What To Post On Social Media When You’re Stuck
It’s a common thing for anybody that is using social media for branding-related purposes to, at one point or another, experience being stuck. You might not know what to post, what you say, or really what to do next. You might feel like you’ve already shared everything that you possibly could. Whether you post on a daily basis or only once a week, almost everybody that I’ve talked to has at one point been through this experience. This was something that I have dealt with as well, but because of the journey, my mentors, and my general experience in the social media growth space, I’ve been able to come up with a foolproof list of what to post on social media when you’re stuck. So if this has ever been you, read below for some pieces of content that you might want to start sharing now.
SHARE AN INSPIRATIONAL STORY
Sometimes all you need to do to get unstuck is simply look to the past. People love to hear stories. Think back to when you were in high school, or last attended some type of lecture or seminar. The most interesting moments are always the ones where the presenter is sharing some type of story. These are easiest to remember, most engaging, and simply easy to share. This works not only for verbal speeches, but for written or video content as well. So share some type of personal story that will inspire your followers. Here are a few ideas of stories you can share:
The day your dream came to life
The difficulties you had to go through to become successful
The day you almost quit
Your favorite memory surrounding your personal brand
However, when you share a story online, make sure it’s related to your brand. If you’re a workout coach, it’s not likely that the story of pranking your best friend in elementary school will be appropriate to share, no matter how entertaining it is. Make sure these stories inspire your followers and make an impact on them.
SHARE SOMETHING PERSONAL
This point goes hand-in-hand with the previous one, however, sharing personal things do not always need to be done in story form. When you’re building a personal brand especially, it’s important to connect with your audience. But if your followers don’t know much about you, there is nothing for them to connect with. Take some time to share some of your values or other things that have the potential to resonate with your followers. However, you also need to be careful not to make things too personal. There is no need to get into the ugly details of your divorce, about the mistakes you made or situations you created while drunk, or the fact that you used to carry around a stuffed shark as a child. These are all points that can either make your followers uncomfortable or weirded out. Instead, it’s better to share things like:
Facts about your family, and how much they helped you along your journey
Your story as an immigrant in a new country and how that shaped you
How much you love dogs and that the desire to donate to shelters drives you to do better in business
When you share personal details, make sure you avoid negativity and randomness, and instead share fun, motivational, and driven facts about yourself that your followers can relate to.
SHARE EDUCATIONAL ADVICE
One of the most important things that you can possibly share on social media is educational content. This should be a super easy thing to do, because if you are truly an expert in your niche like most of us claim to be, you should have no problem sharing advice with the world. A few ideas for educational content includes:
Common myths about your niche
Answers to questions that you get asked frequently
Tips for beginners
By sharing free advice online, people will get a chance to see that you are real, that you are generous, and that you are an authority figure that is worth listening to. Educational content should always be your go-to type of post when you get stuck on what to do next.
SHARE SOMETHING MOTIVATIONAL
Sometimes all we need is a little boost to inspire us to keep going. Your followers might be having a rough day or low season, and posting something motivational might be just what they need to hear. A few examples of motivational content includes:
Your favorite motivational quote
A clip from your favorite speech or speaker
A story of going from failure to success that your followers can relate to, whether that is your own story or someone else's
SHARE A MEME
For a more lighthearted post, consider sharing a funny meme! Make sure this relates to your niche, because if it doesn’t, you risk losing followers. Posting something relatable and funny is a great way to create a connection with your followers. If they see that you share the same sense of humor and deal with the same situations with work, they will immediately like you more because of this point of relatability in your content. You could share a meme about a habit that everyone in your niche develops, a type of customer that everybody deals with, or an office scenario that always happens to everyone. Your followers will be likely to laugh and engage with your content because of the funny post you were willing to share.
