The Top 14 Types of Social Media Content To Produce

Without good content, you aren’t making the most of your social media presence. Sure, you can create a profile and put up a catchy bio about what you do or what you sell. But it’s the content you post that’ll make your target audience hit that “Follow” button. Without quality content, you’re left with a social media profile that won’t get much attention. 

The problem is, it’s hard to choose what type of content you should invest your time in. Should you be creating Instagram Stories? Maybe your best bet is TikTok videos? 

To help you through the process of choosing what type of content you should be focusing on, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best types of social media content to create. 

1. Sales captions

Why create sales captions? Sales copy works effectively on both Instagram and Facebook—especially when crafted well—because people are used to scrolling and reading. Unlike platforms like TikTok, which are purely based on video and not written content, sales copy done well can grow your business on both of Meta’s social platforms. 

The upside of sales copy is that it takes a relatively short amount of time to create, it isn’t as labor-intensive as video creation, and you don’t need to have a lot of resources to create it. Adding sales copy on Instagram and Facebook takes advantage of the prime real estate those platforms afford you in each post’s caption section. 

Best suited for: Instagram, Facebook

Example: @jennakutcher

2. Short-form blog posts

Why create short-form blog posts? Short-form blog posts are great if you have a quick story to make a point, sell a product, or build your brand. They’re easy to digest and don’t take too long to create. Plus, once you create a short-form post, you can reshare it on other social platforms. Take it one level up and you can repurpose your short-form blog post into a short-form video clip. 

Best suited for: Twitter, Instagram

Example: @davidperell

3. Long-form blog post

Why create long-form blog posts? Though social media platforms seem to be taking center stage right now, search engines haven’t gone anywhere. Google is still one of the biggest places people discover content—often in the form of long-form blog posts. On social platforms, long-form blog posts work great when you’re able to share a link back to it. The key is understanding what kind of content your audience engages with on social media.

Best suited for: Facebook, LinkedIn

Example:

4. Ebooks

Why create ebooks? Ebooks are a great way to capture leads, show that you’re an expert in your niche, and keep your target audience coming back for more as they learn about your business and what you offer. While they may take a bit longer to create, they become a valuable asset to your business in the long run. You can promote them on just about any platform and even create a landing page for it that ranks in search engines. 

Best suited for: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram (anywhere you can share a link and draw attention to it)

Example: @kontraagency

5. Video content

Why create video content? Without a doubt, video content is one of the best ways to reach an audience and create a closer relationship with them. It’s probably why social platforms like TikTok have blown up and Instagram is favoring more video content than ever. You can create tutorials, webinars, motivational clips, and more. 

Video content not only has a better chance of grabbing attention, but it can also convey ideas faster, and compel your viewers to take action (think influencer content). Consider creating video content for platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Best of all, it doesn’t cost anything to upload them and potentially reach millions of people. 

Best suited for: TikTok, Instagram

Example: @themrspedersen

6. Contests

Why create contests? Contests help a lot with engagement and getting your brand introduced to new people. They can range from giveaways, trivia questions, sweepstakes, or polls. The sky’s the limit with how creative you can get with contests. 

However, contests primarily work best on Instagram because of the way it’s built. Users can easily share contest information on their stories and engage with your contest posts. With Instagram, you can also count on your contest content to be shown to new people.

Best suited for: Instagram

Example: @glossier

7. Links to downloadable PDFs

Why create downloadable PDFs? Downloadable PDFs can work on any social media platform that allows you to share external links. For example, you can share a link to a downloadable PDF on your Instagram profile. You can also share the link on Twitter or even your TikTok profile once your following is big enough. 

Downloadable PDFs can be used for all types of content. They can be checklists, printables, guidebooks, or even free design elements. The upside of downloadable PDFs is similar to ebooks. It’s an asset to your business that can help you grow your email list and nurture a devoted audience. 

Best suited for: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

Example: @paperandoats

8. Polls

Why create polls? A poll is one of the easiest content you can create. Their upside? They’re engaging, they can be informative, and they give you a glimpse into what your audience thinks about a topic. 

With polls, you can ask just about any question. They perform well because they’re accessible and make participation easy. Many social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, have polling features built-in. All you have to do is create the poll and publish it so your audience can start engaging and entering their answers. 

However, keep in mind that the downside of polls is that they aren’t necessarily content you can repurpose or repost on other platforms. Still, they can be a valuable part of your overall content strategy. 

Best suited for: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter

Example: @theconfettibar

9. Testimonials

Why use testimonials? It’s 2022 but testimonials are nowhere near going out of style. They add credibility to your brand, showcase your results, and entice anyone in your audience who might be on the fence about buying to make a decision. 

Testimonials can take many forms, including videos, static images, and short-form blog posts. They can even exist on specific landing pages linked to your social media profile. The important thing is that you share them in your profile so they’re easy to consume. Consider sharing testimonials on your Instagram and Facebook captions.  

Best suited for: Instagram, Facebook

Example: @elizabethgoddard_uk

10. Charts and infographics

Why create charts and infographics? We live in the age of information, which means that your content is fighting for attention. The more digestible you can make it, the better the chances it’ll catch your target audience’s attention. Consider creating charts and infographics to convey facts and figures easily. 

The more animated you can make them with design elements and information, the better. Once you’ve created charts and infographics relevant to your audience, you can always reshare them at a later date as a way to recycle relevant content. Keep in mind that one chart or infographic can be reshared across all social platforms as a way to get the most use out of them. 

Best suited for: Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram

Example: Pinterest

11. Stories (TikTok or Instagram)

Why create stories? Stories are quick to create and don’t have to be highly thought out. If you’ve spent any time on Instagram or TikTok, you know a ton of business owners create stories walking their audience through what their daily routines are, how their product gets made, or a quick story where they share their best tips. 

Stories are also a way to update your audience and announce any important changes they should know about. Planning a launch? Use Stories to warm up your audience up until launch day. On most platforms, Stories last around 24 hours. So it’s a great way to engage with your audience with video content that’s constantly being refreshed. 

Best suited for: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat 

Example: @encircled_

12. Images

Why create images? Images are one of the more classic ways to create and share content online. While platforms are favoring a lot more video content, that doesn’t mean you should ignore images as a means to engage with your audience and share information.

Images work well as an engagement tool and you can easily create them with free design platforms like Canva. With smartphones, capturing high-quality images and posting them is easier than it’s ever been before. Consider incorporating images as a fundamental part of your overall content strategy. 

Best suited for: Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook

Example: Jasper

13. GIFs

Why create memes and GIFs? Go a step up from images and you run into GIFs. In other words, they are images that move in a loop. GIFs are a great way to command attention in a sea of content and create memorable imagery. The good thing is, you can reuse internet-popular GIFs or create your own. 

Usually, GIFs come infused with humor, and for good reason. The funnier and more relatable a GIF can be, the more attention it gets. Not to mention, the best GIFs have a chance of going viral, which is a win for anyone trying to grow their social media presence. 

Best suited for: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook

14. Instagram captions

Why create Instagram captions? Writing Instagram captions can be a bit of an art. Though they don’t always have to take the form of sales copy, they do need to pack a punch in some way. They are a great way to relay short witty takes, a quick story, or even share an opinion. 

Though captions aren’t specific to Instagram, it’s the place where they tend to flourish into more than just filler content. They also work to differentiate your online presence and express your brand values. 

However, you might not always have time to create social media captions from scratch. That’s where an AI writing assistant tool like Jasper can automatically generate fresh and engaging captions for you. 

Best suited for: Instagram

Example

Here’s a quick example of a caption created with Jasper’s Photo Post Caption template. 

Create social media content faster with Jasper

Social media marketing isn’t easy. You have to pay attention to what’s trending, craft content that’s interactive, think about your hashtags, and continue to curate great content that increases engagement. 

There are plenty of social media content types that help you increase sales too, whether that’s live video, tweets, UGC, Instagram posts, or podcasts. However, when it's time to create written content, like posts and captions, don’t hesitate to use an AI writing assistant tool like Jasper so you can create written content faster. 

It works for blog posts as well as social media posts. As part of your digital marketing strategy, Jasper saves you time and helps you come up with fresh ideas in real-time when you’re stuck. Get started with Jasper here.

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