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Photo by Georgia de Lotz What does your social media account look like? Does it feel like a one-way tool wherein you post content and nobody even bothers to react or comment after seeing it? Frustrating, right? Well, you could be missing out on some important factors in your social media strategy. And it could be the same type of content you’re posting since day one that makes it boring and negligible for your audience. Check out the following types of content that offer diversity in your posts to make your account interesting for your audience. 1. Blogs, Guides, and Other Resources Social media platforms are a great place to showcase blogs, guides and other resources from your website. It’s also a good way to invite readers back to your website by adding links to your posts. Pro: This type of content highlights your knowledge and expertise, which can aid in establishing your credibility as a business. Con: Most of your competitors may already be doing this. With the tight competition, your content may need to present fresh ideas in order to stand out. Pro Tip: Make use of trending searches or social listening tools to know the trending topics or questions that are relevant to your industry. 2. Images and Infographics Photo by Nathana Rebouças Visual content can easily grab your follower’s attention and increase engagement. Quality images can help you to keep your audience from scrolling past your posts. On the other hand, infographics are great for simplifying complex ideas, like research data. Pro: According to studies, visual content is more digestible than text-based content. Cons: If you want to produce high-quality images, you’ll need to invest in a professional camera and editing software. Meanwhile, creating infographics calls for content and graphics, which demands a lot of creativity and scrutiny. Pro Tip: Story-worthy images can be easily captured and edited using smartphones. At the same time, creating great infographics requires collaboration between the content writer and graphic designer. 3. Videos Photo by Thirdman If you need something that’s more engaging than images, that would be videos. Taking videos has never been easier with the help of smartphone cameras. In this time, live streaming has become a norm and helped businesses gain conversions greatly. Pro: Even beginners can easily record videos that can become viral within minutes. For example, a video about a baby alligator being ushered by three cranes to the other side of the road, and away from the swamp. Con: Producing high-quality videos requires much more time, effort, and money. Pro Tip: If you’re talking about taking videos of a once-in-a-lifetime event, you’ll need the help of an expert. A Hamilton wedding videographer, for example, can showcase their products on their social media site. 4. Reviews and Testimonials Posting positive reviews and testimonials on your accounts can increase the trust that consumers put in your brand. Pro: People put so much weight on the words of other consumers over the words of the businesses themselves. That makes reviews and testimonials so valuable. Con: Getting reviews and testimonials from customers may be difficult; but those who are truly happy with your products or services will give positive reviews that you need. Pro Tip: Contact your existing customers, especially those you classify as repeat customers. Ask them for a quote or a thorough review about your products or services, including customer care. If you’re advertising as the best SEO company in Toronto, you’ll need these testimonials to prove it! 5. Contests and Giveaways If you need a viral effect on your social media, this is exactly what you need. Contests and giveaways never fail to attract attention, especially if the prize is something worth the effort. Pro: Holding social media contests and giveaways is fun and engaging. Con: Prizes cost money. Pro Tip: The first thing you’ll need is, of course, the prize that your followers would be interested in winning. Next, decide the rules for joining the contest. Limit the requirements to a minimum to encourage high participation. Lastly, set a schedule for the duration of the contest. 6. Electronic Books Photo by James Tarbotton Some businesses consider electronic books or ebooks as an essential part of marketing strategy. Most of the time, they promote their ebooks on social media. Pros: Like other resources from your website, ebooks can demonstrate your expertise and enhance your reputation. Additionally, only a few create ebooks in comparison to blogs. Therefore, you’ll likely stand out with little competition. Con: Producing an ebook can take a lot of time so make sure to choose a topic that grabs the interest of your audience. Pro Tip: If you don’t have enough time to write an ebook, hire someone with experience in ebook writing. 7. Links to External Content Sharing industry news can be a good way to update your followers. Though it can be tempting to grab links and share news from the industry leaders to keep your account updated, make sure to keep this at a minimum. Pro: When you can’t finish a new blog post on time, you can share links from other industry leader websites or other sources that you trust. Cons: Linking to other sources can open the opportunity for your readers to discover and become a fan of those sources, especially when they create content better than you. Pro Tip: Curating content from other sources is a good social media marketing strategy. However, you need to ensure that the content you’re sharing or the sources themselves don’t affect your brand in a negative way. You can grow your business on social media by posting content that resonates with your audience. Engaging content doesn’t only attract your audience’s attention; it also stimulates them to react or comment on your posts. Plan your social media strategy with the mix of content types featured above. Explore and experiment with your ideas so you can discover what works well with your unique audience. Over time, you’ll learn what type of content will likely boost conversions and help your business thrive in this competitive environment.