Social Media Content Creation Tips

Are you looking for some social media content creation tips? One of the key ways to grow your web presence is by creating engaging and interesting content on social media. While it is true every social media platform has its own algorithm, there are tips you can follow to make sure your content is seen by a wide audience of people. Whether you want to share posts using popular hashtags or create short videos that convey a message, you can optimize the content you are creating and sharing on social media. When you gain followers and drive user engagement through social media, your brand will grow more reputable and recognized. In this article, you will gain some tips and best practices on social media content creation. Specifically, we will discuss tips when it comes to Instagram and video content. 

Instagram Content Creation

Instagram has over 500 million users everyday. This makes it a great platform to gain and connect with followers, grow your business or brand, and share creative content. You will first want to make sure you have a strong grasp on your brand’s voice. How you talk about your brand on your website will differ from its LinkedIn presence. And, your LinkedIn style will differ from the content you create on Instagram. By being comfortable with your brand’s own style, you will then be able to tailor that voice to fit the world of Instagram. Once you have perfected your Instagram persona, then you can use these tips to craft the appropriate content for your Instagram profile.

Make sure the picture is perfect

Instagram is first and foremost a visual platform. So, you should make sure you select an attention-grabbing picture to accompany your post. Use high-quality pictures, whether they are high-resolution stock photos or pictures taken in a professional photo shoot. You can even use graphics you created yourself. There are also some great editing apps that allow you to be creative with your pics.

A tip for content creation on any social media platform is to establish a unified brand image. You can do that by creating a series of posts centered around a core color scheme. Not only will this make your Instagram profile more visually-appealing, but it also creates a focus for your posts. 

Less is More

People have short attention spans, which is particularly true for social media platforms. Keep in mind that less is more when it comes to social media content creation. Build on your brand’s voice and style by using consistent language and rhetoric in your Instagram captions. Once the picture in your post has captured someone’s attention, you must then use the caption as your way of selling them on your profile. Choose words that reflect your company and come across naturally to your customers. Keep the caption simple, though wit and personality is encouraged. You don’t need to have a thesaurus on-hand when you create Instagram content. Rather, think about why you are making that post, what message you are conveying, and what your followers would enjoy.

Hop on the trends

When you create content on Instagram, you want to get as many people to see it as possible. One way to expand your reach is by using hashtags. A strong hashtag strategy can add to your caption, and it also allows people to find your post if they search a certain hashtag. Hashtags are a great way to gain recognition for your brand, and they also ensure your content reaches the intended audience. Additionally, if you have a new product release or upcoming events, you can use hashtags to boost those announcements.

When you write an Instagram caption, use the relevant hashtags when sharing your post. A good tip for Instagram content creation is to use two or three hashtags related to your brand consistently on every post. You can then sprinkle in other hashtags that pertain to the specific topic of your post. An assortment of hashtags already exist, so tap into that database if it relates. For example, there are a handful of hashtags for each day of the week. You can plan a content series that you post on specific days. You can also create posts related to daily trends and breaking news to craft real-time content and increase engagement from your followers.

Don’t be afraid to try using gifs and other fun types of content called rich content to help your brand appear more exciting.

Create a schedule and stick to it

Nothing hurts your brand more than an inactive Instagram profile. In order to grow your brand and keep your followers engaged, you need to create content regularly. Doing so will maintain your brand’s relevance and ensure that your profile and the information visible on it accurately represents the current state of your brand. 

A good rule of thumb for social media content creation is to have two weeks of content prepared at all times. This will require some planning ahead, and a content creation calendar is recommended so that you are constantly creating content and publishing it in a consistent manner. However, do not overcompensate content creation by spamming irrelevant posts that contribute nothing to the brand. Brainstorm relevant Instagram content ideas and double check that every post has a purpose.

Video Content Creation

Most social media platforms allow you to create and share videos. While writing and photos are the main components of social media, you also want to focus on videos when considering your social media content creation strategy. Videos are an effective and dynamic tool for storytelling when executed well.

According to a study, 74 percent of millennials active on social media also follow brands on YouTube. Cisco also found that by 2020, 82 percent of all online content would be consumed through video. When you produce great videos and share them on your various social media platforms, you can drive user engagement and audience growth. Keep these tips in mind when you create video content for social media. 

Determine the platform

Before you start creating your video content, you first want to determine which social media platform your video will be shared on, as that then determines many factors about your video, such as length, tone, audience, and content. On social media platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram, shorter form content works better.

YouTube is a great channel for longer videos, and it is also suitable for a myriad of topics and forms. If you want your video to reach an audience outside of your immediate follower base, a platform like Facebook can help. Once you can articulate the goal of your video, you can then develop a strategy for your video content creation to optimize the viewing experience for each network. You can tailor the style to fit your intended audience, whether you are filming live shots or presenting a slideshow of pictures.

Write a script

Just as every social media post you write will undergo several rounds of editing, you should draft a script for your video and workshop it. You want to make sure your video presents a cohesive message. This will likely be achieved through a combination of words, visuals, and audio. When it comes to the written word, you can usually get creative with your phrasing. However, when it comes to creating video content, you want to make sure the script is simplistic. If there is too much text on a frame, you can easily overwhelm the viewer. Convey the message of your video with short phrases and simple sentences. 

