The short answer: Yes, definitely use hashtags. Hashtags are an essential asset in your digital marketing toolbox.

Hashtags impact the overall performance of social media content. Forward-thinking brands use them with specific goals and intentional strategies in mind—whether they’re making their product go viral or leveraging hashtag analytics.

Unfortunately, the confusion surrounding hashtags prevents some marketers from using them to their full potential. This is further complicated by experts who negate the benefits of hashtags or dismiss them as irrelevant.

In this article, we break down everything you need to know to hashtag with confidence. We explore what hashtags are, how to use them and examples of ways brands are successfully ushering in the new era of hashtags.

• What is a hashtag?
• Why use hashtags
• How to find which hashtags to use
• Tips for using hashtags
• Using hashtags on different social networks
• Hashtag examples to spark your next big idea

What is a hashtag?

Hashtags are words and numbers following the # symbol that categorize and track content on social media. You can add hashtags to social posts, bios and comments on most major platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Pinterest.

What is the history of the hashtag?

So, where did the hashtag come from? The first hashtag debuted on Twitter in 2007 from a product designer named Chris Messina.

“I designed the hashtag to thwart any one social network from becoming the dominant gatekeeper. Think about it: The hashtag is one of the few superstructures that spans across all social media platforms.

Only hashtags allow similarly-interested folks to find each other—whether they’re on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, Reddit or elsewhere. It provides a glimpse into what an interoperable, decentralized social web could be like.” — Chris Messina, Inventor of the hashtag

What is the hashtag symbol?

Many social media users and marketers immediately recognize the # symbol as a hashtag, but its official name is an octothorpe. The term was first used in 1971 when telecommunications companies introduced the # symbol to the touch-tone dialing keypad.

However, depending on how you use it, the symbol is called many different names. Before its use on social media, it was most widely known as a pound or number sign (example: #2 pencil). Musicians also use the symbol to distinguish a sharp note (example: F#), while copy editors use it to denote adding a space.

In the early days of the internet, chatroom users referred to the symbol as a “hash,” a word borrowed from programmer culture. That’s where Messina was inspired to repurpose it on Twitter. Since then, the term hashtag has dominated modern popular lexicon.

What is the purpose of a hashtag?

Given the sophistication of today’s social media algorithms, it might be difficult to remember the chaotic social feeds of the early 2000s. Users had limited control over what content they saw and were frustrated by too many uninteresting or irrelevant posts.

Hashtags were invented to help bring order to the social media user experience. Hashtags group together similar conversations to help people find content that matters to them. Once a hashtag is published, it becomes a clickable, searchable link.

For example, when you click on #SummerVibes on TikTok, you can see all videos published on the platform using that hashtag. You can also see the top videos and overall popularity of the hashtag.

What is a hashtag used for?

While organizing feeds was the original purpose of hashtags, their use case has evolved. Now, they empower users to amplify their message. Hashtags have become so powerful they can be the spark that ignites social movements (example: #MeToo, #BlackLivesMatter).

Hashtags aren’t always a force of social change—some viral hashtags are just plain fun. Like #Gentleminions, a TikTok challenge turned cultural phenomenon that led to record-breaking box office numbers for the Minions franchise.

For brands, hashtags can help social marketers reach niche audiences and build community.

According to Messina, “Many more people are interested in finding their community—or growing the one they already run. Hashtags provide a tried and true method across nearly every social media platform.”

Hashtags also help social marketers create viral campaigns, increase brand awareness and reach their business goals.

Why you should use hashtags

Hashtags are powerful tools for growing your online presence. Regardless of which social platform you use them on, here are three ways hashtags can benefit your business:

Increases engagement

You can use hashtags to participate in larger conversations or trending topics, which can increase the reach of your posts, spark conversations and attract even more attention.

For instance, let’s say you’re a sports brand that wants to join in on the conversation around the FIFA World Cup. You can use relevant hashtags such as #WorldCup and #FIFAWorldCup to participate in the larger conversation around the event.

This will help your posts appear in searches and feeds related to the World Cup, increasing your visibility and potential for engagement.

You can also monitor these hashtags and engage with users who are using them. Like and comment on relevant posts, share user-generated content or even run a contest or giveaway using the hashtags to encourage engagement.

But be careful — including spammy, irrelevant, generic and too many hashtags can do more harm than good. Choose your hashtags wisely to reach like-minded audiences, and make sure your content is worth engaging with.

Makes your brand easier to find

Hashtags are a great way to increase brand awareness. They let you categorize your content so anyone interested in that particular topic can easily find it.

For example, let’s say you run a skincare brand and you create a post about your new moisturizer product. By including relevant hashtags such as #skincare, #beauty and #moisturizer in your post, you’re essentially tagging your content with those keywords.

Users who are interested in skincare products or searching for those keywords can find your post (and brand) by searching for those hashtags.

You can also include branded hashtags to help people who are already aware of your brand to easily find specific posts and pages.

Adds additional context to your posts

Hashtags connect your posts to specific topics or themes, making it easier for your audience to find, understand, relate to and engage with your content.

For example, if you’re sharing a new recipe you’ve tried, including hashtags like #recipe can help make your post searchable and differentiate it from other non-recipe food posts.

Similarly, if you’re attending a conference or event, using the event’s official hashtag can help your post get seen by other attendees and people following the event online.

Hashtags are also useful if you’re sharing creative visual content, and want to add the right context without writing long paragraphs of text.

How to find which hashtags to use

Just because a hashtag is popular doesn’t mean it’s the right fit for your brand. Before using a new hashtag, determine your goal (example: increased engagement).

After you have an endgame in mind, start digging into hashtag research. Here are a few ways to find the right hashtags for your brand.

Use a social media listening tool

Tools like RiteTag and Sprout Social’s Listening can help you identify relevant conversations by tracking keywords associated with your brand.

By monitoring these conversations, you can find out what hashtags are being used by your target audience and what topics they’re interested in.

Sprout also lets you track the performance of the hashtags you’re already using by analyzing the number of mentions, engagement and audience sentiment. This is helpful for knowing whether you’re using the right hashtags or need a change of strategy.

Research trending hashtags

Take advantage of trending hashtags to attract more attention to your posts.

Using popular hashtags is also a great way to come up with creative ideas for new content. Plus, it helps your brand become part of a larger community and join the conversation.

So, how do you find trending hashtags in your niche?

Begin by natively researching existing popular and relevant hashtags across apps. Use these hashtag types for inspiration:

• Product or service (example: #Pretzels)
• Industry or community-specific (example: #BookTok)
• Timely or seasonal (example: #NYE)
• Location (example: #Dublin)
• Acronyms (example: #SMMs)

Turn to your social media platform’s trend-specific page to find these.

On Instagram, for example, you can browse the Explore page to see which posts are rising in popularity. Take note of the hashtags they’re using and consider hopping on the bandwagon if they align with your brand.

Other ways to find trending hashtags include using hashtag research tools and keeping track of events, holidays and special occasions.

Review your competition

Studying your competitors’ online strategy is a clever way to find relevant and effective hashtags for your brand.

Start by identifying brands that are similar to yours in terms of offerings, target audience and overall brand image. Then, analyze the hashtags they’re using in their posts, as well as the ones in their bio or profile description.

Look for common themes or topics that are relevant to your brand. Evaluate the engagement level on their posts and shortlist hashtags you might want to “share the space” with.

Don’t forget to track the performance of any competitor hashtags you use in your own posts. Hashtags working for your competition may not work for your brand.

In that case, it’s best to understand your own brand voice, audience and niche, and use more targeted hashtags that resonate with your customers.

Tips for using hashtags

Despite the benefits of hashtags, some marketers are unsure how to use them strategically.

For example, if your goal is to reach a specific audience, adding popular hashtags (example: #ForYouPage) to your posts might cast too wide of a net and fail to connect you with the right people.

To perfect the art of hashtagging, you should conduct research, use hashtags thoughtfully and analyze your results.

Here are some tips for using hashtags to their max potential.

1. Create branded hashtags

You might find creating your own branded hashtag is the best way to reach your goals. Branded hashtags increase visibility, clicks, mentions and overall reach.

Make sure to use your branded hashtag consistently across all of your social media channels. And encourage your followers to use it when they share content related to your brand.

For example, Rare Beauty — Selena Gomez’s makeup brand — started the hashtag #rareroutine to encourage customers to share their beauty routines using Rare Beauty products.

You can also consider running a social media campaign or contest using the hashtag to further promote your brand.

For most brands, using the right mix of popular, niche and brand-specific hashtags is the sweet spot for exposure and engagement.

Above all, it’s most important to identify hashtags that will help your brand stand out from your competitors and contribute toward your unique goals.

2. Use relevant hashtags in your social content

Once you identify which hashtags you’re going to use, it’s time to start adding them to your content. With hashtags, the general rule of thumb is less is more. Avoid stuffing your posts full of hashtags. Not only could this deter people from reading your message, it could also lead the social platform to categorize your posts as spam.

In general, stick to a few hashtags that are relevant to or describe your post. To determine exactly how many hashtags you should use, follow the best practices of each social platform. Keep reading to learn more about platform-specific best practices in the next section of this article.

When you write your copy, customize your hashtag placement according to each platform’s guidelines. Keep in mind that hashtags are hyperlinks. Adding them to the bottom of your captions, descriptions or posts works best to prevent people from clicking away.

3. Analyze and report on your hashtags’ progress

Tracking your hashtags is the most critical thing you can do to make sure they’re impacting your social performance. Monitor key metrics on a regular basis, including:

• Popularity: How many people are using the hashtag?
• Reach: How many people see the hashtag you’re using?
• Interactions: How many people engage (like, share or comment) with posts that include the hashtag?
• Users: Who is seeing the hashtag?

You can find some of this data in the native apps. If you want to automatically generate and visualize it in one place, use a tool like Sprout Social.

In Sprout, there are multiple ways to track the performance of your hashtags. For example, you can use social listening to find out how frequently people are talking about your topic, what related terms they’re using and the sentiment around the topic.

Use data to determine which hashtags work well and which ones don’t. Continue to experiment and test new tags to avoid using the same hashtags on every post—this could register as spam. Instead, keep your best performing hashtags on rotation and try out new ones often.

Using hashtags on different social networks

When using hashtags across your social presence, don’t take a one-size-fits-all approach. Tailor hashtags to suit each platform. Here are up-to-date hashtag best practices you can follow to supercharge your content and grow your reach.

How to use hashtags on Instagram

There are a number of benefits to using hashtags on Instagram. According to Instagram’s Creator Community, IG users should “think of hashtags as a tool that provides context about your post and supports delivering content to people who are interested in a particular topic.”

The Creator Community also lays out these guidelines:

• Only use 3-5 hashtags at a time
• Use hashtags in your posts, comments and Stories
• Only use hashtags relevant to your community and brand

 

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How to use hashtags on Facebook

Facebook has steered away from giving explicit best practice advice since introducing hashtags in 2016. This has led some brands to shy away from using them, while others include them in every post.

Based on our research, follow these steps to make hashtags on Facebook work for your brand:

• Only use 1-2 hashtags
• Use hashtags in your posts, comments and Stories
• Use timely hashtags since many users turn to Facebook for news and events

How to use hashtags on TikTok

Some cite TikTok as the ultimate hashtag success story. And there’s no denying the impact hashtags have on growing your reach in the app.

To help your TikTok grow to its fullest potential, use these hashtag best practices:

• Only use 3-5 hashtags
• Use hashtags in your videos and Stories
• Stay on top of emerging, trending hashtags and use them thoughtfully
• Avoid using #ForYou, #FYP and #ForYouPage. If you do use them, proceed with caution.

How to use hashtags on Twitter

Hashtags are baked into Twitter’s DNA. Twitter users turn to the platform to catch up on what’s happening and hashtags make finding the latest content easy. Twitter makes it even easier by displaying trending hashtags and keywords on the homepage.

