Last Updated on November 3, 2021 by Kelly Thoreson
Filling out and executing your content calendar with stellar social media post ideas can be tough.
After spending all your creative juices writing your latest badass blog post, sometimes there’s just nothing left in the tank for social media.
When that happens, just fall back on this list of 21 social media post ideas to get you tons of likes and followers!
21 Social Media Post Ideas
#1: Quotes
People freaking love quotes and everyone has a favorite.
This is my favorite:
“If you can laugh at it, you can live with it” – Joan Rivers
They are shareable, likable, and work with any blogging niche.
I have found quotes to work especially well for Instagram.
I keep a document that I put quotes related to my niche in and pull from it when needed.
Canva has pre-designed Instagram templates so I just pop the quote into one of those and go! (click here to learn how to sign up for Canva for free)
Make sure to credit the original author of the quote and add your logo/watermark/social media handle.
#2 Go Live
Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube are all pushing live video as a form of social media content.
You can even post videos to Pinterest now!
I know it sounds intimidating and that right now you’re coming up with 103 excuses not to do it, but I’m here to tell you to stuff your self-doubt in a sack and do it anyway.
The rewards of going live are two-fold.
Firstly, it’s the new format of posting that social media giants want you to use and generally when you play their game you can expect to see a slight bump in views.
You cannot ignore this statistic:
As per Facebook, live videos are “generating 6x more interactions than regular video”.
[1]
Six times! That is +600% of audience engagement that you can’t just leave on the table.
Secondly, your audience will eat it up.
As humans, we love to see other people being, well … human!
The age of having to make a high-production quality, perfectly edited video in which your hair is on point and you show no signs of even knowing what a zit is has passed.
Audiences want to see you now, exactly as you are, and they don’t care that your ponytail is flanked by flyaways that make you look like Albert Einstein.
It’s scary at first but that goes away quickly with practice. Go live and reap the benefits!
#3 Flatlays
You know what flatlays are even if you don’t realize it.
They’re everywhere on social media and for good reason. They give a quick snapshot into the author’s life and visually convey the point of the post quickly.
This is what a flatlay looks like:
Just like with going live on video, you’re going to start feeling like you have to get everything 100% perfect for your flat lay post. WRONG.
You audience will connect with you over your imperfections.
I would argue that the more human you are the more you will endear yourself to them.
Is your desk a disaster today? Flat lay that hot mess with a caption like, “One of those days … but I showed up anyway”. Everyone can relate to that!
Related reading: 5 Weird Ways to Improve Your Blog Writing
#4 Recycle an Old Post
While I know you are all diligently publishing your latest posts to social media, don’t overlook the value of reposting an oldie-but-goodie when you are out of social media post ideas!
Chances are your following has grown since you first posted that gem.
Give your new audience members a chance to see your best work by reposting with a refreshed sentence or two about why your post is still unique content and relevant to your readership’s needs.
#5 Funny Photos/Videos
Did your dog fall asleep on the couch upside down with his tongue out?
Are you cracking yourself up with the fake mustache and black-rimmed glasses you picked up for Halloween?
Capture and post it!
Again, with social media you are branding yourself and converting your followers into die-hard fans.
Even if you’re branding a business, they want to see that you can let loose a little and the informal nature of social media makes it the perfect place to let your hair down.
#6 Infographics
Demand Gen reported that infographics can boost website traffic by up to 12%[2], that’s nothing to snub our noses at.
Even if you don’t consider yourself a “visual thinker”, if you’re human you are a visual learner by nature.
According to MIT, 50% of our brain is dedicated to processing visual stimuli[3]. That’s a whole lotta brain power!
That may be why we are so drawn to infographics, they present information in an overwhelmingly visual manner making it easy to digest, even with a thousand other posts vying for our attention.
#7 Meme it Up, Baby
I am a big meme fan!
Memes are one of the easiest forms of social media posts.
If you have a witty, inspirational, or otherwise noteworthy thought about your world – snap a pic, add some text and share it as a meme.
You can also create memes using ImgFlip. It’s super easy, everything you need to create a meme is literally in the palm of your hand!
#8 Throwback Thursday (or whenever)
Everyone adores a good throwback Thursday photo and it can be a prime opportunity to engage with your audience.
Bonus: #TBT gives us a chance to learn from our past questionable hairstyles!
Take my senior photo for example, nice mushroom cut, huh?
Instead of just putting up your 3rd grade photo, add a call to action to the caption or photo itself encouraging your audience to respond with their own throwback photo.
Then sit back and watch your engagement soar!
#9 Re-Share/Tweet/Pin
If you see an awesome post that you think your following will love – share it!
Don’t just retweet and run though!
Add your own flare with a sentence or two, hashtag, or even just a well-placed emoji.
This brings me to my next social media content idea …
#10 Emojis Are Power
Never underestimate the humble emoji.
This social media post idea is backed by science!
Some researchers have concluded that we are actually building a new language with emojis, and that the classic 🙂 emoji has shown to stimulate the same parts of the brain associated with face perception[4].
Consider this:
You can use an emoji as social media content by posting just the emoji with a clever caption.
That’s a whole lotta emoji power!
#11 Other Blogger’s Content
If you find value in another blogger’s content, by all means – share it!
