increase your model’s attain and provides it publicity in entrance of an engaged viewers.
Influencer collaborations can take many varieties, however the important thing to doing it proper is to seek out an genuine and pure connection between the influencer and your model.
The Finest Social Media Channels For Influencer Partnerships
Should you’re trying to associate with an influencer, take into account certainly one of these channels:
- Instagram – Given how related Instagram creators are to their followers, it’s a best choice for influencer collaborations. It additionally gives completely different potentialities for a way your partnership will come to life, e.g., an Instagram Reside interview, a Tales function, a carousel that includes a creator’s prime 5 merchandise out of your model, and so on.
- TikTok – As manufacturers begin to catch as much as the TikTok hype, increasingly are partnering with trending creators to get their firm in entrance of the Gen Z shopper.
- YouTube – Residence to a few of the world’s most beloved video creators and deeply engaged customers, it’s no shock that YouTube is a well-liked avenue for influencer partnerships.
- Twitch – In case your model has any connection to gaming or needs to attach with that viewers, Twitch is your platform. Twitch creators are amassing big fanbases, and their dwell streams assist you to attain streamers on the proper second.
Model Instance: Influencer Collaborations
Dunkin’ is a model well-known for its influencer partnerships.
Maybe certainly one of its extra well-known collaborations was with TikTok creator Charli D’Amelio – not simply one of many platform’s most adopted influencers however a identified Dunkin’ fan.
@charlidamelio the perfect a part of any day @Dunkin’ dunkinpartner
7. Infographics And Charts
One of the best social media content material can inform a narrative utilizing solely visuals.
Infographics and charts are nice examples of this, which is maybe why they’ve grow to be a go-to content type for each people and types alike.
These pictures assist you to synthesize data in a manner that’s optimized for social audiences (which means it’s digestible and clear).
The Finest Social Media Channels For Infographics And Charts
Should you’ve received an infographic, a chart, or a data visualization that you simply wish to share, I like to recommend testing it out on any of the next channels:
- Fb.
- Twitter.
- Instagram.
- Pinterest.
- LinkedIn.
Model Instance: Infographics & Charts
Right here is an example of an informative Instagram chart produced by HubSpot.
8. Memes
What would social media be if not for memes?
These entertaining and relatable pictures, movies, and textual content catchphrases that iterate on a trending concept or matter are the “bread and butter” of social media content material.
Whereas manufacturers must be aware of which memes they use (ask your self you probably have one thing so as to add to the dialog), when leveraged accurately, memes can obtain a home-run advertising and marketing second for you.
The Finest Social Media Channels For Memes
Instagram and Twitter are the go-to spots for all of your memes, although LinkedIn is quick on its heels with some extra skilled/work-related meme content material.
For video memes, look to Instagram Reel and TikTok.
Model Instance: Memes
Should you’re searching for a model that is aware of how you can use memes, look no additional than Netflix.
The model’s Instagram account typically creates memes utilizing clips from common Netflix reveals and flicks, like this example.
9. GIFs
Graphics Interchange Format, extra generally often known as GIFs, are small, soundless video or animation clips which are common with social media customers.
GIFs are sometimes used to signify how one feels or depict a specific scenario and are sometimes shared as a response to a chunk of social content material.
For manufacturers, GIFs is usually a enjoyable and relatable software when talking on to members of your social group.
The Finest Social Media Channels For GIFs
Wish to work GIFs into your social technique? Twitter and Fb have lengthy been the place for that, although Instagram lately launched GIFs in feedback.
If you wish to create customized GIFs on your model, take into account making a profile on GIPHY. Right here, you may create a profile on your firm that homes all of your uploaded GIFs.
It will permit customers all around the web to make use of your GIFs by varied GIPHY integrations with different platforms.
Model Instance: GIFs
Right here is an fascinating example of Salesforce leveraging a GIF to create a social-friendly meme.
10. Webinars & Occasions
Connecting together with your viewers on social media is all about offering them with priceless content material. And what’s extra priceless than an academic webinar or digital occasion?
These kind of content material assist you to have interaction on a deeper degree together with your viewers and attain a worldwide consumer base.
Whereas webinars are sometimes displays that go deep on a selected matter – and infrequently function key audio system from exterior organizations – different occasions can cowl something from a digital convention to a workshop.
And these can all be dwell or pre-recorded.
The Finest Social Media Channels For Webinars & Occasions
LinkedIn is the perfect platform for selling and internet hosting your webinars and occasions.
Except for providing all of the performance you want, it additionally has an viewers that’s extra more likely to be searching for instructional {and professional} content material.
Fb and YouTube are additionally useful platforms for internet hosting dwell video occasions.
Model Instance: Webinars & Occasions
Bizzabo is a model that involves thoughts after I consider webinars.
It typically promotes and hosts informative digital occasions for its followers on LinkedIn – which makes excellent sense, provided that Bizzabo is an occasions firm.
Screenshot from LinkedIn, July 202311. Contests And Giveaways
Should you’re trying to get your followers excited and engaged, take into account attempting a contest or giveaway on social media.
This entails providing a particular prize – whether or not that be a free product, cash, or a visit – in alternate for particular interactions out of your customers (e.g., remark beneath, tag a good friend, observe this account, like and share this publish, and so on.)
The Finest Social Media Channels For Contests & Giveaways
Instagram might be probably the most generally used social channel for contests and giveaways.
Nevertheless, you too can run them on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and even TikTok.
Model Instance: Contests & Giveaways
Loads of manufacturers execute contests and giveaways, particularly across the holidays. Here’s a current example of a giveaway hosted by Escape Brooklyn.
In Abstract
These are simply a few of the many social media content material sorts to select from. And with so many choices, there are additionally a number of methods to strategy social media advertising and marketing.
Understanding which codecs work finest on your model – and resonate most together with your viewers – often takes experimentation.
I like to recommend beginning with a couple of of the content material sorts we explored above primarily based in your overarching content material technique, goal platforms, and the sources obtainable to you.
Then begin posting and see what occurs!
Extra sources:
Featured Picture: Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock
