30 social media post ideas to help fill up your content calendar

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When it comes to posting on social media, do your fingers often hover over the keyboard? You’re desperately trying to think about what to post. Where’s that inspiration when you need it?

If you’ve made yourself a promise you’re going to do better, but just don’t know how then you’ll love what I have in this blog post. I’ve pulled together a list of 30 social media post ideas you can use. That’s a whole month’s worth of content!

Before we get to the good stuff, here are a few things to remember when it comes to using social media for your small business.

Why social media?

There’s a good reason why you should use social media: it helps you broaden your reach. What do I mean by that?

Well, it helps you reach more people. When one of your followers like, shares or comments on a post, their network sees this action. That puts your business in front of people who could be potential customers.

But wait! Things are never quite that simple with social media. You have to contend with those pesky algorithms. They try your patience and make you want to give up. But don’t! Your content can be seen.

Here’s how.

Have a strategy and content plan

Strategy. Sounds a bit scary, but it’s not. In fact, it’s simple. What is your plan to reach the people who are your target audience? Work out who they are, which social media networks they use and the type of content they like. Your strategy should be to give them the content they love in the places they like to see it. See, I told you it wasn’t that scary.

Once you’ve worked out your strategy, you need a content plan. This is all about what you’re going to post where and when. The reason this plan is useful is that it stops you from sitting at your keyboard wondering what you should post. The plan is your map to reaching your goals on social media.

Be consistent

You need to show up on social media consistently, not when you think about it or need something. If you do this, your followers will quickly become disinterested in what you do post.

How do you do this? Set aside time to make sure your social media posts happen. Work out a system that works for you. The one that works for me is to schedule time in my calendar at the beginning and end of each day to schedule my posts. During this time, I also create the images I need.

Putting time aside will make sure it happens. Once you’ve done it for a few days, it will become habit.

What you post is important

You absolutely want to promote your business. That’s why you’re using social media – it’s a marketing tactic that should contribute to your goals. However, if all you ever do is talk about your business, you’ll lose followers pretty quickly.

Think about why you follow brands. It’s not just to get deals. You like to be educated, entertained and informed. Your followers are no different. Put yourself in their shoes and think about the types of content that will help you keep your followers engaged. Here’a rule of thumb for you to follow:

• 50% of your post should be interesting and entertaining
• 30% of your posts should offer helpful information
• 20% of your posts should promote your business

This is a good ratio to follow to make sure you keep your followers interested.

Use tools to save you time

I’ve already talked about making time to schedule your posts. Now’s the time to talk about the tools you need to automate your social media.

You can schedule your posts in advance for pretty much all the main social networks. This will save you so much time, especially in your busier periods, and give you that consistent approach. Here are some tools you can use:

• Hootsuite (the free version allows 3 social networks and up to 30 posts)
• Buffer (similar to Hootsuite)
• Later (for Instagram)
• Planoly (plan your grid and schedule for Instagram)
• Facebook’s own publishing tools
• Tailwind (for Pinterest)

There are loads more tools. Find what works best for you.

Minal’s Tip Alert

Check to see if the scheduling tool you choose has an app. You want to be able to do things on the go!

Vary the types of posts you use

Remember that you’re vying for attention on social media. Make your posts stand out by varying what you do. Use eye-catching graphics that tie in with your brand. Think about using infographics (like the one below) that draw people in.

And don’t forget about video. Video marketing is big news and your business will get left behind if you don’t use it. Don’t be scared that you need lots of expensive equipment either. Your mobile phone is all you need to create content. Plus you can use tools like Lumen5 to create professional-looking videos. Finally, get going with Facebook Live!

So, now you know why you should be using social media and have some tips to help you, here’s what you’ve been waiting for! A whole 30 social media post ideas that you can use to engage your followers!