Social media ideation: Using a single topic to create as many pieces of content as possible

Should we make a video, an infographic, a blog post or a podcast? When it comes to social media, the answer to this question is not “either this or that”, but “all of the above”. You should approach each topic from as many perspectives as possible to reach a wide range of users. The argument that a user might then be presented the same information in two ways can safely be ignored. On the one hand, the flood of content makes the probability of this being the case less and less likely. On the other hand, users absolutely tolerate being informed of a topic in more than one way.

Here are five tips on how to place your topics in social media environments as efficiently as possible and what you should consider when creating content to create as much buzz and reach as possible.

In principle, almost every topic can be approached in different ways. You should therefore not think about what you can do with Instagram or Linkedin, for example, but start by deciding on which topics (and messages) you want to convey. Then you can determine the right medium or consider how to prepare a topic for a certain channel. It often also makes sense to use a topic in several different variations, i.e. to think in terms of different content assets. First there is the message itself, which works in your own corporate blog or on the website and can serve as the foundation for numerous links. Based on this, you can then generate one or two quotes as memes or social media images and even create an animated GIF, a short film or an audio format.

Particularly consider Mobile First or Mobile Only. Not only younger target groups will primarily see your content on small smartphone screens. Recent studies show that users of mobile devices not only spend a great deal of time on the Internet and in social media, but also that the overall share of Internet use on the go is continuing to rise. You should always keep this in mind when deciding on image sections and font sizes. Apart from that, the frequency of interaction (comments, likes, etc.) is also higher for mobile than for notebook use. By the way, you will find further background information on mobile marketing in our free e-book.

A fundamental decision when designing video content pertains to the video format. In addition to the upright (portrait) format, which is useful for mobile devices, the 1:1 format (i.e., square videos) is becoming more and more common. This format takes up more space in timelines and experience shows that these videos are clicked on more in mobile-oriented social media such as Instagram. In contrast to this, the conventional 16:9 format still corresponds to the viewing habits of users beyond the age of 30, and classic video portals like Youtube are geared to this. By the way, even if you can convert or crop the content to other formats afterwards, you should always start with the format that is ideal for your target group.

“Snackable” and “sharable” content works better, especially in social media, than complex content that can be easily lost in fast-paced timelines. If you don’t believe it, try out how short the attention span is in popular social media such as Facebook or Twitter. There are exceptions only for certain professional topics (e.g., via Linkedin) or podcasts (see item 5). Messengers like Whatsapp, which could become even more important in corporate communications in the coming years and represent a less blatant media discontinuity than classic e-mail, can serve as a good means of distributing and referencing content.

It contradicts many rules of attention economy, but podcasts and other audio formats are working better and better on the German market, for example. Complex content, which you may already have in the form of a webinar or an event recording, can be prepared for part of your target group, especially because podcasts are listened to over the course of several hours while on the road or as a medium for consumption alongside other activities. However, you shouldn’t bore your listeners. Sort and edit the content if necessary and provide your listeners a basic framework for orientation. This could include a thematic structure, for example.

The bottom line: The functional peculiarities of social media

There is a suitable social network for every type of content and almost every issue can now be conveyed via social media depending on the target group. Facebook and other networks will continue to serve as the basis for corporate and marketing communication in groups in the future, especially due to their ability to engage people in dialog. In addition, there are specific networks such as Instagram and Tiktok for younger target groups or Linkedin for professional interests. When it comes to publishing complex content, the current podcast boom should also be taken seriously.