A simple guide to Instagram insights
Luke McCarthy
November 21, 2024
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In this guide, you’ll discover the 10 best social media post types to include and which platforms to use them on.
If you keep your finger on the pulse of what’s new in social media, you’ll know that it’s an ever-changing marketing platform. Best practices are constantly evolving for social media strategy, metrics, and everything in between. It can be really hard to keep up with what you should or shouldn’t be doing.
However, one piece of advice is unlikely to change; brands need to keep their social media feeds interesting to stand any chance of keeping their audience’s attention. And one of the best ways of doing that is by switching things up when it comes to the types of posts you’re sharing.
In this guide, we’ll give you a complete rundown of the 10 most popular social media post types and which platforms to use them on.
The huge popularity of short-form videos on social media is down to their ability to make content consumption easy and to engage audiences with entertaining and informative content. Essentially, they get to the point really quickly.
Platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts have accelerated the popularity of short-form videos. And the focus on authenticity means that they’re incredibly easy to make. This is one type of social media post that we don’t see going anywhere for a long time.
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If short-form videos are where you attract attention, longer talking head videos are where you create connection. This type of social media post is another that’s easy to make. It can just be you talking to the camera, but if you prefer, you can get more creative by using different transitions throughout your talk.
When talking heads are done well, they create a loyal community of brand advocates as viewers feel they get to know your business on a deeper level. Start with a compelling hook to stop the scroll, give value through the main section of the video, and end with a call to action.
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Stories first emerged as a way to keep followers updated with unplanned, in-the-moment content. But over time, Stories have emerged as a powerful way to generate sales due to their instant visibility, interactive features, and exclusive behind-the-scenes feel.
In fact, Instagram Stories generate a quarter of the platform’s ad revenue. In 2023, Stories ads brought around $16 billion in global net ad revenues, according to eMarketer Insights.
No guide to social media post types would be complete without the OG – images. Before any of us were even thinking about lives, talking heads, or stories, we were sharing static images. Although videos are gaining popularity on social media, images still hold a significant position in brand marketing.
Their quick consumption, visual appeal, mobile optimisation, accessibility, and cost-effectiveness make them a great way to connect with audiences, share beautiful product-based images, and stop the scroll.
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Text-based posts are a bit like plain biscuits. They make a nice change every so often, but it would be dull having them every day. There are some platforms where you can post text-based posts with no visual element at all, but you can create short text-based videos using apps like Canva for more visual social media platforms.
Text-based posts are simple, versatile, and have the ability to convey powerful messages with no bells and whistles. They invite conversation, are a clear way to communicate directly, and can increase your follower count.
Lives on social media enable you to connect directly with your audience, building brand awareness and driving sales. Through live streams, you can let people see the faces behind the brand and give exclusive, behind-the-scenes access to your business.
Live streaming is a really versatile way to connect. You can use it for everything from live Q&As, product demonstrations, and storytelling, to promotions and announcements. When followers feel like they have direct access to you, they’re more connected to your business, which drives brand loyalty and a sense of community.
User-generated content is created by people other than the brand itself. It’s a really effective way to share authentic and relatable content that talks about how awesome a product or service is without sounding braggy.
UGC is perceived by consumers as authentic and trustworthy. When customers see other people publicly sharing how great a product or service is, it builds trust and makes viewers more likely to buy.
Carousel posts are gaining in popularity on social media as they’re binge-worthy, digestible content. Over 19% of Instagram posts are carousels.
This modern take on image and text-based posts is great for helping your ideal customer through step-by-step guides and features. You can also help potential customers to see that your product is the perfect solution to their needs. Telling a story through multiple slides keeps people engaged and carousels can be tailored to specific audience segments, creating personalisation and driving engagement.
Remember the ice bucket challenge? It raised an incredible $220m worldwide. It was so popular because it relied on friends nominating friends, it was easy to do, and it was funny to watch. Challenge-based social media posts have the potential to go viral, increase brand visibility, and unite social media followers behind one mission.
But challenges don’t have to involve everyone doing exactly the same thing. With one overarching concept or hashtag, like Calvin Klein’s #onlyinmycalvins, you can encourage creative, user-generated content that boosts brand awareness.
@calvinklein You all BROUGHT IT to the #onlyinmycalvins challenge 😍📸 #calvinklein ♬ Only In My Calvins – Calvin Klein
Collaborating with influencers is a great way to reach a wider audience, enhance your brand awareness, and increase sales. Influencers have built a loyal following of engaged followers who trust their recommendations, so partnering with the right one can be a gamechanger for your brand.
Collab posts are incredibly versatile. They can be long campaigns or one-off posts. They can be image-based, short-form videos, or talking heads. The magic is in the name – you get to tap into what the influencer knows works for their audience and collaborate to create the perfect piece of content.
So, there you have it, the 10 most popular social media post types and where to use them. The best social media strategies always have a bit of variety, so including a blend of different posts will keep your followers interested and help to attract new audiences.
If you’d like to switch up your strategy, accelerate your brand, and plan an influencer campaign with predictable outcomes, then take a look at our platform. It enables you to create, manage, and report on all your influencer marketing campaigns in one place.