CREATE A GIVEAWAY
This is an awesome way to not only fill your feed, but boost engagement, gain followers, and possibly get a few new clients or customers. Make sure you post clear rules that your audience must follow in order to qualify for your giveaway. These rules often include: following you, tagging a few friends in the comments, and re-sharing your post. A few examples of giveaways you can do includes:
A free service/product
A free service/product to be added to any purchase
A free or discounted service/product for the winner and a friend they choose
PARTICIPATE IN A CHALLENGE OR VIDEO THAT IS TRENDING
Social media often has phases of trending challenges or audio sounds/videos. By participating in what is trending, you’ll also have a high chance of gaining new followers and engagement. The social media algorithm often prioritizes what is trending, so if you jump in on it, your content is likely to get more attention than a regular post. However, make sure that the trend you participate in does not make you look unprofessional. The extra engagement might not be worth it if you ruin your brand image with something that is immature or inappropriate. Make sure you’re smart about the trends you want to participate in. It’s also important to tie in the trend with your brand. If you post something totally random and irrelevant to your niche, your followers will likely not relate with it or even dislike your video entirely. If you really want to share something unrelated to your business, save it for your personal social media accounts that aren’t focused around a specific niche. Posting brand-specific content is key to keeping your followers happy, connected, and engaged.
SHARE SOME TESTIMONIALS
Testimonials are something that you should already be sharing, but if you haven’t been doing this or have only been posting them to stories or testimonial pages on your website, start sharing client/customers testimonials in your feed as well. Both video format as well as screenshots or photos are great. This is a great way to build your own credibility and authority while filling up your feed with more great content. You can also share before and after’s, as those are typically very popular among followers. Seeing a dramatic before and after is a great way to showcase your work and build trust among your potential clients or customers.
ASK YOUR AUDIENCE A QUESTION
Sometimes, all you need to do is step out of the picture and get your audience involved. Some social media platforms like YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram stories, and more allow you to post a poll or question for your audience to engage in. This is something that is very low effort for both you and your followers, but at the same time is something that most people cannot resist participating in. People like it when their voices are heard, and this is another great way to engage and build a connection with your audience. A few questions you can ask include:
Do you prefer A or B? (insert something niche-specific in place of A and B)
Do you like the BEFORE or AFTER better?
Should I post more videos or photos?
What kind of content do you want to see me post?
SHOW WHAT HAPPENS BEHIND THE SCENES
What better way is there to show your brand is real, than to share what goes on behind the scenes? If you run a restaurant, take some videos of the chefs doing their magic. If you are a singer, take some videos of you practicing before an event or touring backstage. If you bake dessert, take some pictures of your messy kitchen! People love it when they get to see the real everyday life that you lead.
EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION POSTS
If you have employees or business partners, make some posts that are dedicated specifically to them. This will give the world a real-life glimpse into who is behind the brand, and it will also make your team feel really good about themselves and about working with you. When people feel that they are seen and appreciated, they are more likely to keep doing great work, but not only that, they will enjoy what they do a lot more than if their hard work is ignored.
SHARE YOUR ROUTINE
If you’re a full time entrepreneur, share your daily routine. If you’re a hairstylist, share your hair routine. If you’re a workout coach, share your exercise routine. If you’re a dietician, share what you eat. This is a great way to let your followers into your daily life without getting too personal, and it also gives a chance for people that are inspired by you to copy what you do and get started on the same path you’re on in a way that is respectful and appreciated.
RECYCLE OLD CONTENT
For times when you’re truly stuck or have no time to make new content, simply repost something old. Most people don’t want to do this because of the fear that their followers will get upset or skip over it, but the reality is that most people don’t remember what you posted last week, let alone last year or even just six months ago. Most people also need to be reminded of something multiple times before it sticks in their mind. So by reposting your old content, you’re actually helping your followers solidify the lesson or story that you are trying to get across. As long as you don’t make a habit of recycling old content on a daily basis, it’s totally okay to reuse something that you made a long time ago.
POSTING ON SOCIAL MEDIA DOESN’T HAVE TO BE HARD
There are so many different things that you can share online. It doesn’t all have to be one thing only. Use these tips above, and you’ll never have to freeze your social media strategy again. There is an endless amount of things that you can share with the world, and it’s easier to do than most people think.
If you need more, original content to share with the world, you might want to consider investing into PR for your brand. PR content is great to share online, because not only does it give you some amazing content, it also builds your authority, makes you more trustworthy, and has the potential to bring in new clients. Book a free call here to get started on your PR pieces now.
