Social media has been on the forefront of digital advertising for fairly a while, and it’s unlikely this may 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 material sorts and which channels they’re greatest suited to.
We can even spotlight a few of our favourite examples of how manufacturers have excelled in every kind of content material.
Let’s dive in.
1. Brief-Type Video
When you’ve spent any time on social media prior to now few years, you recognize that short-form video has develop into one of the vital frequent – and fashionable – sorts of social content material.
Brief-form video may very well be outlined as any piece of video content material that’s beneath 10 minutes lengthy, however sometimes, the shorter, the higher. Once 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 achieved proper, it packages compelling visible storytelling right into a bite-sized, digestible piece of content material – which is precisely what immediately’s more and more distracted and busy customers are in search of.
Brief-form video can be versatile. You should utilize it to realize totally different targets, whether or not showcasing inside thought management, highlighting a buyer case examine, or that includes your product.
The Greatest Social Media Channels For Brief-Type 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 one of the best match:
- TikTok – This one needs to be apparent. Because the hottest 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. When you create brief movies on Instagram, the algorithm will seemingly reward you.
- YouTube – Whereas YouTube is healthier recognized 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 pale into the background when it comes to social media chatter. However don’t be fooled; it has over 530 million month-to-month energetic customers.
Model Instance: Brief-Type Video
Mediterranean quick informal meals model, CAVA, is a superb 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-Type Video
Lengthy-form video is video content material that’s 10 minutes lengthy or longer.
And whilst you could not see as a lot of it in your day-to-day social media actions, it undoubtedly performs an necessary function in model advertising.
Lengthy-form video is usually a highly effective device for extra in-depth model storytelling and content material.
Some examples of long-form video content material it’s possible you’ll wish to leverage for advertising functions are documentaries, branded collection, video profiles, interviews, and extra.
The Greatest Social Media Channels For Lengthy-Type Video
When you’re focused on distributing long-form video content material on social media, YouTube is the place you wish to be.
YouTube is the chief relating to long-form movies, and also you’re almost definitely 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 will let you add longer movies.
Model Instance: Lengthy-Type Video
The group 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 collection like “I Draw, You Prepare dinner” – an episode of which is featured beneath.
3. Person-Generated Content material (UGC)
Person-generated content material, 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 develop into one of the vital pervasive sorts of model content material on social media, and for good purpose.
UGC leverages word-of-mouth advertising to construct belief and neighborhood together with your audience. It’s because persons are extra prone to belief a suggestion from their friends than imagine in advertising immediately from a model.
UGC can are available many varieties, from picture or carousel posts to brief movies, Instagram Tales, and so forth.
The Greatest Social Media Channels For UGC
Instagram is the plain selection for sharing UGC.
It’s visible by nature, has a hyper-engaged consumer base, and gives totally different avenues and codecs relying on the content material itself – from Tales to Reels or posts in your grid.
X (beforehand referred to as Twitter) may also be a very good platform for sharing UGC, relying in your trade and the viewers you’re attempting to achieve.
Model Instance: UGC
Adobe options loads of UGC made by prospects on its varied merchandise. Right here’s an instance from the Adobe Inventive Cloud Instagram account.
4. Dwell Streams
Dwell streaming has been on the rise in recent times, and types are more and more getting concerned.
It’s develop into so fashionable that platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and even TikTok now have devoted reside video merchandise.
Past this, new platforms constructed totally round reside streaming have popped as much as cater to followers of this content material format.
For manufacturers, reside streams present a possibility to have interaction in real-time together with your neighborhood and provide a extra genuine, “behind the scenes” take a look at your model than produced content material can.
The Greatest Social Media Channels For Dwell Streaming
As talked about above, Instagram Dwell, YouTube Dwell, and TikTok Dwell are all nice avenues on your live-stream content material.
The place you select to play will rely upon the place your audience spends essentially the most time and what kind your content material will take.
Relying on this, Twitch is one other highly effective platform for reside streaming.
This reside streaming service was initially constructed round video gaming content material however now homes a wide range of reside content material – and may very well be one of the best place to host your subsequent reside stream!
5. Polls & Questions
The very best sort 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 characteristic in a selected social platform, or asking an open-ended query, posing inquiries to your viewers is usually a easy method to drive engagement and accumulate useful information.
Questions can cowl issues corresponding to your model, your product/s, trade tendencies, and even what sort of content material your viewers want to see from you.
The Greatest Social Media Channels For Polls & Questions
Listed here are one of the best platforms relating to ballot and query content material:
- Instagram – You should utilize Instagram Tales to create each polls and questions, because it has separate instruments for every. You can even 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 characteristic and lends itself nicely to posing questions the place your viewers may wish to share their expertise or opinion in a remark.
