8 Types of Content To Make Your Brand Follow-Worthy

One of the most frustrating situations in social media marketing is when your metrics flat line. Engagement plateaus and referral traffic stagnates. You’re putting resources into the effort. You post regularly and invest in paid advertising. And yet if it wasn’t for the employees and freelancers who occasionally click that precious “Like” or “Share” button your social accounts would barely have a pulse.

How is it that some brands seem to have everyone “liking” and “sharing” their social media content, while relatively no one engages with your brand?

Here are eight types of content that make brands follow-worthy on social media.

1. We can relate.

Take a close look at what people “share” on social media. We love content that we and our friends or family can relate to. It might have a nostalgic element from our childhood. It might be a list of experiences that we can identify with only as a mother, father, millennial or any other specific group of people. To successfully create this type of content you need to position yourself as an entity that “gets it.” You need to be one of “them.”

2. It defines us.

Your Facebook page (or Wall) is an artwork that expresses who you are. The pictures you post, links you share, and places you check into depict who you are as a person. The same can be said for Twitter, Instagram, and so forth. That’s why we search someone on social media before a job interview or first date. We know that who that person portrays themselves to be on social media is probably pretty close to who they are in real life.

As human beings we have a deep desire to define ourselves. We want the world — even if it’s only our world of friends and family — to know who we are and love us for it. It’s why we cherish content that helps us identify and express the person we believe we are, or at least the person we want to be.

If a brand publishes content that helps its audience define and express themselves not only as a community but as individuals, then followers will flock to share, tweet, and re-pin that content.

Read More: Receive New Stories Via Email

3. It’s easy to view.

It doesn’t matter how great the content’s title may be, people will stop endorsing your brand if they can’t view content once they’ve opened a link. Maybe it’s a pop-up advertisement, newsletter form, or the website simply isn’t mobile responsive. These things can instantly kill a person’s desire to view your content.

It’s an accomplishment that someone even clicked on your link. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and all of the social networks we’ve come to love (and hate) allow users to scroll through “news feeds” and groups to find content they are interested in. It’s a war zone online trying to get social media users’ attention. If they click on your link, let them view the content!

4. It makes us laugh.

Genuine laughter reduces stress and helps us escape our daily frustrations. Humor isn’t always easy, though, and to be successful you should know your audience well. Consider the other points of this article. Content that makes us laugh is often comprised of these other elements, such as being relatable.

5. It reminds us of our humanity.

Give us facts and we may or may not be intrigued, but touch our hearts with a story and we’ll remember forever. Content that reminds us of our humanity has wonderful power. It evokes emotion and passion, despair and joy. The humanity card should be used wisely. Think of Budweiser’s 2015 Super Bowl Commercial “Lost Dog,” also known as the #BestBuds campaign. Notice the happy ending. This one gets extra points for cute animals.

6. There’s a story.

Everyone loves a good story. Not only are stories entertaining but they help us learn, process and communicate ideas that cannot be expressed through hard data. Stories leave impressions. They keep us coming back for more.

If you really want your brand to stand out, incorporate story. Don’t allow your fear of rejection or misinterpretation to hinder your creative storytelling potential. Sticking to educational, data-centric content is safe. It’s popular and effective, but it’s safe. Story, though, is a different beast. It takes courage, sincerity, and a true sense of brand. If your audience doesn’t like it, they’ll let you know. But until then it’s only theory. It could be the best marketing campaign of the decade. You’ll never have the answer unless you put it out there.

Related Reading: Storytelling and 6 Ways It Benefits Content Marketing

7. It’s educational.

People often turn to the Internet to find answers to their personal and professional questions. Find out what is that your audience values. What do they want to learn? How can you make that journey to discovery more efficient and enjoyable?

8. It looks effortless.

It’s age-old advice. Make it look effortless. The cool kids aren’t cool because they try so hard to be cool. They’re cool because they ARE cool. That’s how your brand should be on social media. Don’t try to impress or suck up to people. Just be passionate and sincere. That’s all you can do. Be so full of information about your industry that you’re busting at the seams, so to speak. Share content as though it’s not marketing strategy, but rather a hobby. Love your market. Love your solutions. Love helping people.