Having a day where you know you need to post on social media but you’re fresh out of ideas? I get it. I’ve been there, too… Plenty of times!
Social media block is completely understandable (and normal!), and is especially hard when you’re trying to post on a consistent schedule. Don’t fret, getting past social media block is actually really easy! Here are six ideas and tips for what to post when you’re out of ideas:
Social Media Holidays
I start every month looking up the ‘holidays’ for the month to see if any align with my clients’ brand. HolidayInsights.com has a huge database of every major, minor, national, and international holiday to make sure you won’t miss any for your clients.
[It’s also fun to see what holiday falls on your birthday - I’m born on National Tooth Fairy Day!]
Source User Generated Content (UGC)
UGC is where it’s at. Looking for a quick way to grow your audience? Use someone else’s photos (and make sure to credit them!).
For my client SacTown POS, a local business payment solutions company, we love to highlight their clients and their clients’ customers. Check out this recent Instagram post. We highlighted SacTown POS’ client Hilltop Tavern by using a photo from @916_Nicole. Nicole ended up sharing our post to her story and saying that our account featured her, and SacTown POS garnered four new followers directly from the interaction.
Behind the Scenes Content
A quick way to get away from the “what to post” dilemma is to show followers what you’re working on as a brand or company. Your followers love to know more about what happens at your office and how their favorite products or services are created. Users also love to see what company offices look like and want to get to know your employees. Highlight an employee’s story or someone’s creative office space. Is your product currently in production? Share a shot of the product being made!
Share a Quote
Some of the most shareable content on Instagram and Facebook are quotes or funny sayings that your audience relates to. Most of my audience knows I love Friends the TV show. I recently created a post with a funny saying about Netflix and watching Friends for the millionth time. Not only did it generate a lot of engagement, but multiple people also copied and re-shared it, and tagged me. Win-win!
Another account I love to follow for quotes or relatable saying inspiration is the Freelancing Females account.
Stock Lifestyle Imagery
Lifestyle content is essentially filler photos and content that doesn’t fit into any specific category. As long as you’re sharing something that your audience would enjoy and is relevant to your brand, and matches your branding and aesthetic, you’ll be good to go!
For example, if you’re a sports equipment brand, it wouldn’t make sense to post photos of a girl doing her makeup. Instead, you should focus on sharing lifestyle content that relates back to your brand and products, like photos of people playing sports, or meeting up with friends at a park.
Stock photography hasn’t always had the best reputation, but these days there are many websites to find great photos that are styled and don’t seem “stock”. Some of my favorites include unsplash, pixabay, picjumbo, gratisography, and little visuals.
Create a Content Calendar
This is my #1 tip to make sure you don’t end up with those “what should I post” moments. When you plan, you win.
Personally, I am best and most on task when I handwrite my notes for the month. I will physically print out a monthly calendar from Google and take all my notes for the month of what I want to post and when. I will first add the monthly holidays then will map out when I’m posting UGC, stock photos, behind-the-scenes photos, etc. Planning your month this way will keep you ahead of the game and should help you from having the “oh no! I didn’t post yet today!” moments.
Need help getting started with your content strategy? Contact us!