- Twitter – One other platform with a ballot characteristic, Twitter is a superb place for any sort of question-related content material on account of its text-based nature.
- Fb – You’ll be able to ballot folks in Fb Teams or pose questions in any of your Fb content material.
- Reddit – In case your model is energetic on Reddit, it’s best to 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 incessantly makes use of polls to have interaction its viewers.
On LinkedIn, the corporate usually leverages ballot content material to quiz followers on a selected matter earlier than linking out to a associated article for them to study extra.
Screenshot from LinkedIn, July 20236. Influencer Collaborations
By now, I’d guess there’s an honest probability that once 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 enhance 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 Greatest Social Media Channels For Influencer Partnerships
When you’re seeking to companion with an influencer, take into account one in every of these channels:
- Instagram – Given how related Instagram creators are to their followers, it’s a best choice for influencer collaborations. It additionally gives totally different prospects for the way your partnership will come to life, e.g., an Instagram Dwell interview, a Tales characteristic, a carousel that includes a creator’s prime 5 merchandise out of your model, and so forth.
- TikTok – As manufacturers begin to catch as much as the TikTok hype, increasingly more are partnering with trending creators to get their firm in entrance of the Gen Z client.
- YouTube – House 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 enormous fanbases, and their reside streams will let you attain streamers on the proper second.
Model Instance: Influencer Collaborations
Dunkin’ is a model well-known for its influencer partnerships.
Maybe one in every 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 recognized Dunkin’ fan.
@charlidamelio one of the best a part of any day @Dunkin’ dunkinpartner
7. Infographics And Charts
The very best social media content material can inform a narrative utilizing solely visuals.
Infographics and charts are nice examples of this, which is probably why they’ve develop into a go-to content material kind for each people and types alike.
These pictures will let you synthesize info in a means that’s optimized for social audiences (that means it’s digestible and clear).
The Greatest Social Media Channels For Infographics And Charts
When you’ve obtained an infographic, a chart, or a information 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 instance 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 thought or matter are the “bread and butter” of social media content material.
Whereas manufacturers needs to be aware of which memes they use (ask your self when you have one thing so as to add to the dialog), when leveraged appropriately, memes can obtain a home-run advertising second for you.
The Greatest 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
When you’re in search of a model that is aware of the way to use memes, look no additional than Netflix.
The model’s Instagram account usually creates memes utilizing clips from fashionable Netflix exhibits and flicks, like this instance.
9. GIFs
Graphics Interchange Format, extra generally referred to as GIFs, are small, soundless video or animation clips which are fashionable with social media customers.
GIFs are sometimes used to characterize how one feels or depict a selected state of affairs and are sometimes shared as a response to a bit of social content material.
For manufacturers, GIFs is usually a enjoyable and relatable device when talking on to members of your social neighborhood.
The Greatest Social Media Channels For GIFs
Need to work GIFs into your social technique? Twitter and Fb have lengthy been the place for that, although Instagram just 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 possibly can create a profile on your firm that homes all of your uploaded GIFs.
This can permit customers all around the web to make use of your GIFs by way of varied GIPHY integrations with different platforms.
Model Instance: GIFs
Right here is an attention-grabbing instance 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 kinds of content material will let you have interaction on a deeper degree together with your viewers and attain a world consumer base.
Whereas webinars are sometimes displays that go deep on a selected matter – and infrequently characteristic key audio system from exterior organizations – different occasions can cowl something from a digital convention to a workshop.
And these can all be reside or pre-recorded.
The Greatest Social Media Channels For Webinars & Occasions
LinkedIn is one of the best platform for selling and internet hosting your webinars and occasions.
Apart from providing all of the performance you want, it additionally has an viewers that’s extra prone to be in search of instructional {and professional} content material.
Fb and YouTube are additionally useful platforms for internet hosting reside video occasions.
Model Instance: Webinars & Occasions
Bizzabo is a model that involves thoughts once I consider webinars.
It usually 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
When you’re seeking to get your followers excited and engaged, take into account attempting a contest or giveaway on social media.
This includes providing a particular prize – whether or not that be a free product, cash, or a visit – in trade 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 forth.)
The Greatest Social Media Channels For Contests & Giveaways
Instagram might be essentially the most generally used social channel for contests and giveaways.
Nevertheless, it’s also possible to run them on Twitter, Fb, Pinterest, and even TikTok.
Model Instance: Contests & Giveaways
Loads of manufacturers execute contests and giveaways, particularly across the holidays. Here’s a current instance 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.
Understanding which codecs work greatest on your model – and resonate most together with your viewers – normally takes experimentation.
I like to recommend beginning with a number of of the content material sorts we explored above primarily based in your overarching content material technique, goal platforms, and the assets obtainable to you.
Then begin posting and see what occurs!
Extra assets:
Featured Picture: Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock