Not all content is made equal; certain types of content do better than others. Finding out which content consistently resonates with your audience is extremely important.  If there was a way to create content that generates a buzz, than every marketer should strive to know what that is.  Understanding what you should publish, when to publish it, and which platforms results in greater engagement is essential.  It will increase website traffic, and a notable improvement in the conversion rate.

Since social networking sites have existed, marketers have had to rethink the whole marketing process. And every year, the number of people on social media sites has been on the rise. The desire to stand out and be seen by potential customers has been become extremely competitive. The following are 9 amazing and actionable ideas you can use to optimize your social media campaigns:

Organize Content

This is a true statement: everybody loves free stuff. Through contests, you can engage your followers, grow your audience and increase your brand visibility.  According to Tailwind, Instagram accounts that are in the habit of running contests show a growth rate of 70% faster than those accounts that never run contests. Therefore, after opening your Instagram account, grow it organically using a tool like Growr.  The next logical step is to start creating and running contests for your social media campaigns.

When Girls with no frills posted an Instagram contest, they required users to follow their Instagram handle.  Additionally, they were required to tag other people to the post.  The contests had gathered at least 46 comments in just two hours and more than 200 likes.  This type of content gives the brand new exposure, and new opportunities to grow.

Post About Current Events

Through the years, one of the most common practice among social media marketers is keeping up with trending stories and creating content around them. This tactic hardly ever disappoints. Whether it is a major holiday coming up, a new movie release, a major concert coming to your city or a pop culture scandal no one can resist it.  Everyone has an opinion about it and you can use these current events to your advantage.

Indeed, with proper strategy in place you can even use political stories to sell your business proposition. Regardless of where the buzzing begins and where it will likely end, you can use it to get some increased action on your social media pages.

Studio Niebauer took advantage of the Red Nose Day to tell its Instagram followers about its Bake Sale Kit.

On the other hand, Xander, a gaming YouTuber took advantage of the trending #DragRace on Twitter to share his review of the new Destiny 2.

Connect With a Social Cause

Instead of struggling to get your followers’ attention through rationalization, you should seek to involve their emotions.  Getting followers emotionally involved influences their decision to buy or use your products or services. Tapping into your customer’s emotions is the most effective marketing tactic. You can use a social cause to achieve this. Social causes bring on emotional incentives in addition to giving your brand some extra dimension. The #RedNoseDay Instagram post above by Studio Niebauer is a good example.

Create a How to Video

Social media marketers love video content, and for good reason.  Aberdeen Group reports that video marketers attain an extra 66% qualified leads every year than other marketers.  Additionally,  a 54% increase in brand awareness. Video allows marketers to break down concepts and explain business propositions to their audiences in a fun, interesting and exciting way.

Using “how-to” videos will put you in a better position to capture the attention of your audience on social networking sites. What’s more, the videos are often very shareable.  It’s a sure way to gain visibility before people who have not interacted with your brand in the past.

Post behind-the-scenes videos and photos

One of the more intimate social media marketing ideas is to post behind-the-scenes photos and videos from your brand. This helps to show your audience that behind your company is a group of people who are working hard to provide quality products and services, which helps you build stronger relationships with customers and leads. When Kuhl, a clothing brand shared a behind-the-scene look at the working of its company with its Facebook audience, it received an incredible response: 304 shares, over 240 comments and more than 1.3 million views.

Poll your audience

Marketers often find that conducting polls can make some otherwise passive follower interested in commenting, liking and sharing your content. Some people require a little push now and then to get them to engage on social media. Few social tools are as effective as polls in getting these people to engage. In addition, the poll helps you gather information into your followers’ expectations, allowing you to make changes to your social media and content marketing strategies.

Partner with another brand

Partnering with brand that have products and services that complement your business proposition is an effective way of optimizing your social media campaigns. This approach helps you increase brand exposure by showcasing your brand to people likely to be interested in your product or service.

Post video testimonials

The best brand advocates are loyal customers who have been impressed by the quality of your products and services. By sharing testimonials, you give potential clients a glimpse into what it would be like if they purchased and used your products or services. Talk to your clients about the idea of shooting a testimonial video. You might be surprised to find many of your customers more than willing to help you out. Sons Honda, a car dealership in McDonough, Georgia likes sharing testimonials from its customers similar to the one below:

Host a social media takeover

Last January, Jesse Lingard took over Manchester United’s Instagram page. The football club announced the takeover on Facebook.

If your brand often works with experts and influencers, then a social media takeover should already be something you are exploring. Social media takeover involves the influencer or expert taking over the running of your social media account for a specified time, where they are free to post their content.

The expert or influencer is likely to have a different approach and perspective in running your social media pages.  As a result, you will be exposing your audience to new views and perspectives. Furthermore, the takeover might result in the increased visibility of your brand in new demographics.