24 Innovative Social Media Content Ideas in 2021

Social media allows brands to connect with customers and grow their following—but only if their content is compelling. When your content connects with your audience, they’re more likely to share with friends and engage. This increases overall visibility and increases the likelihood of converting followers to customers. Try these 24 innovative social media content ideas in 2021 to connect with your audience and grow your following.

24 Innovative Social Media Content Ideas in 2021

Users share content mostly because they want to nourish friendships, share their interests, share their concerns, and be entertained. Most social media platforms allow users to do all of these things, but in unique ways. Most brands can be a part of these conversations, too, with the right strategy. With this in mind, we’ve divided these innovative social media content ideas by their intent, so you can pick the right content at the right time.

Think carefully and how a user would interact with your brand on social media at different times. What content would get a user’s attention? Then, what content would turn them into a follower, a lead, and a customer? Design your strategy and add these ideas to your social media calendar so you have a solid plan to work from.

Attention-Grabbing Social Media Content Ideas

This type of content is meant to maximize your reach on social media. With more eyeballs on your content, you’re more likely to grab followers who will continue to interact with you, and eventually convert to a lead or a customer. These types of innovative social media content ideas are most effective when they’re emotional, but not too dramatic. They might be surprising, beautiful, funny, or even sad or shocking.

1. Beautiful picture: Most platforms support pictures and most people are still amazed by a stunning photo. Share something beautiful or amazing that you see on the job.

2. Heart-warming story: Maybe your product or service changed someone’s life. Maybe your story as a business owner is truly inspiring. Share heart-warming stories in your industry, either with pictures, text, or video.

3. Shocking statistic: Statistics like, “By 2050, ocean plastic will outweigh all of the ocean’s fish” or the “Richest 1% own half the world’s wealth,” are shocking. They stick in people’s minds and compel them to share. What statistics in your industry might people be shocked by?

4. Funny video: They’re usually animals or people, and they might be cute, zany, or a bit strange. But funny videos lighten our days and make us want to lighten our friends’ days too.

5. Before and after: A big transformation, usually with accompanying pictures or videos, is compelling. You might show how raw materials become a product, or how your service or product can transform something else.

6. Powerful quote: From wise, ancient philosophers to modern-day thinkers, powerful quotes can make us think, feel, and share.

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Interactive Social Media Content Ideas

Interactive content is intended to drive engagement and strengthen connections with your followers. When users engage with your content, usually by commenting, liking, sharing, it increases the visibility of your other posts. It also increases the likelihood that your posts will show up for particular users again.

7. Poll: Get your followers’ thoughts on a new product, gauge sentiments on a recent news item, or weigh in on a heated debate (Ie; should pineapple really go on pizza?).

8. Question: What would you do with a million dollars? How do you use your product? What did you eat this morning? What are you looking forward to most this year? A simple question can get users’ minds going and encourage them to comment.

9. Ask an Expert: Encourage users to ask questions to you or another expert in your field.

10. Opinion: There’s no shortage of opinions these days, but sometimes a shortage of those willing to listen. Ask your users to weigh in on a topic, but try not to make it too controversial.

11. User stories: User-generated content is a great way to engage with your audience. Encourage your followers to show or tell how your product solved a problem for them, how they discovered your business, or how they use your product or service regularly. Share these stories (with permission!) when you receive them.

12. User videos: Video stories are even more powerful. Ask users to submit videos as they use your product or service, unbox your product, attend one of your events, or something else.

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Instructional Social Media Content Ideas

Instructional content is intended for users who are already following your brand. It provides helpful information and value to your audience. These innovative social media content ideas will inform or instruct your audience about a process, topic, or issue in your industry. Ideally, it will help to solve a problem or provide important information. This type of content might connect to a lead-converting page, like a downloadable guide, newsletter sign-up form, or a product related to the original content.

13. Short highlight video: Use a series of short clips to show how to make a process easier, how to save time or money, or illustrate an issue in your industry.

14. Long instructional video: Time some time to show, in detail, how a process gets done. You might be answering a common question asked by customers, addressing a problem you commonly fix, or sharing a shortcut that only experts would know.

15. Slideshow: Combine statistics, instruction, and powerful images in a slideshow to teach and amaze at the same time.

16. Infographic: Just like statistics can shock (see above) data can tell a story and illuminate a problem. An infographic puts storytelling data into a simple, easy-to-read image that’s informative and shareable.

17. How it’s made: Take your followers behind the scenes and show what really goes into your product or service.

18. Guest post: You know a lot, but you don’t know everything. Invite a colleague or business associate to weigh in on industry issues in a blog post, podcast, or video. (Extra points for combining this social media content idea with the previously mentioned “ask an expert.”)

Promotional Social Media Content Ideas

You’ve grabbed your audience’s attention, gathered followers, encouraged them to interact with you, and given them value. You’ve neared the end of your social sales funnel, and this is a good time to present a promotional offer. Use these innovative social media content ideas to turn your followers into customers.

19. Discount: From 20% off to free shipping, it’s a limited-time offer that your followers won’t want to miss out on.

20. Demo: Showing a product in action or inviting your followers to a special demo session will help pull the most interested customers from your social followers.

21. New product release: If you’re ready to release a much-anticipated new product, give your followers first access to turn up the excitement and make them feel special.

22. Free trial: Invite your followers to claim a limited number of free trial products or subscriptions to bring them on board.

23. Special bundle: Create a special package of products only available to social followers. You’ll need a dedicated landing page, but an exclusive offer is likely to bring in more followers, too.

24. Special event: This can be a webinar, giveaway, conference, livestream and much more. Invite your followers to an exclusive event and turn them into leads.

Every business and every platform is a bit different, but creative experts can use any of these innovative social media content ideas effectively. Explore the capabilities of your preferred platform, consider mixing different media types, and be consistent as you post and respond to users. Put yourself in your followers’ shoes and ask yourself what content is most interesting, engaging, and helpful to them. Be patient, be consistent, and you’ll start to see results from your followers, leads and customers.

Posted in: Social Proof