Content 101: Best Practices Online
Content. It permeates our daily commutes, conversations and is (probably too) often what we wake up and fall asleep to. Content has re-defined our culture, giving power to those who can make magic with it. But, with so many categories of content available to us, it can be overwhelming to understand its complexities and determine which style of content our brand naturally wants to fit within. We’re here to help! Our tech wizards and wordsmiths are ready to break down the media jargon and teach you the benefits of each type of content, how to use them, and why they matter.
Cue Olivia Newton-John, and let’s get digital!
Reels: Looking for a quick, personal, and visual representation of your brand? Reels are your new best friend. Reels are short videos, likely accompanied by music that allow you to showcase different elements of your business. With the explosion of TikTok and Instagram, audiences are clamoring and highly attracted to quick videos that tell your audience who you are and what you’re about. They’re currently one of the most tangible ways to increase your metrics and audience interaction. With that said, how do you make a successful reel? Here are some of our top tips:
Show Your Face! As much as your audience wants to know about your products/services, they want to know just as much about you. Film a clip telling your idea patrons why you were inspired to create your company, and give them a call to action/question at the end of the video to encourage further exchanges. Remember to add captions for hearing impared folks and non-sound viewers!
Follow (Some) Trends While not every trending audio or genre of video may be the perfect fit— finding one that encapsulates who you are as a business or human can help boost analytics and invite more people to your corner of the internet. If a popular sound isn’t your jam, look for videos that do well that you can put your spin on. Some examples include Day in the Life of a Business Owner, Morning Routine of a Yoga Instructor, Come With Me to See the Latest Prototype of X, etc.
Be Authentic While trends are entertaining, don’t get overly caught up in what’s popular and forget to highlight what you’re passionate about. Regularly speak on what lights you up, and your people will be sure to find you.
Carousels: Carousels refer to a sequence of photos or slides that patrons can quickly scroll through to receive information. They’re beneficial for introducing a new product or presenting a new idea via text. The series of slides allows your audience to see said products from multiple angles or easily digest what you’re saying in bite-sized pieces. Another incredible bonus? When you upload numerous slides, you’re animating the algorithm to provide double exposure to your original post. Carousels are excellent across all social media platforms and a great way to present your ideas in an easily digestible form.
Blogs: We may be biased, but there’s nothing like an excellently written blog. *wink* Blogs allow brands to expand on ideas, fully flesh out recommendations and further commit to building a beautiful world for their readers. Blogs allow audiences to get a well-rounded idea of a company’s brand voice, what matters to them, and their detailed thoughts on different aspects of their industry. Picture posts may lure in your target audience, and blogs ground them in why they should stick around.
The best part? You don’t need to be a fantastic writer to craft a thoughtful blog. By penning about your passions, you’ll find your crowd. For ideas on how to start, check out the Content Queens blog page!
Website Copy: Websites have become more than a space to purchase products/skillsets– they’re a digital business card and a further extension of your brand as a whole. Your website copy is all the writing on your website that helps paint a full portrait of your aesthetic, company values, and all the necessary contact information to be making sales! When writing your copy, it’s important to keep in mind your unique mission statement, and how you want your audience to feel when reading it. Business professional? Keep your text crisp and short. Wellness guru? Pepper your phrasing with lush adjectives and a calming tone. Whoever your audience is, make sure that your writing is equally educational and human-centered. Look at the websites of brands you admire to kickstart your creativity. You’ve got this!
Post: A traditional post is a photo or video with an accompanying caption that helps tell the story of your company. Look at each post as a piece of your brand’s puzzle. Separately they provide different pieces of information, but together they inform both the other pieces and the puzzle overall. Posts should ideally include information about your amazing products/services, entertaining or inspiring ideas that correlate directly to your company or feature other creators in your industry, and resources/information that keeps your audience engaged. For a golden content ratio, make sure your team is following the 80/20 rule. Learn more about that here!
While juggling all the different styles of social media and content can be dizzying– we hope that this helped clear some of the confusion! Now that you know about the varying categories, think about where your brand wants to naturally align. How can you present your ideas in a way that both elevates your content but still feels true to your team? What does the next chapter of your company look like and how can you share that with your content?
In Your Corner,
The Content Queens