Use these hashtags tips to help your content perform well on Twitter:

• Only use 1-2 hashtags
• Use hashtags in your Tweets, Retweets and Replies
• Use community-focused hashtags (example: events, conferences, holidays)
• Join current conversations by using popular hashtags and jumping on trends (if it’s a good fit for your brand)

How to use hashtags on LinkedIn

LinkedIn users follow and interact with hashtags that are relevant to their job or industry. Tap into your audience’s go-to hashtags when creating your social content.

LinkedIn is also a great place to roll out your branded hashtags, and encourage your team members to use them too.

When using hashtags on LinkedIn, consider these best practices:

• Only use 2-3 hashtags
• Use hashtags in your posts and on your company page. Note: Hashtags in comments or articles don’t show up in people’s feed.
• Mix well-known and niche, branded hashtags

How to use hashtags on YouTube

Use hashtags on YouTube to help people find your videos. Hashtags boost your searchability and organize your channel, which encourages viewers to stick around.

To encourage more video views, optimize your hashtag usage with these guidelines:

• Only use 3-5 hashtags per video
• Use 1-2 hashtags in your title and the rest in your description

How to use hashtags on Pinterest

Pinterest helps create a personalized experience by sorting all Pins into categories. People look for “pin-spiration” for everything from holiday decor to muscle cars, so adding niche hashtags to your posts make it easier to reach the right audience.

Use these hashtag tips to help your Pins be seen by your intended audience:

• There isn’t official Pinterest data to support the number of hashtags you should use. Use your own discretion and, remember, less is more.
• Use timely hashtags since users are often on Pinterest to gain seasonal ideas
• Make sure your hashtags are relevant to your Pin

Hashtag examples to spark your next big idea

Now that you know how to use hashtags across platforms, here’s our round up of the best ways brands and creators use them.

1. Reference an internet trend

When Casper heard about #GoblinMode—the latest internet trend that celebrates lazing around—they quickly got in on the fun. As a brand known for selling state of the art mattresses, rest and relaxation is part of their ethos.

If you see a new trend that aligns with your brand, use it to inspire your next Tweet. Don’t forget to use the trending hashtag.

2. Use a hashtag for your Q&A

Orgain hosted a live Q&A event and posted their responses to Twitter using #OrganicSummer. The hashtag made it easier for their audience to follow along and engage with their content. It was general enough that it reached a lot of people, but specific enough to attract the right audience.

Are you hosting or participating in an event soon? Be sure to use that event’s hashtag in your promotional content. If there isn’t a hashtag yet, create one.

3. Combine branded and general hashtags

Jenna Kutcher, host of the Goal Digger podcast, is known for her online marketing savvy. In her LinkedIn posts, she uses hashtags that are specific to her brand (example: #GoalDiggerPodcast) and general hashtags her audience might use (example: #Entrepreneurship).

If you’re looking for inspiration for your branded hashtag, consider using the name of an existing campaign, tagline or content series your brand currently uses. The keywords are already associated with your brand, so they’ll be a natural fit.

4. Tag your location

Myles Apparel knows their customers are just as nature-obsessed as they are. Which is why tagging their Instagram images with #Donner makes sense. Donner Summit, California, is a highly-Instagrammable location made for outdoor enthusiasts.

If you’re at a location that’s significant to your audience, add it to your post or Story as a hashtag.

Start using hashtags in your content strategy

The hashtag isn’t dead. In fact, it’s more vital to the success of your content’s performance than ever. By delivering content with the right hashtags, you can forge relationships with your community, build brand awareness and reach your goals on social—and beyond.

Need help determining which hashtags are right for your brand? Use our worksheet to uncover the hashtags that have the greatest impact on your content.

The post Hashtags: What they are and how to use them effectively appeared first on Sprout Social.

There’s a new pressure on social media teams to not only make more videos, but to also star in them. Some social practitioners are all about it. But it’s not for everyone.

If you can feel your leadership team about to pop “the question,” don’t worry—you can remain behind the lens while still featuring human beings on your channels. The trick? Recruiting others to step in front of the camera for you.

In this article, we’re going to dive into how you can get others involved in social video, and why it matters.

Ring lights, camera (or, phone), action.

But first: Why you should get others involved in social video

Content formats are ever-changing. In Sprout’s 2023 Content Benchmarks report, over half of marketers cite this as a challenge when planning and scheduling posts.

But while formats may shift, video is here to stay. As Sprout’s Senior Social Media Strategist Olivia Jepson tells us, “If YouTube has shown us anything over the last 10+ years, it’s that video isn’t going anywhere—no matter the format. Video is 100% worth continuing to invest your time in.”

…video isn’t going anywhere—no matter the format. Video is 100% worth continuing to invest your time in.

Olivia Jepson
Senior Social Media Strategist at Sprout Social

With more video content creation on your plate, diversifying your talent—both on screen and behind the camera—is your lifeline.

Let’s get into some of the core benefits of involving others in social videos.

Lightens the workload

It may come as no surprise that bandwidth is the number one struggle for social media teams, according to the Sprout Social Index™.

Lean on your team for content creation. You can film them yourself, outsource the whole filming process to them or do a mix of both (like we do at Sprout).

One person making 10 videos solo is hard. 10 people each making or starring in one video is much easier.

Humanizes your brand

There’s a reason why 42% of marketers hire creators for unboxing or reveal content.

Thanks to the rise of the creator economy and TikTok, having a “main character” for brand social channels is becoming a norm. This has its benefits—a familiar face humanizes your brand, and it can help appeal to younger viewers.

But besides putting added pressure on social teams, think about the gap left when the face of your brand leaves—a departure that’s even led to fan backlash.

Finally, it’s limiting. After all, your brand is composed of many unique individuals, expertise areas and stories. Involving others in your social video content—from employees to customers—brings more of these stories to life.

Videos have become easier to make

In our hybrid work world, you’re not always able to go up to someone’s desk and ask, “Want to be in a TikTok?”

Luckily, video production has become a much easier task. Which means asking others to create a video for you is more realistic.

According to Wyzowl, 41% of marketers who used video as a marketing tool for the first time in 2022 did so because creating video in-house has gotten easier.

As long as someone has a phone (and interest), they can film. Tap team members to do some remote video production at home.

Highlights different areas of expertise

You don’t need to be an expert in every area of your brand. Tap team members with different areas of expertise to answer FAQs, peek behind the scenes and educate your audience.

Auntie Anne’s brings the brand experience to life on TikTok with experimental recipes, close-ups on how the sausage (or, pretzel) gets made and more. And that takes collaboration with the pretzel-making pros.

As Bari Rosenstein, the social media manager for Auntie Anne’s and Jamba, tells us: “With the nature of our brand, having people make the pretzels is almost a need when it comes to shooting video, so we can show people’s hands making the product.”

Tapping internal experts can also get you access to new areas of your company. For example, when I managed social media at Shedd Aquarium, the animal caretakers could get much closer to certain animals than I could. So I leaned on them to send me content, like this video with over three million views.

Who to recruit for your social video program

So, you’re ready to ask more people to appear in your video content.

You may even have some content ideas in mind.

Let’s get into who you can feature in your social media videos, plus a few content ideas to get you started.

Your colleagues

Tapping colleagues both on and outside of your team is an easy way to feature internal experts.

This is especially helpful if your company has multiple locations and experiences to highlight. Think: a gym franchise with hundreds of locations, classes, trainers and members to feature, like Orangetheory Fitness.

As Orangetheory’s Associate Director of Social Media Anthony Yepez tells us, “We really like to feature stories that are relatable, and can truly connect with others in our community and outside of it.”

At Shedd Aquarium, I was not an animal health or care expert. But Shedd’s vets and caretakers are. So I leaned on them to host educational Facebook Lives.

Ideas to tap your teams for:

• Behind-the-scenes videos and tours
• How-tos and educational content
• Providing answers to common FAQs
• Employee spotlights

Your company leadership

Your executives are a powerful source for thought leadership. Plus, they can humanize your brand—70% of consumers feel more connected to brands whose CEOs are active on social.

Tap them to create videos for your brand channels, or their own. Or, reuse existing video from relevant speaking engagements and events.

It’s a win-win for you and your leaders: High value content for your channels, and a stronger personal brand for your executives.

The best part? Filming video content tends to be an easier ask for busy leaders.

Ideas to tap your leadership for:

• Thought leadership
• Career development tips
• Q&As
• Business updates
• Quarterly earnings recaps

Customers and brand advocates

People trust real people on social. According to the Sprout Social Index™, 39% of consumers say they like to see customer testimonials or demos posted by brands they follow.

Take Chewy, for example. Much of their content is creator-driven or user-generated, and features customers (pets and humans) with their products—or packaging.

Work with your marketing and sales teams to find happy customers and user-generated content. Just always ask for permission before reposting.

Ideas to tap your customers and brand advocates for:

• Unboxing content
• Reviews
• Demos or how-tos
• Unique ways of using your products (see: the Chewy box a customer turned into a game)
• Shopping hauls
• Visits to your storefront or location

Wildcard: a dedicated “social media personality”

You might not jump for joy about being the “face” of your brand’s social channels. But you can hire someone who would.

A “social media personality” job posting isn’t far-fetched. In fact, it’s already happening. Take Nerf’s official Chief TikTok Officer, for example.

Depending on how important having one creator is to your team, consider hiring someone specifically for this job.

How to set you and your talent roster up for success

You have the “why.” You have the “who.” Now let’s talk about how you can make this collaboration come to life.

You and your social team are probably comfortable creating video content. But your newly-recruited talent may not have that same level of comfort…or skill.

Here are six ways to set your talent, and your team, up for success.

1. Create video briefs

When you involve multiple people in video creation, maintaining a cohesive look, feel and quality is crucial. Especially when you’re handing the camera to a newbie.

This is where a creative brief comes in. Use this document to outline the following details of your video:

• Goals: What and who is this video for? What do you want to achieve with this piece of content? Is this part of a larger campaign? A trend? Educational?
• Content structure: How long should this video be? Should it be horizontal or vertical?
• Key talking points: What key messages should the talent cover?
• Deadlines: When do you need this content wrapped?
• References: What examples can you include to express how you want to bring your creative vision to life?

If you’re not doing a Q&A video, a script outline is helpful. Guiding your talent by telling them to include an introduction, hook, key takeaways and an outro is more helpful than simply saying, “Write a script.”

2. Educate your talent

A little extra work upfront goes a long way—create a resource with tips, tools or a training session for your talent. This way, you have one document, presentation or recording to share as you expand your talent pool.

As Olivia describes it, “We built out a deck to provide tips for how to hold your phone, how to set up your space and more. We also share sample prompting questions to get people in the filming zone, like asking them their name, pronouns and role. Then we’ll get into the topic.”

This is helpful for teams filming at home, like our content team does…

…or for Q&A-style videos, like this one featuring Emily, our Market Strategy Lead.

When it comes to actually capturing footage, more is more. As Olivia says, “We always share more questions than what we’ll use in the end video.”

Provide guidance to your team around these topics:

• How to film: Should your talent create selfie videos with a front-facing camera? Would you prefer they continuously film all of their takes or record several shorter segments?
• Audio: If your talent is creating a voice-over, what should be on screen? What background noise should they be wary of?
• Length: Your talent can over-film, but providing an ideal time limit will help them plan their video
• Logistics: How should they prop up their camera? If they prefer to hold it, how can they limit shakiness?
• Video settings: Setting an iPhone to its highest settings (4K or 1080p), and a newer iphone should be set at 30 fps and nothing higher
• Lighting: We’ve all seen videos ruined by bad lighting. Tell your talent how to light themselves. For example: face a window but avoid direct sunlight, avoid overhead interior lighting and avoid standing in front of a window so you’re not backlit.
• Framing: For example, centering yourself, leaving some headroom and framing yourself from the chest up are great guidelines to start with
• Set up a practice run: This is more applicable to live videos. It’s always helpful to have a practice session to identify any tech issues, answer questions and feel ready on the day-of.

