Social media marketing is one of the most lucrative and cost-efficient forms of content marketing. It’s an excellent way to build a community around your e-commerce brand and drive traffic to your online store.
However, if you’re a bit intimidated by social media, you’re not alone — it’s a Hydra-like beast with a lot of unique challenges! A strong social media plan is crucial to making the best use of these platforms. Once you hit your rhythm, it’s easier to leverage social media networks to capture new leads and generate buzz around your business.
We’re here to help: we’ve assembled 10 social post ideas that work for most industries. Simply adapt the concept to your unique product and value proposition. We’ll also talk about why you must engage with your followers and answer the pressing question: “when’s the best time to post?”
Let’s get started!
Top 10 Ideas for Social Media Posts
Pro Tips
Brand authority is a key ingredient for content marketing success. Your audience wants to see that you know what you’re talking about. Once they know, like, and trust you, they’re much more likely to do business with you. To prove your expertise, share “pro tips” on your socials. These should be bite-size, highly valuable bits of content.
Ask Me Anything (AMA)
If you’ve got some experts or influencers on your marketing team, have them do an Ask Me Anything. Originating on Reddit, this popular online event invites users to ask questions. The expert answers them within a specific time period. It’s an excellent way to get people to actively engage with your brand. (Tip: Promote, promote, promote so people know when to log on!)
Quizzes
Test your audience’s knowledge with a fun, short quiz. Keep it lighthearted: try finding some basic facts about your industry, then quizzing followers in a post or story. For example, if you’re promoting a science-related brand, you could ask when the first moon landing was or how many phyla there are. Use a mix of open-ended questions and multiple choices. As an incentive, you can enter all correct answers into a sweepstakes.
Polls
People love sharing their opinion. Give them the chance with an engaging poll. Don’t make this a “market research” question. Instead, tap into a shared interest or experience. For example, if you run a fitness company, have them vote on whether they prefer cardio or resistance training. If you’re an online graphic design firm, ask if the acronym GIF is pronounced “Ghif” or “Jiff” (but be prepared for a battle!)
Memes
Who doesn’t love memes? If it suits your brand, feel free to tap into popular meme formats to express your key messages. People also love original (“OG”) memes created with your brand assets. Try adding captions to your company or product photos. It’s amusing and relatable, which can help build buzz around your ecommerce brand.
Holiday posts
Whether it’s an official holiday or a commemorative day, there’s always something to celebrate. Think about how you can express your brand’s values in the context of a special event. There are plenty of fun “social media holidays” such as National Pizza Day or Bring Your Dog to Work Day. Get creative! And for any established holidays, focus on what matters most to your audience. For example, a skincare brand could celebrate Halloween by sharing tips on how to easily remove all that scary makeup.
Curated content
Some content marketers believe that more than half of your social posts should be curated, i.e. created by other brands. Sharing valuable content shows that you’re connected to the overall trends and happenings in your industry (and any complementary industries). Look for news articles, videos, how-tos, etc. that your target audience may find appealing.
Behind the Scenes
Today’s consumers love seeing the people behind a brand. Company photos, employee bios, and “making of” videos are all great ways to show off your humanity. We recommend keeping this content organic (i.e. selfies, handheld camera), so followers can feel an authentic connection. Be sure to share some valuable content: people want to feel special and learn information that no one else knows!
Challenges
As we’ve seen from countless social media trends, people love a challenge. But you don’t have to wait for the next TikTok phenomenon to launch a challenge. Choose an activity that makes sense for your brand (e.g. a splits challenge for a dancewear brand), then ask your followers to record themselves doing the challenge and tag you. This boosts your ranking and discoverability — plus, you’ll gain tons of user-generated content!
User-generated content
Nothing makes your followers feel more appreciated than when you re-share their content. Regularly review posts tagging your brand and repurpose them for your page. Feel free to invite customers to tag you in photos with your product, or run a contest to encourage them to post about your brand.
Why Social Media Engagement Is Just As Important As Posting
No matter how great your content is, never just post and run. Social media is, well, social, and people expect to hear back from the brands they engage with. Dedicate at least one member of your team to respond to all comments and tagged posts. Many customers will also reach out via social media to ask questions or seek customer service. Be prepared to handle these requests!
It’s also a great idea to proactively engage with people who would be interested in your company. Find out where they spend time online, then add value to the conversation. Avoid being sales-y or leaving generic comments (e.g. “Great post!”). The more authentic and meaningful you are, the more likely it is that they’ll come check out your page.
The Best Times to Post on Social in 2022
When you post matters a lot. It may vary by industry and your unique follower mix, but in general, you’ll want to stick to these timeframes:
Globally speaking, most users are online Mondays through Fridays at 3 a.m. and Tuesdays at 10 a.m. and noon. However, Mondays through Sundays have a significant decline in engagement.
The best time to post on Instagram is Tuesdays and Wednesdays between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. If you post Monday, aim for 11 a.m. Thursday and Friday posts should go out between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. Sunday is the worst day to post.
You can post on Twitter virtually any day of the week except Sunday. Aim to post at 9 a.m. for maximal engagement. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are usually the best days to post.
As LinkedIn is primarily a professional networking site, its best days to post are during the week. Aim for Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, ideally between 10 a.m. and noon. Avoid the weekends.
Of course, all these guidelines may change for your company. If you’ve been posting regularly for a while, check your insights to see when most of your followers are online.
Wrapping Up
Social media marketing doesn’t have to be vexing. With proper planning and some great ideas, you can cultivate a nice conversation around your brand. Just remember to keep the “social” in social media: provide value, invite people to discuss, and engage with your followers! The right mix of promotional and informational content will help you build a brand community and prime your leads to come and shop at your online store.