In a world dominated by social media, it may feel like everything revolves around the platforms, whether you're scrolling through Instagram, X, LinkedIn, or the ever-popular app, TikTok. These channels are now more than just sources of entertainment, they're powerful tools for communication and product promotion. When it comes to your brand, the truth is that everything is kind of social, and your audience will actively seek your product or service within their preferred social media space.
When it comes to creating content that resonates with your audience, it’s easy to fall victim to the monetization of time or monetary obstacles to producing the perfect post each time. However, all you really need is a mindset shift. It is possible to create more with the same, but the focus needs to shift from quantity to quality, efficiency, and internal structure. In a nutshell, creating content at scale.
You may not know it, but there is more underneath the surface of your content.
Photoshoots and professional photo editing aren’t made to last only one appearance on your feed, they are made to be repurposed throughout different platforms and perspectives. Before repurposing, a content audit is performed to understand what needs improvement to deliver successful results. Those improvements result in a fresh take on an already existing piece of content, such as adding creative additions like digital designs and animations or taking advantage of the native tools within an app, for example, the question or poll stickers on Instagram.
Tapping into your own audience, customers, and users is not only another way of acquiring content, it is also a way to let your audience know that they are seen and appreciated.
User-generated content (UGC) also shows your brand in a more authentic light, as this content usually shows real customers truly enjoying your product. For instance, say your brand is an airline, a great piece of UGC would feature a real past customer enjoying the experience of flying with all your airline's benefits. However, the UGC selection process is crucial, including criteria like avoiding crowded spots and watermarks, ensuring high-quality, focused content that is unique to the destination or product, and conveying an authentic sentiment.
Researching and outsourcing reliable influencers or content creators who share the same category as your brand and have a loyal following is another way to promote authenticity and relatability.
Target influencers who cater to specific age groups to expose your brand to new audiences who never knew they needed your product or service. There are two ways of acquiring influencer content: one is asking the creator to capture the content you need so you can use it on your own platforms, and the other is asking the creator to capture the content and post it to their own platform. Both promote your brand through different voices, but one is seen by the creator’s own followers and the other is seen by your brand’s audience.
You can also expose your own brand to an even wider audience through another brand’s content through partnerships.
Partnerships can come in many forms and mediums, and can even be a combination of two products or services that at first glance would not make sense to either audience. Some types of partnerships that will definitely call for social media content are licensing partnerships, co-branding, and co-marketing. Licensing partnerships allow another company to use your intellectual property, such as a brand using your icon or logo on its products. Co-branding partnerships happen when two brands create a new product or service together, similar to when Taco Bell and Doritos made a special meal in Taco Bell, the restaurant made commercial ads to promote the new product. Co-marketing is when two brands work together to promote each other’s products or services, similar to how Lululemon is currently partnering with Peloton to become its primary apparel partner, and Peloton will become the exclusive digital fitness content provider for Lululemon.
Overall, it can be said social media is a powerful tool for any business of all sizes. However, creating high-quality social media content can be time-consuming and expensive, which is why it is important to know how to extend your spending by exploring multiple sources of content. This includes repurposing your content in a more intentional process, tapping into user-generated content, working with influencers, and forming partnerships with other brands. With these four mediums, you can create more social media content with the same resources, and reach a wider audience while achieving your brand’s marketing goals.