3. Create an outreach process

Creating an outreach process is instrumental in sourcing talent, and clearly communicating with them.

Here are two steps to consider:

1: Outreach to gauge interest

This is how you’ll see who in your company is interested in getting involved with social videos.

Start testing the waters with your team—chime them in Slack, send out a survey or ask in a meeting. Then, expand this to other teams across your organization.

Pro tip: Inform team leaders ahead of time just so they know the ask is coming. They might also be able to provide you names of their team content aficionados.

2: A communication strategy to gather content

When it’s time to ask someone to create a video, consider your process. How will you reach out to kick off the project, and how will you share resources to empower your talent?

Anthony Yepez let us into his team’s outreach strategy: “We typically reach out via direct message. If they’re interested, we’ll go over the brief via email or phone. We either have them film with our direction provided or, if they’re local to our headquarters or near our remote team members, we film the content ourselves.”

4. Establish a team of “internal influencers”

As you start working with more talent, identify who you can go to to create quality, reliable content.

For example, at Shedd Aquarium I had a go-to list of “in-house influencers” I knew I could tap for quick, stellar content.

And know where you can go to regularly create content. Bari, of Auntie Anne’s and Jamba, has a unique method of getting reliable content: “A lot of our content is shot in our test kitchen during training days. Franchisees train at our headquarters where they pretend to be working at a store—a perfect time for me to film.”

Just always ensure people you’re filming know who you are, and that they’re on camera. As Bari says, “They usually get excited that they’ll be on TikTok. Or if I’m at the mall and I start to film at one of our stores, I introduce myself and mention that I’d like to take videos—since I don’t film faces and often focus on hands, they’re usually OK with it.”

5. Create a suggestion box

Elephant in the room: It might not always be possible to feature other faces on social media.

But you can still get others involved in video ideation.

Create an open forum for coworkers and even fans to submit video ideas. Internally, this might mean a weekly brainstorming chat, shared document or even a physical box for people to drop ideas into.

Externally, this could be as simple as asking your audience, “What do you want to see from us?”

6. When in doubt, you don’t need to show a face

Let’s face it (no pun intended): Not everyone will want to have their face on social media.

If someone is uncomfortable on camera, you can still showcase their expertise while maintaining anonymity. The same goes for the social media team.

As Bari puts it, “You don’t need a face. You can use filters to personify the subject without even showing your face like we do at Jamba. Having a face does help when hopping on audio trends, since a lot of them are based on lip syncing. But you can pair audio with footage of pretzels being pulled out of the oven and it works.”

Get ready to feature fresh faces in your video content

How much you choose to mix up the stars of your social content is up to you. You can take the lead in some videos, and feature coworkers or customers in others. You can stay off-camera forever and lean on your teams. There is no right or wrong way to go about it.

But getting others involved in social video—both starring in and producing them—is a sure-fire way to help fill your content calendar without filling your schedule.

If you’re ready to dive in, we’ve got your next step covered. Read our guide on how to create a culture of content to build a high-impact—but low-lift—video strategy. Happy filming.

The post How to recruit more talent for your social video content appeared first on Sprout Social.

That’s why it’s important to know what to post on each social media platform. So in this article, we’ll share the nine most valuable types of social media content according to marketers and how brands are using these formats to strike a chord with audiences.

The most engaging types of social media content in 2023

Keeping up with the latest in social media is a difficult task with all the different platforms, features and algorithms. That’s why we created The 2023 Content Benchmarks Report to help you identify the most valuable types of social media content.

In this report, we collected data from 729,000 public social profiles in 2022. Then, we analyzed trends to derive what types of social media content will inspire your audience and make them more likely to engage with your brand. Let’s take a look at which formats are most engaging.

1. Short-form video

Short-form videos are the most captivating type of social media content thanks to their capacity to break down and present information in less than one minute. Plus, the length makes it more shareable and ideal for social media.

You’re facing an audience that’s busier than ever. People are looking for immediate gratification with fast and entertaining content they can consume on the way. So a 15-minute video seems impractical when a one-minute video can do the job just as well.

Why short-form video works on social

About 66% of consumers find short-form videos the most engaging out of any other social media post types. And before you say it’s because bigger brands have the resources to produce high-end videos, the truth is successful videos don’t require unlimited time, resources or heavy editing.

According to our research, consumers find short-form videos 2.5x more engaging than long-form videos. So humor and relatability are enough to draw people to your brand. In fact, a survey shows that 34% of consumers like to see authentic, less-produced videos.

Additionally, short-form videos are perfect for different types of social media post ideas. From highlighting how to use your product or service to influencer collaborations and behind-the-scenes content.

Best social media platforms for short-form video

The popularity of TikTok videos, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts is evidence of their effectiveness when it comes to short-form video.

Both TikTok and Instagram have a variety of tools that help create short-form videos for free. You can record a few shots, add a soundtrack, use a filter and follow popular social media trends. Additionally, you can promote your content with native ad campaigns.

Even though YouTube Shorts are a recent feature from YouTube, they have become increasingly popular with 15 billion global daily views.

4 use cases of short-form video from Last Crumb

Last Crumb is a small business born in LA that bakes luxury handmade cookies. This brand stands out for using sassy language and an almost seductive tone to reach its audience.

Last Crumb uses short-form videos on TikTok and Instagram to encourage their audience to crave their cookies with:

1. Content relating their cookies to popular holiday celebrations. Last Crumb uses their holiday-themed videos to hop on relevant trends and conversations, prompting their audience to share their content with friends and allowing the brand to reach a wider audience.

   @lastcrumb

   There’s no better way to “I love you” than with a box of decadent cookies. @Sugar Pusher ® #LastCrumb #LastCrumbTikTok #LastCrumbCookies #cookietok #cookie #foodie #lastcrumbvalentines

   ♬ It’s A Wrap – Sped Up – Mariah Carey

2. Influencer collaborations to taste-test their cookies. In these videos, influencers unbox the luxury package and eat the cookies. This tactic leverages influencers’ loyal followings to generate interest within an untapped audience with “reviews” people trust.

   @lastcrumb

   @Keith Lee is back and this time, he went Platinum. #LastCrumb #LastCrumbTikTok #LastCrumbCookies #cookietok #cookie #foodie #lastcrumbtastetest #lastcrumbunboxing

   ♬ original sound – Last Crumb

3. Last Crumb’s destruction collection, in which the brand destroys their extravagant cookies, merge “demos” with entertaining content to show the delicious texture of the cookies to keep people watching and drive engagement.

   @lastcrumb

   It’s what’s on the inside that counts ❤️ #LastCrumb #LastCrumbTikTok #LastCrumbCookies #cookietok #cookie #foodie #smashorpass #lastcrumbvalentines #valentinesday

   ♬ Pass or Smash – 💜The Simple Touches💜

4. Last Crumb’s sandwich collection shows how you can make different luxury ice cream sandwiches with their cookies. This helps them stay connected with their customers by sharing recipes they might want to try the next time they order cookies.

   @lastcrumb

   A simple solution for when you can’t decide which cookie you want. #LastCrumb #LastCrumbTikTok #LastCrumbCookies #cookietok #cookie #foodie

   ♬ f urself in vegas – SHIMA

2. Images

Images are the second most valuable type of content out of the nine popular social media content categories. They’re also one of the types of social media most frequently posted across social networks.

Static images are absorbed and appreciated in an instant. The colors, composition, text (or lack of it) and other details give social users an immediate impression of your brand.

Why images work on social

Amongst the types of social media content, 61% of consumers find images the most engaging type of in-feed social content. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather look at a picture than read a thousand words.

Since mobile devices are equipped with high-definition cameras, and there are many free editing tools, anyone can embrace their inner photographer and graphic designer. This means social media marketers can create images for their content strategy without enlisting a ton of resources.

Best social media platforms for images

Instagram and Pinterest are platforms that naturally lend themselves to images. These social media platforms have unique advantages to leverage your visuals like filters, effects and editing.

Instagram started as an image-sharing platform and even though it has evolved to be much more, its content is still made of 87% images.

When consumers go to Pinterest, they’re looking for inspiration and creativity. In fact, 97% of all searches on the platform are unbranded, creating the perfect environment for audiences to discover your brand and spark their interest in a future purchase.

As a bonus, both platforms have social commerce features that allow you to tag products, transforming images into “shoppable” content.

3 use cases for image posts from Williams Sonoma

Williams Sonoma is known for its kitchenware, home furnishing and gourmet foods. It maintains a strong following, clear reputable brand identity and “shoppable” feeds across social platforms. They achieve that with sumptuous, vibrant images in the following ways:

1. Williams Sonoma uses top Pinterest trends to create Pins and carousels with colorful dishes and recipes. These images catch the eye of their target audience, enticing clicks to learn more about how to make the dish, which drives engagement and traffic to their website.
2. They support the full shopping experience on Instagram using eye-candy imagery and product tags. Thanks to these, consumers can get the product they like with a few taps, reducing friction to the final purchase.
3. Across platforms, they leverage their organic presence by using captions to enhance their image content and CTAs to their blog or online store to continue the buying journey.

3. Live video

The ongoing digital transformation has left businesses thinking differently about how they can engage with customers in real time. In 2020, Live video came out as a winner during the pandemic with live video viewers reaching 152.5 million (20.4% more than in 2019).

Why live video works on social

37% of consumers find live video the most engaging type of social media content. It enables businesses and creators to broadcast conversations, webinars, Q&As or other virtual events. And unlike text or image posts, where you wait for an interaction, live videos give audiences a chance to react in real time.

Live and simultaneous viewing also gives people a sense of community and togetherness. What’s even better is you can repurpose your livestream video to get more value from the content. For example, you could create multiple shorts or text snippets from your livestream for posts on other networks.

Best social media platforms for live video

Many platforms have livestream capabilities, but the best ones are Facebook Live, Instagram Live, YouTube Live and LinkedIn Live.

YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn Live experienced a boom during the pandemic. YouTube and Facebook Live acted as entertainment for people. While LinkedIn Live allowed brands to reach and communicate with a professional network. On average, LinkedIn live videos get 7x more reactions than native videos.

According to Statista, 43% of US social media users aged 18-34 watched Instagram Live in 2021. That’s in part because the platform is designed to better your chances of followers joining you. When you go live on Instagram, your Live content appears at the beginning of Instagram stories.

How BuzzFeed uses live video to spark interest

BuzzFeed is a news and entertainment company that talks about viral topics. One of its branches, BuzzFeed Video, produces original video content about their articles.

From trying viral TikTok products to, home decor andor easy meal preps, BuzzFeed Video attracts a wide audience around pop culture. They use Facebook Live to bring their blog content to life and be part of the conversation on social. Jumping on viral trends or speaking directly to their audience’s interests enables them to stay relevant in real time and be an entertaining source of information that makes you want to come back for more.

4. GIFs/memes

GIFS and memes are a particular type of social media content favored by younger generations. When words can’t describe the mix of gestures and feelings we all relate to at some point, memes can add meaning to these situations.

These types of social media content assure your audience gets the message and helps your brand relate to your audience through comedic takes on daily life.

Why GIFs and memes work on social

Besides the fact that they’re shareable and enjoyable, their relatability makes it almost personalized content. Something that 71% of consumers expect companies to deliver.

When people see personalized content, their immediate response may be to interact with it and share it with friends. That’s how memes become viral if they’re used with the right audience.

GIFs can have the same effect but are more dynamic due to their animated feature. This makes them an excellent way to start conversations with more than words and still leave an impression.

Best social media platforms for GIFs and memes

Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are ideal to post memes. But for GIFs, we recommend Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. If you post a GIF on Instagram, it will be added as a short video.

Memes drive engagement, that’s why Instagram users share over one million memes daily. They also drive traffic, as proved by a study from Social Media Today. They posted memes on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for a month, which increased their website traffic by 12%.

In the case of GIFs, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn have special features for sharing this type of content. Twitter and LinkedIn make it as easy as tapping on the “GIF” icon and selecting the GIF you want to share. And Facebook’s boomerang feature allows you to capture moments in a loop so you can create your own GIFs.

