Early in my career, right out of college and right as social media was becoming a real channel for content, ads, and sales funnels, running it was part of my job. Getting engagement for the brand was a struggle. I would wake up hoping something interesting would happen that day, some moment that would make people care.
After months of that, I realized the power of social media is not in capturing split-second moments. It is in having a content strategy you can actually execute. A framework was what I needed to drive engagement and save my sanity. So I built one: categories of content I could come back to any time I needed something to share.
A lot of owners, leaders, and social media managers face the same thing. You know being active matters, but finding fresh content every day while doing your actual job is stressful. So here are five easy content categories any company can use, whether you are a lawyer or an architect, a payment processor or a dentist.
1. Educational or informative posts
When in doubt, this is the easiest fallback. Prove you are the expert by sharing your insight. We like to pull this from a primary source like a long-form video or a blog article, because it is already written. Do not be shy about checking your blog analytics and reusing a line from a top performer.
- If you are comfortable on camera, record a quick 45 to 60 second video.
- Or grab a quote and drop it onto a branded graphic (a simple Canva template works).
For example: a dentist sharing the pros and cons of manual versus electric toothbrushes, or a non-profit breaking down spending and impact from last month.
2. Behind-the-scenes content
People love connecting with real people. Humanize your brand by sharing behind-the-scenes photos or a quick reel. Show what you do, highlight an employee, give a project update, or capture a moment that represents your brand. It takes a little effort, so ask the team what they are excited to share this week.
For example: a photographer showing their camera setup, a cafe cutting together a quick video of the day's special, or a benefits company celebrating an employee milestone.
3. Share good news
We all need more good news in our feeds. Share something good happening for your audience, your team, or your community. Do not overthink it: pay attention to moments that spark joy, like connection, impact, or a walk to the bakery down the street. Good news spreads fast and connects us. Wouldn't you like your brand to be a source of it?
4. Share a tip or a resource
This goes a step deeper than category one. Sharing a tip or resource provides value to someone who may never become your customer, and it positions your brand as the guide that helps the audience reach the result they want. When you give freely, people learn to trust and rely on you, and the business grows because of it.
- A realtor sharing a mortgage calculator so people understand what they can afford
- A gym sharing a 10-minute full-body stretch video
- This very post, a resource full of social media topics you can use
5. Calls to action
It is strange: businesses either post only CTAs or never post them. My rule of thumb is that roughly 20% of your posts should be direct calls to action, with softer CTAs sprinkled through the rest (read more, share with a friend, comment below). Do not miss the chance to clearly invite your audience to engage. Make CTAs easy to follow and give them a little urgency.
Put your strategy into action
Take each of these five types, write the category at the top of a note, and jot the specifics underneath. If that feels cluttered, paste this whole article into ChatGPT and ask it to create five ideas for each category for your brand in your industry. You will have 25 options to pick from.
Consistency is the most important thing for your brand. Ease is the most important thing for you. A few more ideas if you want them: customer highlights and testimonials, industry insights and trends, myths versus truths in your field, product or service spotlights, FAQs, and community partnerships.
