29 Creative Social Media Content Ideas You Should Try

You know you’ve gotta drum up fresh social media content ideas to keep your followers interested and attract new people to your account. But it can be downright exhausting to be creative every day and deliver content gold on multiple platforms.

So we’re here to help. With this cheatsheet of solid content ideas for each major social channel, you’ll keep your social media strategy ahead of the curve. You’ll never find yourself staring at a blank content calendar again.

1. Create a daily, weekly or monthly series

One great idea can become an engine for more great content if you turn it into a recurring series.

Vancouver magazine’s weekly “Takeout Thursdays” feature the food editor in a casual Instagram Live conversation with a local chef or food expert.

It’s way easier to think of a special guest or topic to plug into a pre-existing format than to start from scratch every week, and your audience can enjoy a little consistency in their torrid lives.

2. Run a contest or giveaway

Fact: people love free things.

Double fact: a giveaway is a quick and easy way to fill a hole in your content calendar in a snap.

Toss up a product shot and some instructions about how to enter like Fig. does here, and blam, there’s your Wednesday afternoon Instagram post, done and dusted.

Or, dig through our list of creative social media giveaways here for some inspiration to take your contest to the next level.

3. Host an AMA

Tap into your audience’s insatiable curiosity with an “ask me anything” live stream session.

Pro tip: try focusing the AMA on a specific topic, with a call for questions about your latest collection, or questions about entrepreneurship.

Some people like to do an Instagram, TikTok or Facebook live stream, answering questions right from the comments in the moment. Others like to do a series of Instagram Stories using the Question stickers, like congresswoman Alexandria Osacio-Cortez did with her AMA on Covid vaccines.

4. Run a social media takeover

Whether you team up with a big influencer with a large audience or a micro-influencer with a dedicated base (like Everlane did with an LA-based photographer), passing over the keys to your social account to someone with passionate fans can bring your account more engagement, sales, and followers. And it can free you from a day or week of content planning. Score!

Find more about running a successful social media takeover with our complete guide here.

5. Share some relevant content

As we put it in our ultimate guide to content curation, “Curated content is content created by others that you select to share on social media. This could be a valuable blog post from a company in your field, expert advice from a relevant thought leader, or anything else that you think your audience will appreciate and enjoy.”

In other words, if a great article, pin, Tweet or Youtube video already exists out there that your audience would love, why not share it?

Curated content can make your brand look like it has its finger on the pulse and like you’re actually there to engage and build community, not just toot your own horn.

Writer Ashley Reese doesn’t just share her own articles — she also shares sassy comments on retweets of Megan Thee Stallion in a big hat. And you can too.

6. Repurpose your own content

If you’ve got an amazing blog post, why not create some graphics with quotes for Instagram? Or make a video inspired by the content to share on Facebook?

When you just share on one platform, you’re missing an opportunity to reach audiences who are following you elsewhere.

This isn’t to say it should just be a copy-paste or cross-post: this is about expressing existing ideas in fresh ways. Like how Hootsuite made a quick TikTok video to summarize the findings from a social media experiment blog post.

7. Host a challenge

The challenges that tend to go viral online usually involve dance moves or eating something terrible, but you don’t have to go that far.

Ruggable, for instance, challenged its followers simply to “make a mess” and send the videos or pictures. These were then compiled into a video to offer social proof of the product’s washability, and to give fans a little shout-out.

8. Create a how-to or tutorial

Share your expertise with a tutorial or how-to video. This gives value to your followers and cements your status as a true pro in your field (or at least gives you cred as an entertainer).

Go Clean Co’s hypnotic cleaning guides are a great example and a super shareable resource for the next time your friend is like, “Wait, I’m supposed to clean my washing machine?!”

9. Celebrate “National Whatever Day!”

There are a trillion quirky holidays — and you may as well use them for a bit of inspiration.

For instance, here at Hootsuite HQ, our social team threw together a doggie sizzle reel for “International Dog Day.”

Now, our followers know we’re fun and like dogs.

10. Make a meme

By participating in silly trending meme formats, you can show off your brand’s sense of humor, or present your message in a fun package.

When people started making hyper-specific Spotify playlists to tell a story through song titles, Wendy’s got on board. And yeah, we’d jam to this.

11. Give customers the spotlight

Show what your fans and customers are doing with a regular customer-spotlight feature. It showcases your product or service without being too advertise-y and gives your fans a moment to feel proud or special.

The Feathered Farmhouse decor boutique, for example, just started up a “What’d Ya Do With It? Wednesdays!” series.

12. Do a “This or That” poll

We live in an increasingly polarized society… why not lean into that and make your followers pick a side already? Like Dominos did with their post on cheesy bread versus bread bites.

Maybe you’ll spark a rousing (engagement-building!) debate, or maybe you’ll learn a little something about customer preferences. Either way: that’s a win.

13. Go behind the scenes

Whether it’s a live video or an edited one, your audience loves to get the dirt on what’s happening behind the scenes — so serve it up.

Billboard did just that with a behind-the-scenes video of their shoot with K-pop stars BTS.

But you don’t need to have pop idols on camera to make a splash with this sort of content. Give a tour of your office or show how your window display comes together in your brick-and-mortar store: viewers value an authentic sneak peek behind the polished final photos that wind up in the feed.

14. Share a milestone

Def Leppard is pumped about the 40th anniversary of the release of High ‘N’ Dry… and we’re sure you have some sort of momentous occasion worth celebrating, too! Your first year anniversary of opening your small business? Your 500,000th follower? Find a big ol’ round number and pat yourself on the back.

Whether you’ve got a special live stream planned or just mark the event with an image or text post, it’s a built-in excuse for a throwback post or some earnest reflection on how far you’ve come.

15. Share a reading list or playlist

Your media library says a lot about you… or your brand. Why not share a little piece of that with your followers?

A summer reading list, a Cozy Christmas playlist or a list of must-watch shows that your team is obsessed with can give your brand some pop culture cred, and maybe even spark some discussion or other recommendations in the comments.

16. Tap into a trending topic

Whether you’re trying out a TikTok dance or commenting on the #Oscars, sometimes it’s a nice relief to let your creativity to just hop on something everyone else is doing, instead of trying to create something from scratch.

Chubbies, for instance, is ready with the Guardian screenshot to weigh in on a riveting discussion about short-shorts.

17. Show your product in a surprising situation

We can’t look away from Vessi pouring weird stuff on its shoes. But you don’t have to risk a mess to make viewers do a double take.

If you’re a makeup brand, do a makeover on the subway… or while ordering at Subway. Seeing familiar goods in unusual situations is a surefire way to intrigue your audience.

[“source=hootsuite”]