How ProWritingAid uses GIFs/memes to connect with their audience

ProWritingAid is an AI writing assistant software that corrects your grammar and style with automated suggestions. If you go to their Instagram profile, you’ll notice that their most engaging posts are memes from writers for writers.

They use memes to convey their audience’s common tasks, like finishing a book outline, the struggles that come with it and wholesome messages. This relatable content builds relationships with their audience by speaking to their pain points, while still providing comedic relief.

5. Text-based posts

It’s important for businesses to prioritize visual content, but they shouldn’t lose sight of the power of words. What’s more, 32% of consumers say text-based posts are still one of the most engaging types of social media content.

Written content needs the same attention, consistency and creative elements that you give other content formats. But developing a distinctive brand tone and voice that aligns with your visual identity will help your written content stand out from the crowded social chatter.

Why text-based posts work on social

According to our index, 34% of consumers follow their favorite brands on social to see the brand’s personality. And the most direct way to give that to your customers is with text posts.

Short-form video is reigning and an image is worth a thousand words. But that doesn’t mean text-based content is redundant. And that’s especially true for social media, where text-based content can be valuable for starting conversations that help you get to know your customers better.

Best social media platforms for text-based posts

Reddit, Twitter and LinkedIn are top-of-mind for text-based posts in the social media content categories.

Reddit is a great platform to engage in Q&As and get conversational with your fans. While LinkedIn is perfect to share thought leadership, articles and engage with your professional network.

Still, Twitter is by far the most popular platform for text-based posts. It’s perfect to share digestible bits of information, ideas and news. That’s why it’s always buzzing with conversations. And engaging in conversations that interest your audience can help you widen your reach and build a community.

4 use cases of text-based content from McDonald’s

McDonald’s is one of the most successful fast-food chains with millions of customers served each day. On Twitter, the brand uses text posts to communicate with fans in a relatable, casual and humorous voice that brings the brand down to earth. Specifically, they use these types of text posts to define their brand values and start conversations:

1. Asking their fans questions and encouraging them to engage in fun trends.

   what’s your drive thru hype song? there are no wrong answers

   — McDonald's (@McDonalds) February 7, 2021

2. Using Tweets to collect and act on the feedback shared directly from their community.

   about to present this to my boss do u guys have any feedback? https://t.co/yp3NreJaXy

   — McDonald's (@McDonalds) February 10, 2021

   Y’ALL WE DID IT. Hi-C Orange is coming back 💥 pic.twitter.com/wIaUa6vzPZ

   — McDonald's (@McDonalds) February 10, 2021

3. They don’t just post, wait for engagement and leave it at that. The brand addresses nearly every response they get.
4. McDonald’s cross-promotes their text tweets and repurposes them on other social platforms using graphic elements.
   if u can do this u can have my job

   Posted by McDonald's on Thursday, February 25, 2021

These examples show how McDonald’s uses text-based content as a way of building a community and engaging with them. Plus, this makes customers perceive the brand as approachable which builds trust.

6. User-generated content

User-generated content (UGC) is content created by fans, consumers or users that brands repurpose for their feed. When consumers create content showcasing your products, they’re essentially giving you social proof and testimonials.

UGC has opened the doors for brands to reach a wider audience as people enjoy being part of a community. Also, UGC shows real-life uses of your products or services, which makes your followers more willing to try them.

Why user-generated content works on social

Of all the types of social media content, UGC is the most trustworthy. Consumers want to see real customers showing their experiences with your brand.

According to our 2023 content benchmark report, around 39% of consumers like to see testimonials or customer demos from the brands they follow on social because that’s the type of content they consider authentic. This creates trust, which ultimately affects the decision of 58% of consumers to pick a brand over a competitor, according to our Index data.

Also, you can take advantage of UGC to maximize your budget while reaching more consumers. When a user tries your product and posts about it, their followers may want to try it and post about it as well. This creates a chain reaction in which you reach the followers of your followers. Yet, over 93% of marketers aren’t using the full power of UGC, so there’s a lot of opportunity with this type of content.

Best social media platforms for user-generated content

Instagram and TikTok are the go-to social media platforms to find user-generated content. This is because both are highly effective for visual content, especially short-form videos. And since video content is best for showcasing a product over text or static images, 79% of marketers are willing to invest more in video leveraging authentic content (UGC) in 2023 according to the SOUGC report.

How L’Oreal Paris USA leverages UGC content with TikTok

L’Oreal Paris is a cosmetic brand that empowers women through beauty. They launched a TikTok contest to win $25,000 in which TikTokers had to upload a 15-second video showcasing their new telescopic lift mascara.

This tactic generated tons of UGC videos that fueled their brand awareness. Also, their mascara went viral on TikTok, promoting more sales. And they got lots of product demos for future campaigns.

7. Long-form video

Long-form video is the type of social media content you look for when you want educational and informative videos. Even though short-form videos are the most popular type of content, they lack the depth you crave when you’re genuinely interested in a topic. While videos that last longer are packed with information that builds authority.

Why long-form video works on social

Long-form videos are great for developing relationships with your audience. What’s more, 24% of consumers report long-form video content as the most engaging type of social media content.

Also, long-form videos are one of the best types of social media content to share educational topics. In fact, 93% of viewers use YouTube for educational purposes, and as of March 2021, users spent an average of 29 minutes and 36 seconds per visit.

Best social media platforms for long-form video

YouTube and Facebook are the most popular platforms for long-form content.

When you think about long videos, your mind naturally drifts to the giant online video-sharing platform we know as YouTube. And with good reason, as YouTube is designed to share videos of all lengths and keep people watching.

It’s also important to note that 71% and 51% of consumers expect to use Facebook and YouTube (respectively) more in 2023, according to our Index data.

How TED uses long-form video to connect with its audience

TED Talks discuss specific topics that move the world. Speakers present “Ideas Worth Spreading” from innovative research in their fields hoping to ignite imagination and give space to possibility.

TED’s long-form video content has become a worldwide phenomenon because the ideas click with people, giving them a feeling of belonging and community. But how does TED keep people interested in a 10+ minute video?

Because of storytelling!

The script of every TED Talk is packed with knowledge and information, but also strategic rhetorical questions, pauses and a bit of humor. The talks are meant to be stories that draw the listener in. So it’s all about how you present this information. YouTube creates the perfect space for this as it enables TED Talks to appeal to their audience through education and entertainment.

8. Audio

Social audio is about using your voice rather than comments, emojis or reactions to communicate. You record yourself talking about hot topics or experiences you think will interest your audience.

And the single best format for this type of social media content is podcasts.

Why audio content works on social

Around 32% of people in the US put their headphones on and listened to podcasts while in the car in 2022. A smart way of learning something new and passing the time when you need your eyes on the road. And sometimes people want information without the commitment of being in front of a screen for an hour.

Even though podcasts have at least a basic outline to plan their episode, most of the talking, expressions or personalities are genuine. This allows listeners to connect with the host, but the quality of the content is also important to prompt your audience to hear the next episode.

Best social media platforms for audio

Podcasts are best found in libraries like Spotify and Apple Podcasts. But that doesn’t mean they can’t be repurposed to fit your social media networks.

TikTok and YouTube are great platforms for podcasts as they can play long audio recordings, just like they do with video. You just need to add an image or film the recording of your podcast.

2 use cases of audio content from HerFirst100k

HerFirst100k strives to give women financial education and create a supportive community that thrives. Their podcast, The Financial Feminist, aligns with their financial freedom and community goals. Here’s how they repurposed their podcast on their social to achieve more visibility:

1. TikTok teaser videos that increase their reach and promote their podcast to get more subscribers.

   @herfirst100k

   Whatever she’s doing is working because @nadyaokamoto has redirected the attention to important issues like period poverty. #financialfeminist

   ♬ original sound – Tori Dunlap — Money Expert 💸

2. YouTube gives HerFirst100k a chance to address questions important to their audience on a platform they frequent. Also, it expands its reach beyond podcasting platforms by increasing their visibility on one of the popular search engines.

9. URL/links to other content

Using links helps you bring more followers to your website or other content. As the links are in your social media posts, it gives your audience easy access to content of interest and extends their experience with your brand.

URLs allow your brand to share more details, or go beyond the limits of character count within a social media platform with a single click.

Why URL/links to other content work on social

If you put a link in your social media posts to respective content on your website, you’re creating more opportunity to drive traffic to your site.

What’s more, when you promote a new product or service on social media, a link to the checkout or pricing page can help drive sales. It also reduces friction to purchase by making it easy to go from one platform to the next.

Best social media platforms for URL/link to other content

The best social media platforms for URL/links to other content are LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook. On these platforms, linking to other content is as easy as including the link in the character field and posting it.

Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter emphasize your links by showing a thumbnail image in your posts. For Pinterest, the process is similar, but you can customize the thumbnail image by uploading an image, titling your pin and adding a description.

3 use cases of URL content from Sprout Social

Sprout Social uses specific platforms to expand the reach of their website content. They meet people where they’re at in the format they want to consume it. Here are three types of URL content Sprout Social uses:

1. Updates of newly added functionalities and integrations to get the attention of potential customers in the decisions stage. This can lead to sales but also drive engagement among current customers that enjoy the new features.
   
2. Social media articles in Sprout Social’s Insights blog which drives traffic to their website and more visibility when it comes to industry topics.
   

Find the types of social media content that work for your audience

Thanks to all these types of social media content, there are multiple ways for you to express your brand voice and make meaningful connections. And while best practices are a good starting point, your audience and brand are unique, so you need to find what works best for both.

Discover what type of content your brand should use on social media by taking our social media content mix quiz to find the ideal fit.

The post 9 popular types of social media content to grow your brand appeared first on Sprout Social.

Brands that are truly “killing it” on TikTok are creating content that’s as entertaining as it is authentic–making the audience feel closer to the brand. This trends away from the often polished and perfect posts we’re used to seeing from businesses on other social media platforms.

This 45-minute discussion will cover: 

• How your business can gain value from TikTok 
• TikTok audience insights and its potential for your business
• Impactful TikTok marketing tips you can begin implementing now

Featuring speakers from Sprout Social:

The post How to Unlock the Power of TikTok for Your Business appeared first on Sprout Social.

According to a Q1 2023 Sprout pulse survey, 74% of consumers believe that social media has increased accountability for brands. With those numbers in mind, hitting the right notes for Women’s History Month is imperative. But how do you create content around diversity that resonates and feels authentic?

We spoke to marketers across industries to see what their brands are planning and what they’d like to see from their peers this Women’s History Month. We’re discussing both the icks and ideals for Women’s History Month social media ideas.

Why Women’s History Month Matters

In 1980, then-President Jimmy Carter declared March 2-8 as National Women’s History Week. After realizing there’s entirely too much women’s history to squeeze into seven days, Congress passed Public Law 100-9 in 1987, proclaiming March as Women’s History Month.

The month has deep importance for women, but there’s no monolithic way to celebrate. For some women, like Alexa Heinrich, Social Media Manager at St. Petersburg College, Women’s History Month is a source of energy and pride. The collective excitement makes her feel like she can do anything. As she says, “The whole month screams, “I am woman, hear me roar,” and I love it.”

Other women use Women’s History Month as a chance to slow down.

Women’s History Month makes me stop and think. Sometimes life moves fast and you don’t stop and smell the roses. For me, those roses are recognizing the hard work and sacrifice of generations of women before me, right now and after me.

Steph Hermanson
Strategic Services Consultant, Sprout Social

Women’s History Month is especially important for women holding positions that simply wouldn’t have been possible even 60 years ago, such as CEO at legacy companies like Carol B. Tome of UPS or Michele Buck of The Hershey Company. March is a time to thank trailblazers for giving women everywhere access to new opportunities. Lisa Richards, CEO and Creator of the Candida Diet, echoes this sentiment, saying, “Women’s History Month is a reminder that women have always been a force for change and that we have the power to shape the future. It’s also a time to celebrate our collective strength, resilience, and determination.”