Apply your brand’s aesthetic

Create a unifying aesthetic for the video content you produce. You can achieve that aesthetic with multiple elements. For example, the way the words appear onscreen or are spoken, the overlay of certain images or video shots, and the motion graphics. You can create a seamless and unifying look by selecting a specific color palette and iconography. Add a soundtrack that matches the tone of your video and doesn’t distract from the content. As a general rule, that means choosing music without lyrics, usually acoustic, techno, minimal, or electronic music. 

Optimize your video

SEO doesn’t just apply to articles, as videos use a comprehensive algorithm to boost videos, especially on YouTube. When you optimize your videos as you would with blogs and long-form content, you help create a higher engagement rate from your viewers. If your videos make their way to YouTube, make sure they include the appropriate meta description, title, and alt texts to maximize their reach. The title of your video should be short, crisp, and attention-grabbing as well. You should also incorporate a call to action at the end of your video by including links, directing them to your website or other social media platforms, and encouraging people to comment. 

If you use these social media content creation tips, you will be able to reach your intended audience and beyond whenever you create and share content. Whether you are posting a creative video or sharing a stunning picture on Instagram, your content will live forever on the Internet and be viewed by many. If you need additional tips on how to best create social media content, reach out to SEO Design Chicago and we can craft a strong and effective social media content strategy for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How often should I post content on different social media platforms?

Posting frequency varies by platform and audience. For Instagram, aim for 3-7 posts per week with 1-2 stories daily. Facebook works well with 3-5 posts per week, while Twitter can handle multiple daily posts. LinkedIn is best with 2-3 professional posts weekly. YouTube should have consistent uploads, whether weekly or bi-weekly. The key is consistency over quantity—it’s better to post quality content regularly than to post frequently with poor content. Monitor your analytics to see when your audience is most active and adjust accordingly.

2. What’s the ideal length for videos on different social media platforms?

Video length requirements vary significantly by platform. Instagram Stories and Reels perform best at 15-30 seconds, while Instagram feed videos can be up to 60 seconds. TikTok videos should be 15-60 seconds for maximum engagement. Facebook videos work well between 1-3 minutes. YouTube allows longer content, with 7-15 minutes being the sweet spot for most topics, though tutorials can be longer. LinkedIn videos should be 30 seconds to 5 minutes. Always prioritize engaging content over meeting exact time limits.

3. How many hashtags should I use, and how do I choose the right ones?

For Instagram, use 20-30 hashtags for maximum reach, mixing popular, moderately popular, and niche-specific tags. Twitter works best with 1-2 hashtags, while LinkedIn should use 3-5 professional hashtags. Choose hashtags by researching your target audience, analyzing competitors, and using tools like Hashtagify or Instagram’s search suggestions. Include 2-3 branded hashtags consistently, then vary others based on content. Avoid overly popular hashtags where your content gets lost, and focus on hashtags with 10K-500K posts for better visibility.

4. Should I create different content for each social media platform or repurpose the same content?

A strategic mix works best. Create core content that can be adapted for multiple platforms while tailoring the format, caption style, and hashtags for each platform’s unique audience and algorithm. For example, turn a blog post into an Instagram carousel, a LinkedIn article, Facebook post, and Twitter thread. However, avoid simply copying and pasting identical content across platforms. Each platform has different user expectations, optimal posting times, and content formats that perform best.

5. How do I maintain a consistent brand aesthetic across all my social media content?

Develop a brand style guide that includes your color palette (2-4 main colors), fonts, logo usage, image filters, and tone of voice. Use consistent photo editing styles and templates for graphics. Tools like Canva or Adobe Creative Suite can help maintain visual consistency. Create content batches using the same aesthetic elements, and consider using the same filter or editing style for photos. Your brand voice should also remain consistent—whether professional, casual, or humorous—while adapting slightly for each platform’s culture.

6. What tools can help me plan and schedule my social media content?

Popular scheduling tools include Hootsuite, Buffer, Sprout Social, and Later for multi-platform management. For content creation, use Canva for graphics, Loom or InShot for video editing, and Unsplash or Pexels for stock photos. Content planning tools like Trello, Asana, or simple spreadsheets help organize your content calendar. Many platforms also offer native scheduling (Facebook Creator Studio, LinkedIn, Instagram Creator Studio). Choose tools based on your budget, team size, and the platforms you use most frequently.

7. How do I measure if my social media content is successful?

Track metrics that align with your goals. For brand awareness: reach, impressions, and follower growth. For engagement: likes, comments, shares, and saves. For website traffic: click-through rates and link clicks. For sales: conversion rates and revenue attribution. Use each platform’s native analytics (Instagram Insights, Facebook Analytics, YouTube Analytics) plus tools like Google Analytics to track website traffic from social media. Review metrics weekly and adjust your content strategy based on what performs best with your audience.

8. What should I do when I run out of content ideas for social media?

Create a content idea bank using these strategies: repurpose old high-performing content, share behind-the-scenes content, create educational posts about your industry, showcase customer testimonials and user-generated content, participate in trending topics and holidays, and answer frequently asked questions from customers. Follow industry leaders and competitors for inspiration (but don’t copy), use content idea tools like AnswerThePublic or BuzzSumo, and engage with your audience to understand what they want to see. Keep a running list of content ideas so you’re never starting from scratch.