Make sure you give them props, tag them and/or cite the author.
Not only will this help you build authority with your audience by showing them that you are staying up to date with your niche, but it opens the door to networking with other bloggers as well.
You never know who might find your share so flattering that they reach back out to you!
#12 Take a Poll
Instagram, Facebook and Twitter all allow you to poll your audience.
Typically, polls see increased engagement over regular social media content.
Twitter makes it really easy to add a poll, just click the three bars below, “What’s happening?”.
Follow Blogfiti on Twitter here because I know you all about those blogging tips!
Adding a poll to Facebook and Instagram is a walk in the park.
This video will guide you through both so you can start adding polls to your social media content strategy today!
#13 Give the Gift of GIF
GIFs are a timeless social media post idea because who doesn’t adore a good GIF?
They’re free, they’re relatable, and there is one for every topic you can imagine.
Here’s one every blogger can relate to:
If you don’t know where to find GIFs don’t worry, you can get all the GIFs you could ever want (and even create your own) from these sites:
Personally, Tenor is my go-to for great GIFs!
#14 Holiday Posts
Holidays provide an endless source of social media post ideas.
It doesn’t have to be the generic, “Happy Holidays to You and Yours” snooze-fest, either!
Observe:
Additionally, thanks to it being national something-or-other day every single day – you can literally use holidays to populate your social media calendar all year round.
You can use National Day Calendar to check what today’s special focus is. Sidebar: today (December 22nd) is apparently National Date Nut Bread day, looks like it’s time to find my apron!
#15 Tips/Hacks
Did you just figure out a handy shortcut that your readers can use? Share it with your audience!
When dolling out tips and hacks to your followers, it’s important to keep your avatar in mind.
My audience is comprised of new bloggers who don’t know much about building websites, so the tip above is probably useful for many of them.
If my avatar were experienced bloggers looking for advanced techniques the tip wouldn’t resonate with them and may hurt my authority.
Always tailor your social media content ideas to your audience.
#16 Answer an FAQ
Answering a frequently asked question is similar to the tips/hacks post but in this case, you’re answering a question that comes straight from your audience.
The FAQ post can be a great segway into linking to your other pieces of content that may offer a more in-depth answer than you could provide on social media.
Use it as a launching point to drive traffic to your blog.
#17 Tell Your Story
You don’t have to write your full autobiography to tell your story via social media.
This can be a powerful way to connect with your audience and add depth to your brand.
To quickly tell your story on social media you can:
- Share a tidbit about your past and make it relate to your niche
- Compare where you were a year ago where you are today
- Share a challenging time in your journey and how you got through it
- Tell how you got started
- Tell about a goal you have and the steps you have taken to reach it
- Admit a failure and how it made you better, stronger, wiser, etc.
#18 Share Your Favorites
Recommendations never get old!
Your audience will love hearing about your favorites time and time again.
Just make sure that they relate to your niche so they will be of value to your followers.
Here’s some favorites you can share on social media:
- Books
- Podcasts
- Other blogs/bloggers
- Documentaries
- Movies & shows
- Classes & workshops
- Events (like conventions)
#19 Promote a Charity
Social media post idea #19 is all about giving back to the world.
Why not do some good while upping your social media presence?
If you have a charity that you’re involved with or passionate about – tell the world!
It is important, however, to do your homework and make sure the charity you’re promoting is on the up and up.
Pick charities that you know well enough to not have to worry about finding out later that they were actually a scam.
#20 Ask Your Followers a Question
Everybody loves to put their two cents in, which is why asking a question is a sure-fire social media post.
Don’t worry if at first (when you have very few followers) no one answers, just keep posting and asking.
The followers will come!
The questions do not necessarily have to be niche-specific.
For funsies you could ask your audience what their favorite song is, just for the opportunity to connect with them.
However, if you do go industry-specific, asking a question can be a gold mine of content ideas.
Let’s say you were a fashion blogger and asked your followers what item of clothing they can’t live without that could help you clearly identify what your audience would be interested in reading about.
Boom baby!
#21 Show Off Your Surroundings
This is one of my most favorite social media post ideas!
I am lucky to live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest where I am surrounded by iconic Portland sites and breathtaking nature.
I love posting panoramics of Mt. Hood hikes, Instas of visually stunning PDX landmarks and cityscapes, and occasionally just a short clip of me floating around in the pool on the off chance of a hot day.
Let your audience get to know the real you by showing them your life instead of just telling them about it!
Conclusion
Social media can be intimidating at first but it doesn’t have to stay that way.
When you feel stuck, just fall back on this list to get your social media juices flowing and get back to crushing it!
Want to hang out with me on social? I’d love to have you in my Badass Bloggers Facebook group … see you there!
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References
1. Brain Processing of Visual Information. (1996, December 19). Retrieved from MIT News: http://news.mit.edu/1996/visualprocessing
2. Fidji Simo. (2018, April 6). facebook.com/fidji.simo. Retrieved from Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fidji.simo/posts/10155151078752063
3. The Power Of Visual Content. (2014, September 14). Retrieved from Demand Gen Report: https://www.demandgenreport.com/industry-topics/rich-media/2906-the-power-of-visual-content-infographic.html#.VKtkmIc9-7m