Avoiding Women’s History Month marketing mishaps

Consumers increasingly decide who to buy from based on how a brand’s values align with their own. According to the 2022 Sprout Social Index™, company alignment with personal values is 74% more important than it was in 2021.

But it’s not enough to say you’re aligned. In an era of increased accountability, consumers want proof that businesses actually care about key issues and they don’t take kindly to lip service. Here are some tips to show your audience that you’re serious about women’s issues all year round—not just in March.

Take a look in the mirror

Have you heard of gender washing? It’s the practice of marketing your product or business as women-friendly while supporting patriarchal norms behind the scenes. Gender washing is along the same lines as “greenwashing,” or pretending your product is environmentally friendly when it really isn’t, or “pinkwashing,” which is marketing towards LGBTQIA+ folks without doing any work to stop their oppression.

Today’s savvy consumers can spot any type of “washing” from a mile away. The negative brand impact of coming across as a panderer far outweighs any benefits you may receive from making a post that acknowledges the month. As Dana Cass, the Founder of Cass Content Studios says, “Many brands would be better off not posting about identity-based celebrations if they don’t have meaningful support for that identity group.”

Before you start planning your Women’s History Month marketing, take a long look at your business. Have you taken steps to address the gender pay gap? Is your executive team and board of directors almost entirely made up of men? Do you have a solid DEI plan in place to recruit more women into positions of authority? Do you have employee resource groups (ERGs) dedicated to women in the workforce? If the answer to most of those questions is no, you might be better off sitting this month out.

If you’re in a good position to put out a message, start measuring your success. It’s not enough to say that your organization supports women in leadership. Your consumers want to know what percentage of your leadership team is made up of women, what programs you have in place to mentor early-career women and metrics for your DEI initiatives.

I want less talk and more action from brands during Women’s History Month. Don’t tell me how you’re going to support women, show me how you’re already doing that. I don’t want lip service, I want action.

Alexa Heinrich
Social Media Manager, St. Petersburg College

If you can’t back up your commitment, you’re better off not speaking to it. Gone are the days of posting a picture of Susan B. Anthony on Instagram and calling it a day. After years of lackluster appeals to underrepresented communities, audiences are tired of generic celebration posts.

Make meaningful connections with women

Tokenization, or using someone for their membership in an underrepresented community, is easy to spot in today’s landscape. And consumers see right through it. More than two-thirds of brands rate their external DEI leadership communication, hiring practices or growing diverse talent as good or very good.

Over half (54%) of marketers report seeing more internal and external communications about DEI programs. But only 21% of marketers report that their company has an established DEI team or program. Something isn’t adding up.

To make content that appeals to marginalized groups, you have to communicate with those marginalized groups. That means going to the women in your workplace and customer or brand advocate base and finding out what they’d like to see—not just for Women’s History Month marketing, but year-round. Your women and women-identifying employees aren’t props to be used one month out of the year. They’re valuable members of your team with insight that will make your marketing, and your company, stronger.

Reaching out to underrepresented groups can’t just be about hitting a quota or the visibility of doing something “right.” It has to be real and genuine to your brand. Do your homework, make a connection, and follow up. I see groups being used for reach and engagement, but then dropped off the face of the earth far too often. Make a long-term relationship.

Steph Hermanson
Strategic Services Consultant, Sprout Social

Women’s History Month social media ideas that actually work

We’ve talked about potential pitfalls for Women’s History Month but there are just as many opportunities to celebrate. This month isn’t just about women’s struggles, it’s about our accomplishments as well. We’ve established that going generic won’t pay off, so here are some ideas to get your Women’s History Month marketing plan and social media activism started.

Show your work

If you’ve taken our advice and examined your commitment to and success with DEI initiatives, you probably have some data on hand. That data can be invaluable for your Women’s History Month content strategy.

For instance, Sprout Social’s 2023 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Report shows breakdowns of the team and leadership by gender and highlights strategy and operations infrastructure efforts to move the needle. This kind of concrete content shows your commitment to women and gives a glimpse into your company culture. And keeping your customers engaged with your culture can have a big impact. Two-thirds (66%) of consumers agree that posting about company culture impacts their connectedness with the company. That connectedness directly impacts your bottom line, with 77% of consumers ready to increase their spending with brands they feel connected with.

Content about Women’s History Month — or any celebration of identity — resonates most when it comes from a company that is actually doing something to promote the well-being of that identity group. Tell me about your women in leadership or your top-tier benefits for moms.

Dana Cass
Founder, Cass Content Studios

Teach your audience something new

People love fun facts. Women’s History Month is a great opportunity to show off your knowledge and teach your customers something new in the process.

Over half (54%) of social media users who spend an hour or more online find educational content engaging, and a comparable amount (49%) are likely to share it with their networks. There’s one caveat though. The content has to be relevant to your brand and your audience. Nellie Bly was a fascinating historical figure and an advocate for women’s rights, but unless your product caters to undercover journalism, the content will just seem generic.

Reading with RIK is a kid’s reading incentive subscription box with the goal of motivating children to read more. For Women’s History Month, they’re planning on sending out books by and about women–and sharing some of those stories on their social media accounts. Ashley R. Cummings, the CMO of Reading with RIK, thinks it’s important to educate both children and families with their product and their social media presence reflects that. Their educational content doesn’t feel forced or generic since it’s seamlessly tied with their product offering.

Express your team spirit

They say charity begins at home. If that’s true, then recognizing the power of women should begin with your team. You could spend hours researching famous women who’ve had an impact on your industry. Alternatively, you could just talk to the women who make an impact on your team every day.

Over two-thirds of marketers (81%) and over half of consumers (66%) agree that brands posting about their employees positively impacts customers’ view of their company. Posting about the incredible women on your team is not only a great Women’s History Month social media idea, but it’s also data-driven. Creating profiles of your teammates’ accomplishments, strengths, goals and stories is an excellent start for your content strategy.

It’s who you know

Your internal team isn’t the only inspiration source for your Women’s History Month social media ideas. It’s a great opportunity to highlight other women in your network, whether they’re vendors, customers or partners.

Tom Leighton, COO of Sofary, a lighting business, will be featuring women who’ve broken barriers in the male-dominated industry. Their list includes manufacturers, retailers, suppliers and distributors. His hope is that seeing these stories will inspire the next generation of women and help create a more inclusive environment across the industry.

Libby Diament, Founder and Designer of Diament Boutiques in Washington D.C., highlights strong women and women’s issues on her business’s social media pages on a regular basis. But for Women’s History Month, she’s taking it a step further by highlighting women-owned businesses in her supply chain.

But you don’t have to stop at the stories of others. If you’re a woman in business, you definitely have one too. Posting about your own journey, obstacles and achievements can be just as inspiring as reading another story from the history books. You can even take it a step further by offering your time, advice and support to women who are trying to break into your industry.

I think using your own story can be extremely effective in providing inspiration. I make sure to mention that followers can reach out to me if they have questions on how to grow a business.

Libby Diament
Founder and Designer, Diament Boutiques

Reaching every woman

Women’s History Month is an opportunity to learn, reflect and celebrate. But just like any outreach attempt, it has to be authentic to your business and your audience. Women’s History Month represents a rich opportunity to connect with your customers and prospects. With a thoughtful approach, you can deepen your relationships with women across your network.

Is your brand ready to start addressing cultural moments on social? Learn more about how to determine which are right for you to act on.

The post Creating Women’s History Month social media ideas that resonate appeared first on Sprout Social.

When creating your TikTok marketing strategy, it’s a good idea to use a mixture of popular TikTok trends as well as some staples that can count as evergreen content. This will help your channel stay relevant and timely.

But in order to keep up with the latest trends, you need to know what they are.

We’ve compiled a list of the top eight TikTok trends we expect to see this year (and beyond). With each example, we dive in and share how you can use these trends in your own TikTok strategy.

Top TikTok trends to influence your 2023 TikTok strategy

1. Dance challenges

Dance challenges remain a popular trend on TikTok—the only thing that’s changed is the song and the dance. However, given that TikTok morphed from the lip sync app Musical.ly, it’s no surprise that it still hangs onto its roots. Plus, some of the most famous TikTokers grew their following by creating and performing dance challenges.

Brands that have mascots get a bit of an advantage when it comes to this. While organizations can always have their team members join in on a dance challenge, there’s something about a company mascot dancing along that just stands out.

Mascots can either join in on an existing dance challenge or consider creating their own, like Charmin and their new “Charmin Slide” remix.

The brand even got some famous TikTokers to publish their own rendition of the “Charmin Slide” as a fun promotional technique.

Think of ways that your brand can also jump on various dance challenges. If you scroll through TikTok videos for a bit each week, you should be able to compile a consistent list of dances for your brand mascot to join in on.

2. Pack an order with me

Many small businesses have taken to TikTok to build a community, and one great way to do that is by packing orders on camera. This has become so popular for certain businesses that they will receive comments from customers requesting that their order is packaged on camera.

These videos often tend to take on an ASMR-vibe (more on that in the next trend), making them a double whammy. By making your stockpile visually appealing, you can create an engaging video that showcases how you package orders and builds trust by proving to customers that the products they’re buying are kept safe and sound.

Here’s an example of what this type of video might look like from a small jewelry business.

If you want to start creating your own “Pack an order with me” videos, you’ll want to first focus on your order packaging setup. Create a space where all of your merchandise is housed so that you can easily grab each item for the order and put it together with the shipping materials.

3. ASMR/Satisfying videos

We mentioned ASMR videos briefly in the last point, but we’re going to touch on these a bit more. ASMR stands for autonomous sensory meridian response and it refers to the tingling sensation one might feel down their back sometimes triggered by hearing a certain type of sound.

These ASMR videos focus exclusively on sound, like grabbing items to put into an order, restocking items (another popular video type on TikTok) or filling jars with your product. like we have in this example from DTE Beauty.

ASMR is deemed a type of satisfying video, but there are a number of types of “oddly satisfying” videos that relate more to the visual satisfaction the viewer gets, like this professional baker decorate cookies.

How can you make your product or service visually or auditorily satisfying? Brainstorm some ideas then start filming.

4. Green screen

You’ve heard of a green screen in filming before—it’s used in TV and film to help add digital effects seamlessly. Essentially, it’s a green backdrop that makes it easy for editors to superimpose other images behind the actors. It’s also what is used by meteorologists when sharing maps of the weather.

TikTok also has its own version of a green screen that creators can use in their videos. There are a few different ways you can have your video record overtop the background (the green screen, if you will), each of which can be accessed in the “Effects” tab when recording your video.

Here’s an example of a standard green screen where Chipotle has recorded someone talking over an image of the menu, sharing information about some of their new offerings.

There are so many different ways you can take advantage of the green screen in your own content, so start brainstorming and recording your own videos.

5. Skits

A skit is a type of short video used to entertain or inform your audience via a sort of play or performance. These are extremely popular on TikTok, especially in “Karen” skits and stories about customer service. However, these can be useful for different types of businesses.

Here’s an example of The Washington Post using a skit to explain a news topic in an easy-to-understand format.

If you have a complex topic to explain, consider writing a skit to convey the information. This can also be a fun way to share customer interactions, talk about new products or services and more.

6. Day in the life

Another trending TikTok video type is the “day in the life” video. These follow someone (either someone on your team or the business owner for a small business) throughout their day-to-day tasks and activities, especially how it relates back to their business.

Here’s an example of a bakery owner sharing what a day in her life looks like. She creates these videos multiple times a week and her followers enjoy being able to watch as she grows her business.

This trend can be emulated in a number of different ways. Consider having one team member take over your TikTok account each week and walk followers through what their day-to-day job and work load looks like. Or, if you run a small business, consider regularly sharing what you do throughout the day. Transparency like that is not only interesting to an audience but can also encourage others to follow in your footsteps.

7. Creators take the wheel

Trend-setting TikTok creators are fueling the rise of the creator economy. TikTok is a creator and influencer culture incubator. It enables popular TikTokers to reach and engage millions of users on the app in minutes. And they do this without tons of studio equipment or highly-produced content. Actually, users favor content that feels genuine and realistic rather than perfect. In the world of TikTok, anyone can be a creator.

Creators play a key role in connecting people to brands and products. Entertaining videos featuring real product reviews continue to grow in popularity. Hashtags like #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt led to many products reaching record sales and completely selling out in 2021. Creator product reviews work because people trust TikTok creators to be genuine and share honest feedback about a product.

One of the most popular food critics on the platform right now is Keith Lee, based in Las Vegas. He’s been reviewing small businesses all over the area, causing their restaurants and food trucks to explode with new business. With that in mind, luxury cookie company Last Crumb sent him a box of their cookies for him to review and share his honest opinion.

Tap into creators to help co-create your brand’s identity on TikTok. Remember that come-as-you-are content makes people feel like they can trust you, the creators you partner with and your products.

8. [Insert subculture here] Tok

The TikTok community has something for everyone. That’s why people worldwide are bonding over niche interests and creating their own subcultures. Even though subcultures have existed since the dawn of the internet, TikTok has made them more accessible.

Whether you’re interested in #BookTok #FoodTok, #CleanTok or #MoneyTok, it’s easy to connect with like-minded people who share your passions. Subcultures lead to creative and entertaining videos, but they’re also a essential places for self-expression.

To connect with a subculture community, it is important to create content that feels trustworthy and authentic to your brand. Immerse yourself in the subculture and stay up to date on current music, jokes, edits and memes.

For a bookstore like Barnes and Noble, it’s easy to assimilate into #BookTok. Various B&N locations have their own TikTok accounts and create content about the bookkeepers’ favorite books, store layouts or utilize fun and relevant filters, like in this example below.

Use these TikTok trends in your marketing strategy

Take advantage of these TikTok trends and more in your 2023 strategy. Sprout’s social listening tools can make it even easier for you to discover some of the latest trends and audio clips to use. Combine that tool with our guide on how to go viral on TikTok, you’ll have an unbeatable presence this year.

The post 8 TikTok trends to fuel your social video content in 2023 appeared first on Sprout Social.

Whenever you have a hypothesis, question or challenge related to your social media marketing strategy, social media experiments can provide actionable next steps. Their results provide concrete evidence to support your case for more resources or reasoning behind switching up your current content.

Social media experiments not only challenge your current strategy, but can also open opportunities to try something different—such as a new social media network or feature—and determine if it’s effective for your target audience. Experimentation can also reveal faster ways to reach your goals, help you avoid costly mistakes and uncover new information about your audience.

Grab your metaphorical safety goggles, lab coat and test tubes because in this article we’re going to walk through the steps for running and measuring successful social media experiments.

7 Steps for running a social media experiment

With these seven steps, you’ll be testing on social media with ease in no time:

1. Formulate a hypothesis
2. Choose the right type of social media experiment
3. Select your metrics and the network you want to test
4. Define the duration of the social media experiment
5. Select your variables and control
6. Conduct the social media experiment
7. Analyze and share the results of your experiment

 1. Formulate a hypothesis

Before you begin, you’ll need a basic understanding of the following:

• The overall goals of your business
• Your current social strategy, including overarching goals per platform
• Your audiences by social network
• Your current social performance
• The questions, notions and ideas you wish to test

Prioritize a hypothesis that will result in the biggest impact on your team’s top-level social media goals. Avoid running several tests at once because it can lead to inconclusive results, especially if you’re focused on managing organic social.

If you’re using Sprout, you can learn about your audiences and performance by channel through our cross-network reports (like the Post Performance Report) or competitor reports (like the Instagram Competitors Report).

To dive even deeper into understanding your audience, use Sprout’s Advanced Listening tools. With Listening, you can build queries to track and analyze social conversations, pin down trends and view consumer sentiments. Seeing the data behind what your audience is talking about and the content they engage with will help you formulate a hypothesis.

2. Choose the right type of social media experiment

Now that you have a hypothesis, it’s time to select the type of social media experiment you will conduct to prove your theory.

There are two main types you can choose from: A/B testing and multivariable testing.

Social media experiment ideas for A/B tests

One of the most common types of social media experiments, an A/B test is an experiment where you change only one variable and keep everything else the same. These types of tests are an excellent way to pinpoint improvements that will make a measurable impact. Some common A/B tests on social include:

• Content types: video vs. a link, photo, GIF, etc.
• Captions: long vs. short
• Copy: question vs. statement, emojis or hashtags
• Images: illustrations vs. photography or animation
• Posting time: Monday at 9:00 a.m. vs. Friday at 4:00 p.m.

For example, if you wanted to test which content type is the most engaging on Instagram Stories, your team could test photo content against video content. The content type would change, but you would use the same caption and post at the same time and day of the week, one week apart.

Using Sprout, the Atlanta Hawks‘ social team tested a casual approach to videos at community events. A player shot a hand-held video that was compared to the performance of more produced social videos. The casual video format proved to be more successful and sharing the performance data was a major win for the social team.

Social media experiment ideas for multivariable testing

As its name implies, multivariable testing alters two or three variables at once. However, since you’re experimenting with more elements, analyzing and interpreting data can be harder. You’ll also need a large audience to avoid skewing the test.

Some multivariable tests include:

• Short-form animated video vs. long-form live action video
• Varying tones of voice paired with or without emojis
• Multiple call-to-action buttons with different featured images
• Different content types with various captions
• Same content type but different days/times and platforms to see which resonates the most, like Instagram vs. TikTok

Sprout’s social team conducted several multivariable tests to help develop our TikTok marketing strategy, as you’re about to read in the next step.

3.  Select your metrics and the network you want to test

Establish the key metric you want to measure successful content against. This can include impressions, traffic to a particular page such as your brand’s website or a gated resource, and engagement metrics (Think: likes, clicks, comments or shares).

The channel you choose to conduct your experiment will depend on what you’re testing and the social media network you use the most to post that kind of content. Use your network-specific data to inform this decision. Read some of Sprout’s Insights resources to learn which content types perform the best on which platforms.

• Smart steps for content development
• 1 video, 47 uses: Maximizing your Instagram content
• Sponsored posts: How to create effective sponsored content

When our social team started testing TikTok, the main goal was to increase awareness among our target audiences. Accordingly, we selected impressions, video views, profile views and audience growth as key performance indicators.

4. Define the duration of the social media experiment

Don’t fall into the common mistake of not defining a time frame for your social media experiment. Remember that social media strategy is a long game–give time for new initiatives to grow and develop.

Your reporting window depends on your budget, audience size and KPIs, but the most important factor is to reach statistical significance.

Statistical significance refers to the likelihood your test results are the outcome of a defined cause and not chance. To reach statistical significance, you’ll need a large sample size and a control. For example, a sample size of 1,000 is stronger than 100, and your control would be the piece of content you do not change.

Set a duration and look for statistical significance. What are the significance changes? After your testing period, consider optimizing content that didn’t work during that timeframe instead of hitting the breaks on posts that aren’t resonating immediately.

While experimenting with TikTok, the social team reported results after four months since there was enough data available to analyze. They also set a weekly update to our internal social dashboard to continue testing and learning, along with iterating strategy, if needed.

During the first four months, we discovered views for every TikTok remained consistent, with an average of 535 views per video. We were also able to confirm our thoughts/assumptions about the For You Page (FYP) and the TikTok algorithm—each consistently pushed out content to our target audience (social media specialists, managers, digital marketers, etc.).

5. Select your variables and control

If you’re using A/B testing, consider all of the elements of your content that could influence your test results to ensure you’re only testing one variable. Also select your control, which is the content that will not change. For example, if you’re testing images, make sure to not change the copy, audience, timing, etc.

In our social team’s multivariable TikTok experiments, they tested several variables including formats, themes and creative considerations like music, sounds and closed captions.

In the example below, 91% of views came from the FYP, 5% came from a personal profile view and 1% came from direct followers–confirming their hypothesis that the FYP and the algorithm were the key drivers pushing out content to our target audience.

If you use Sprout, you can use tagging to track the performance of your control and the test post.

6. Conduct the social media experiment

Now it’s time to execute! Use Sprout’s Publishing tools to seamlessly plan, create, optimize and post your content for the experiment. For example, you can use Sprout’s ViralPost® technology to post at optimal send times.

Use the Tag Performance Report to organize, run and analyze your social media experiment results, including your paid campaigns.

Read our guide on creative testing for more tips and examples for conducting social media experiments.

7. Analyze and share the results of your experiment

Review the results of your experiment to identify new opportunities or add insights to your records.

If you’re trying to gain executive buy-in, especially for further testing or resources, you’ll need to communicate and create an effective data story to highlight why your company will benefit from your suggested next steps.

Using Sprout, you can easily access automated, presentation-ready reports to help illustrate your data story. Create custom reports, like this Facebook Performance Summary that includes impressions, engagements, post link clicks and publishing behavior for various content types:

Use experiments to optimize engagement and growth

Here’s a quick overview of the seven steps:

Good luck on your journey to embracing curiosity and thinking like a scientist—your social strategy will thank you.

This article is an excellent first step, but there’s so much more to learn about social media experiments. Step into the (virtual) lab yourself and get a hands-on experience, by signing up for a free trial.

The post How to run and measure social media experiments appeared first on Sprout Social.

Throughout this article, we’re going to cover the top nine trends on Instagram for 2023 so you can seamlessly incorporate them into your own strategies. Let’s look at each example to explore how you can emulate these trends for your own audience.

Table of Contents

1. Instagram Reels still on the rise over images
2. “Add Yours” Story stickers attract buzz and UGC
3. Create partnerships with collaborative posts
4. Social justice movements on Instagram
5. Paid promotion is growing
6. Shoppable posts simplify the ecommerce experience
7. Memes are incorporated into social content calendars
8. Engage users with carousel posts
9. Interact with followers in broadcast channels

1. Instagram Reels still on the rise over images

This has been a trend since their inception, but Instagram Reels are still taking priority. Do me a favor: Open your Instagram app and scroll through the first 10 to 15 pieces of content. As you scroll, you might notice a common theme—most of the posts are Reels.

Instagram Reels launched in 2020 and slowly rolled out to all users throughout 2021. This micro-video addition to Instagram was created to compete with Snapchat and TikTok and has continued to grow in popularity. Many brands and content creators will repurpose their micro-videos across each of the platforms—TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts.

Instagram began prioritizing Instagram Rees over photos in 2022 and, despite recent news of content discovery becoming a focus in 2023, it seems like the platform is definitely continuing to prioritize this type of content.

However, does that also impact an Instagram account’s overall reach? One content creator even shared on her TikTok that she experimented with posting Reels to Instagram once every day for a month and she grew her follower count by 33% (from 8500 to 11.4k).

While posting Reels every single day may not make sense for your strategy, you might want to consider adding them to your content calendar more often.

Take a look at some examples of how to use Reels for your brand.

1. Ecommerce plant store Bloomscape showcased three giant plants for plant parents, and linked to the products from their Instagram store.
2. Fitness clothing brand AYBL shared a workout routine featuring their activewear.
3. Graphic design tool Visme uses Instagram Reels to show real-world applications of some of their best features.

The takeaway: Start incorporating Instagram Reels into your own strategy to help your brand generate more reach, increase your follower count and stay relevant on the app.

2. “Add Yours” Story stickers attract buzz and UGC

There are a plethora of interactive stickers available to add to your stories, one of the newer ones is the “Add Yours” sticker.

Incorporating stickers like questions, polls, quizzes, etc., into your Stories helps engage your audience and increase the amount of time they spent interacting with your account. This, in turn, increases the likelihood that they see your Stories towards the front of their feed, keeping your business top of mind.

Tap on the “Add Yours” option from the available stickers and type in a prompt. This could be something like “What are you reading?” or “Outfit of the day,” or “Your favorite feature.” Make sure the prompt is relevant to your business but simple enough for someone to want to share their own photo on their story.

3. Create partnerships with collaborative posts

Collaborative posts are another big trend that you’ll start seeing pop up more and more. This is because Instagram recently released a feature that allows users to “invite collaborators” to a post as well as to tag brands in paid partnerships, having both involved accounts show up—and publishing the post to both collaborators’ profiles.

To invite a collaborator, you’ll go through the motions of publishing your Instagram post, then tap the option to Tag people. You’ll see this window pop up below where you can either add a tag (the same way you always have on Instagram) or invite a collaborator.

Select the user you’re working with on your post and publish your post. However, Instagram won’t sow the tag or post to the collaborator’s profile until they approve the tag.

Here’s an example of what this would look like in action below, where a travel guide partnered with a local brewery to host an Instagram giveaway.

Collaborative posts will also be part of paid partnerships as Instagram also simultaneously released a feature that tags when posts are sponsored and even allows the content creator to tag the brand sponsoring the content right inside the Instagram post.

For an influencer to tag brands in sponsored posts, they’ll manage the Advanced settings part of their post before publication, scroll down to the Paid partnership feature and tag the applicable brands. Again, brands will have to approve the partnership before they’re publicly tagged in the post.

Whether you’re partnering with another brand or an influencer, take advantage of Instagram’s features to help improve your overall reach and make your Instagram content more engaging.

4. Social justice movements on Instagram

The two largest age groups on Instagram are 25–34 at 31.2% (Millennials) and 18–24 (Gen Z)at 31%. Younger generations are increasingly more interested in what’s happening in the world and which brands are helping to make the world better and more accessible.

Instagram reports that Gen Z is an activist community, and though only 30% of Gen Z are old enough to vote currently, they care about the brands they buy from. They’re following brands on Instagram that talk about social justice issues and stick up for issues they believe in. They’re following influencers who care about accessibility. And they’re making purchases from the ones that they believe in.

This means it’s okay—in fact, it’s encouraged—for brands to be open about the causes they support and the social issues they believe in. Your customers want to see it. Genuine brand authenticity goes a long way with your customers.

TOMS is a great example of this. The brand was created as a way to give shoes to children in need, giving away a free pair for every pair purchased. They’ve since increased their donations, also giving away impact grants to charities they support.

TOMS shared a 2022 roundup to showcase how much they were able to give away in donations throughout the year:

The brand’s tagline is “Wear TOMS. Wear Good.” And that resonates with customers in 2023.

In this social justice era, we’ve also seen the onset of a number of social justice Instagram accounts like @so.informed and @impact that share news and updates from the US and around the world. These social-justice slideshows help users learn and spread awareness about causes that matter to them most.

5. Paid promotion is growing

As the popularity of social media platforms grows and their user bases grow, the need for algorithms to best serve their users also grows. And when an algorithm is deciding who gets served your content, you might see a decline in reach. Because of this, Instagram paid promotions are a growing trend in 2023.

Let’s go back to our exercise from the first trend, where we scrolled down to see the first 10 to 20 posts.

If your feed was anything like mine, you saw about nine Reels, six regular posts and five sponsored posts. That means about 25% of your feed is filled with paid ads, like the one below.

While that might seem like a lot, let’s look at it from a different perspective. It also means that 25% of your target audience’s feed is filled with sponsored posts. And that if you start investing in Instagram ads, your brand can be part of that 25%.

6. Shoppable posts simplify the ecommerce experience

Instagram shopping is still extremely popular, with nearly half of all Instagram users saying they use the app and its shopping features to shop their favorite brands each week. By creating your Instagram shop catalog full of your products, you can make it even easier for your followers to make a purchase.

By tagging your products in a shoppable post, you’re creating the ability for someone to see your post and make a purchase without ever having to leave the Instagram app.

Shoppable posts will continue to be a major trend in 2023 due to how easy it makes shopping for customers. And products can be tagged in any type of Instagram post—a photo post, a carousel, a Reel and a Story.

7. Memes are incorporated into social content calendars

Who doesn’t love a good meme? According to a YPulse study, 75% of those aged 13-36 share memes. Which is why they’ve become and stayed so prevalent on Instagram.

Although brands have leveled-up how they share memes from their accounts by adding branded background colors and other design elements.

Many brands also will take screenshots of Tweets to share on their Instagram with a colorful background to fit their brand aesthetics. Incorporating memes into your social strategy is a fun trend, but make sure the trend works for your brand before jumping in with both feet.

8. Engage users with carousel posts

Instagram carousel posts can include up to 10 photos and videos in a single post. They can be used in a number of different ways to share even more content with your audience at once. Plus, one study discovered that Instagram carousels are the most engaging post type on the platform.

Create carousel posts that tell a story, such as products from a new launch or an educational slideshow.

Here’s an example of a carousel post sharing a brand’s mission and how they want to make a different in plastic use:

And here’s an example of an educational Instagram carousel from our social team at Sprout:

9. Interact with followers in broadcast channels

Instagram recently announced the debut of broadcast channels as a one-way messaging tool for creators to engage with their followers. These channels will give creators an opportunity to give behind-the-scenes or latest updates to their followers in a one-to-many messaging format for a more intimate and interactive space.

Currently, creators can send text, photo, video and voice notes but Instagram will be adding more features in 2023. The goal is to create a new way to connect with fans and followers. It’s still too early to tell if this will expand to other professional or business accounts or if it will remain just for digital content creators.

Use Instagram trends to update your strategy

Instagram trends arise from influences based on other networks and introductions of new features. Keeping up with the current trends on Instagram freshens up your content and shows your audience that you’re not afraid to try new things.

If you’re looking to further level-up your Instagram marketing in 2023, learn how these top Instagram tools can help you plan, create, curate and publish your content for a more streamlined and conscious workflow process.

The post 9 Instagram trends to watch in 2023 appeared first on Sprout Social.

On top of this, 93% of social media marketers who use video say it’s a vital component of their social media video strategy. Even more so if the video is short-form, which consumers find 2.5 times more engaging than long-form video. However, despite being a vital component, video is still widely underutilized across major social media networks.

In this article, we’ll share video marketing statistics and data like this from the Sprout Social Index™, Social Media Trends and other reputable sources to help you make sense of the true value video offers.

Table of Contents

• Social media video marketing statistics
• Facebook video statistics
• Instagram video statistics
• Twitter video statistics
• YouTube video statistics

Social media video marketing statistics

Anyone who’s scrolled through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter recently knows that videos play a major part in your experience with these social media networks. Video has been a buzzword in marketing for years, and today brands are using it to carve out devoted followings on social media. Did you know users will retain 95% of a message watched on video as opposed to only 10% read in text?

Whether you’re creating a viral video, loyal to static image posts or you’re totally new to video, understanding the video landscape can help you determine how, when and why to use this type of visual content.

Knowing your target audience and the networks they frequent will help you with video content ideas.

1. More than 54% of marketers say that video is the most valuable content type for achieving social media marketing goals.
2. Yet video is also the most underutilized format across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, comprising 14%*, 11% and 5% of each network’s content respectively.
3. 93% of companies have acquired new customer(s) via social media video.

4. 26% of marketers state that Stories are the most valuable type of social content.
5. 25% of marketers say live video is the most valuable type of social content.
6. Half of social media users prefer video over other types of content.
7. 35% of all North American B2C marketers use live video.
8. 58% of viewers will watch the entirety of a business’ video if it’s less than 60 seconds long.

9. So, length of content matters. Consumers consider short-form videos to be 2.5 times more engaging than long-form videos.
10. 66% of consumers report short-form video to be the most engaging type of social media content in 2022, up from 50% in 2020.

11. 37% of social media users find live video to be the most engaging.
12. 24% of users find long-form video the most engaging.

What this means for your social media marketing video strategy

We’ve already established the benefits of video, but the data indicates that brands are still struggling to make video a regular feature of their social media content calendars. If you want to stand out on social and diversify your social media strategy with video in 2023, pepper in a few Reels or pencil in a plan to activate your Stories. Be consistent, track your performance and experiment to see what resonates with your audience.

Facebook video statistics

Over the past few years, Facebook has expanded its suite of video options. Today, the Watch tab allows users to view and engage with focused video content. Stories offer a chance for brands to connect and interact with their audience. And Facebook Live allows brands to host live events, give a peak behind the scenes or engage in real time with their audiences. The following statistics highlight the many opportunities for social media marketers to optimize their Facebook video strategies.

13. The vast majority (85%) of Facebook videos are watched without sound.
    
14. Facebook Watch attracts upward of 1.2 billion users per month.
15. 62% of users report increased interest in a product after viewing a related Facebook video.
16. Facebook users are four times more likely to watch Facebook Live videos than pre-recorded videos.
17. Live video on Facebook attracts a higher average engagement rate (1.59%) than pre-recorded video on the platform (0.92%).
18. 300 million people use Facebook Stories every day.
19. 80% of Facebook Stories that have sound or voice-overs drive better lower funnel results.
20. 62% of users said they’ve become more interested in a product or brand after seeing it in Stories, according to a survey of over 18,000 people across Facebook’s family of apps (Facebook Stories, Instagram Stories, Messenger Stories and WhatsApp Status).
21. 31% of social media users said in that survey that in the future, they will be even more likely to use Stories to connect with the brands they like.

What this means for your Facebook video marketing strategy

Facebook Live continues to be an opportunity for engagement, but many marketers aren’t taking advantage of it yet. If you’re looking for a place to start, consider broadcasting to a small, targeted audience first to gauge the response. Take what you learn and expand from there. Be sure to track your Facebook video metrics. These will show you how your videos are performing and help to inform your strategy.

Instagram video statistics

Like Facebook, Instagram delivers many opportunities for video marketing, which gives busy social media marketers a great deal of choice about where they show up with their Instagram content. But it can also be overwhelming for those less experienced with the medium. The following social media video stats shed light on where brands should be spending their time when it comes to Instagram.

22. 91% of users watch videos on Instagram weekly.
23. 43% of social media users watch Instagram Stories more than other types of video content on the network.
24. 73% of businesses report acquiring new customers from an Instagram Story.
25. Instagram videos that are around 26 seconds long receive the most comments.
26. Half of users say they have visited a brand’s website to purchase a product or service after seeing it featured in Stories.

27. 43% of US social media users aged 18–34 watched Instagram Live in 2021, second only to YouTube, with 45% watching that live service.
28. Instagram reel’s reach in accounts with up to 500 followers is a whopping 892%, whereas the reach of images in the same accounts is only 77%.

What this means for your Instagram video marketing strategy

With Stories, Live streams, Reels and in-feed videos, Instagram offers a variety of options for social media marketers to consider. However, with so many available video options, the key is not to pigeonhole your brand into using only one. Provide value by using videos across the network to find your ideal audience regardless of the tab they frequent the most.

Twitter video statistics

As anyone who has ever scrolled through their Twitter feed knows, video is integral to the network’s appeal. Whether it’s a glossy brand announcement, a blockbuster movie trailer or a recording of your neighbors’ kid snuggling their cocker spaniel, Twitter users engage with videos more than any other content type. This list offers insights into how social media marketers can jump on the bandwagon and use Twitter effectively.

29. Tweets with video get 5 times more replies, 2.8 times more retweets and 1.9 times more likes.
30. Tweets with a video get 10 times more engagement than those without video.

31. Videos on Twitter that showcase positive human interactions or desire for a product increase overall response by 40%.
32. Videos that convey their core message in the first three seconds of an ad see a 13% increase in overall breakthrough metrics.
33. Twitter videos that don’t require sound to be understood(with closed captions or text overlays) gain 28% more view time and 1.8 times the return on investment.
34. 15-second Twitter video ads garner three times higher completion rates compared to 30-second video ads.
35. Twitter’s first view gets 1.4 times more view time than competitor’s platforms.

What this means for your Twitter video marketing strategy

While not all of your videos should be product-focused, these Twitter video marketing statistics do showcase that users are not opposed to a sales message when it’s delivered through a well-crafted video. Of course, your brand’s specific mix of entertaining, educational and product-centric content will depend largely on your industry’s standards and your audience’s preferences. But, as you define that blend, consider sprinkling in a few Twitter videos that highlight your products in a positive way.

YouTube video statistics

As the second-largest search engine (behind Google), YouTube is more than just a network where you can watch dog videos after work. YouTube allows brands to showcase their unique value propositions in an engaging way. But because video is the only kind of content supported, it can also be a bit resource-intensive for many marketing teams. These next few statistics lay out some insights to help brands optimize their time on YouTube.

36. 74% of consumers use YouTube.
37. More than 500 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute.
38. Users are twice as likely to buy something if they saw it in a YouTube video.
39. 75% of users report that YouTube makes them more aware of new brands.
40. 70% of users say they bought a product after seeing it on YouTube.
41. Social media users are four times more likely to use YouTube to research a brand, service or product than other platforms.
42. In 2021, YouTube Shorts hit 15 billion global daily views.
43. 47% of social media users follow brands on YouTube.
44. 41% of social media users want brands to post on YouTube more often.

What this means for your YouTube video marketing strategy

YouTube is where consumers are going to learn more about your brand—what you stand for, what you do and how you do it. And those users are clamoring for more video content from the brands they follow. This presents a major opportunity for businesses that aren’t already active to jump in. Or for those who have only tested out YouTube to consistently promote their video ideas.

You can no longer afford not to use social video to promote your brand  

As is clear from these social media video marketing statistics, social video is the thing of the now.

Consumers are asking brands for more video presence, and you must give it to them. With so many choices for how to present your brand via video available, you’re sure to find a good fit for you and your audience. Sprout’s Social Media Content Calendar tools can help you plan your social video across platforms and will even determine the Optimal Send Times for you with ViralPost^®.

An important first step is to develop clear goals for your social media video strategy so that you have benchmarks to measure against as you track your progress.

If you’re looking for a starting point, download our social media video metrics and ideas cheat sheet. In it, you’ll find recommended indicators to track along each stage of the marketing funnel, content ideas and relevant examples from brands that are winning with social video.

The post Social media video statistics marketers need to know for 2023 appeared first on Sprout Social.

So, what is content development? It’s more than creating posts for social media. The content development process requires research. Who are you trying to reach? What do they want? What do they need? And what are your competitors doing? You want your content to be relevant and timely. It should have more value for your audience than your competitors’ content. This is all critical in getting your target audience to engage with your brand.

But what more does content development mean?

This article will explain the steps necessary for content development. We’ll also discuss content development strategy, essential for developing engaging content.

Table of Contents

• What does content development mean?
• Start with a content development strategy
• Research during the content ideation stage
• Brainstorm during the content development stage
• Execute with content scheduling and promotion
• Conclusion

What does content development mean?

Content development requires research, ideation, production, publishing and promotion of content. This content must align with your goals. Reaching those goals means knowing your audience. When you create content that educates your audience and provides solutions, this will prompt them to engage with you. That is the ultimate goal of content marketing.

Creating content that keeps your brand in your audience’ minds serves strategic goals.

This plumbing company shared a blog post about ways to fix a toilet on Twitter. They’re aware their audience prefers an at-home solution before calling in professionals. Not only are they addressing a common pain point, but they’re offering a solution and building trust with their audience.

But the backbone of a good social media content strategy is content development.

Start with a content development strategy

A content marketing strategy is essential to the content development process.

A good content development strategy consists of several elements. These include setting goals for your content and knowing your target audience, creating a content calendar to track your posts, and measuring your results.

Your strategy is a living thing. It will continue to evolve as you implement it and measure results.

Set clear goals

What are you trying to accomplish with your content marketing? Do you want to increase your sales, brand awareness or conversions? Your goals will determine the type of content you post. They will also help you when it comes time to measure your results. You will know which metrics to track, such as clicks versus followers or shares and reach.

Understand and appeal to your target audience

Who do you want to reach? Who is your target audience? To understand them better, create a buyer persona. This detailed description of your ideal customer will help you tailor your content to those most likely to consume it. Collect information on demographics, daily activities, pain points, aspirations and buying habits. Also look at which social media they’re using. The more detailed you make the persona, the better you will craft your content. You may want more than one buyer persona depending on your brand’s needs.

Optimize your content to appeal to your audience as well. Is your audience using specific keywords when referring to a product, pain point or your brand? Use these terms in your content to optimize its reach for search engines and readers alike.

Use a content calendar

A content calendar will allow you to see all your planned posts at a glance. When creating a content calendar, you should be able to organize what you’re posting and on which platforms. This is where a social media management tool can streamline this process.

A tool like Sprout Social which features a publishing calendar allows you to organize your social posts across all platforms and profiles. Our ViralPost® feature compiles data from your followers past interactions with your account, letting you know the ideal time to post for the most reach.

Measure results

You’ve clarified your goals and identified your audience. And you’ve optimized your content and organized your posts with a content calendar. Now you are ready to measure your results.

Track metrics corresponding with your goals to determine how well your ideas performed. The results will help you identify which ideas can be improved, discarded or expanded on. Using Sprout’s social media analytics tools will not only speed up the process of finding your most successful and engaging posts, but it will organize it into meaningful, easily digestible reports that you can share with your team.

Having worked through your content strategy development you can move on to ideation.

Research during the content ideation stage

Content ideation in the marketing industry is the process of producing or sourcing topics to be used in future marketing content. The topics are meant to be relevant to your company in the hopes of being part of your content marketing strategy.

Here are some ways to work on your content ideation. Remember that in all instances of ideation, you need to have a place where your ideas are collected.

Identify content gaps

Take a comprehensive, eagle-eye-point-of-view look at all of your content. Do you see anything that could be covered more or is missing? Are there any products or services that you offer that don’t have a lot of content? Finding the gaps in your existing content is an easy way to find new ideas to develop content.

Address customer pain points

Somewhere along the product development process, there was a point where your company checked if the product would solve your current or target customers’ issues. Most companies don’t create a solution for a problem that doesn’t exist. The first part of this is knowing what pain points you solve for new customers. Come up with ideas that describe how you address their pain points and why yours is the best solution out there.

And then for existing customers, determine what their current pain points are. This does not have to be related to your product, but it does have to be relevant for your customers. In thinking about your current customer’s lifestyle and interests, what kind of content can you create that addresses a problem they’re dealing with? Again this goes back to engagement. When your audience sees your brand providing solutions, they are more likely to spend more time with, come back to, save and share your content.

Beautyblender was created out of a need for an affordable, easy and portable way to seamlessly blend foundation and makeup together. So, one content idea for new customers could be demonstrating the sponge’s ease of use compared to other products on the market. A content idea based on pain points or current customer concerns could be this blog post on sustainable makeup sponges. It’s related to their products so customers can learn how to this product differentiates them from other eco-friendly makeup sponges.

Another way of sourcing pain points is to just ask. Through social media, your newsletter or focus groups, ask what problems are at the top of your customers’ minds right now. This is also a good time to make use of those Instagram Story question stickers.

Connect with other departments

For fresh ideas, go no further than your own company. The customer service and sales departments often talk to customers and are excellent sources for new ideas to develop content.

Here are some ways to set this up:

• Schedule one-on-one recurring meetings with department heads or select department representatives to generate new ideas.
• Schedule a recurring meeting with all the department representatives at one time to collect ideas.
• Design a form or email address that collects ideas. Let all the relevant people know that it’s there and periodically check for ideas.

Other departments connect with your customers in a different part of the buyer journey and can offer valuable insight on what people are facing. The information can flow both ways too, as the marketing team shouldn’t be operating in a silo.

Use social listening

Another way of sourcing content ideas is to use social listening. In paying attention to your competitors, industry trends and brand sentiment, you’re able to find plenty of sparks that will generate new ideas.

Utilizing a listening tool like the feature that Sprout offers helps you sort through the noise. Maybe you want to see which product type your customers are talking about the most on Twitter. In the above example, social listening produces data for each product to show which is the most popular at that moment.

Have team brainstorming sessions

Sometimes more minds are better than one, and that’s certainly the case when it comes to brainstorming content ideas. Schedule recurring brainstorming sessions or one-off meetings when you’re running low on ideas.

Brainstorming sessions should still have some loose guidelines. While it’s true that no idea is a bad idea, you also don’t want irrelevant ideas. At the beginning of the session, identify the scribe who will be jotting down the ideas, the length of the brainstorming session, any starting questions and how to contribute. Maybe you’re brainstorming around only a few topics. Announcing the questions at the beginning will hopefully weed out the irrelevant ideas. As for contributing, you don’t want people talking over each other. Use raised hands or a round-robin discussion.

Brainstorm during the content development stage

Now that you have generated lots of ideas, it’s time to go through them and identify the ones that will work best for your marketing team. This step toward your content development goals, or production, is when you filter through your ideas to determine which are relevant and flesh out those that are. It’s okay to discard or table ideas that aren’t currently relevant. Some ideas never make it past the development stage for a myriad of reasons. Just like the ideation stage, content development can be a recurring meeting or one-off meetings.

There are many ways to develop your content ideas. Here are just a few.

Identify a campaign or theme

Can you create a marketing campaign around some ideas? Chances are that your ideas can be tied together in some way or other to produce a series. Some examples of these include employee features and scheduled Instagram takeovers.

Is there a topical trend that you’re seeing? You can become part of the conversation with posts relevant to your brand. This is a great way to engage with your audience. Or, you can create the trend yourself.

Sprout Social uses data to tell a story to its audience of social media professionals. Content creators are becoming a big part of the social media story that we surveyed marketers’ to identify their goals when working with creators. This visualization underscores the larger story of the brand and creator relationship, further driving discussion on the topic.

Hyperfocus on a topic

It can be tough to rank high in search results on a common topic. Instead of a generalist approach, go for a specialist one. It might not have as many people searching for it but those who do are more likely to engage in the topic.

Sweetgreen serves healthy meals and is all about local sourcing and sustainability. For this video, the company could’ve chosen to talk about the general category of bread. But instead, they’ve chosen to hyperfocus on the rosemary focaccia that they serve in their LA stores.

Evaluate for relevancy and execution

One of the key parts of content development is sorting through the ideas. Some companies use a scoring system while others prefer to informally go through them. Unlike a brainstorming session, this part is done by those who have a part in the content creation and promotion process.

For each idea, talk through what the content would look like, what it would take to achieve it, any additional budget or time constraints and its tie to your company. Using your marketing funnel and personas, match up where the idea would rest. Perhaps one idea is great, but you already have too much content within the awareness stage. In this instance, you would keep the idea but not continue with its execution yet.

Execute with content scheduling and promotion

Some content types are locked in by holidays or other dates. In these instances, ideas are sourced and developed with the date in mind. Using a social media calendar can help you keep track of important dates, so they can guide you in your ideation and development stage.

Dates might also limit what content you want to focus on. In the fourth quarter, retail marketing ramps up for the holiday season, and a lot of content is focused around that area. This is obviously not the time to talk about the best summer outfits.

Content creation takes time and part of this content process should take that into account. You may have the best ideas surrounding a holiday but they won’t happen if you don’t plan for how much time it’ll take you to execute and promote them.

Conclusion

So what is content development? It is the research and creation of ideas to develop content that will engage your target audience in a way that will meet your strategic goals. To understand more about what consumers are looking for in a brand, visit our most recent Sprout Social Index™. Once you create content that moves you toward your goals, the next step in the content development process is to publish and promote it. Sprout’s social media publishing features, including Optimal Send Times, Content Library, Content Suggestions and Shared Content Calendar make it easy and save you valuable time.

Content development is the process of sourcing ideas, creating content and measuring results. It is this ongoing process that allows you to hone your social marketing to what works best for your brand.

The post Smart steps to content development appeared first on Sprout Social.