Marketers prioritize content based on what they think their customers want to see. However, a new study shows that what brands post doesn’t always see eye-to-eye with the social posts consumers want.
In the report, 1,253 consumers and 2,060 social media marketers were surveyed.
What is working, though, is that customers and marketers agree on what the top ten content types are. Marketers just don’t always seem to post about these in the most profitable ratio.
Let’s first look at the top ten types of posts that are mutually beneficial to marketers and customers.
10 Types of Social Posts Consumers Want
What customers want to see most are posts about discounts for sales, posts that showcase new products and posts that teach something. The latter is in-line with many of the how-to videos brands like Tasty have based their model around. Think instructional cooking videos and crafts, that’s what we’re referencing here.
Statistics show that 72 percent, 60 percent, and 69 percent of customers prefer this type of content, respectively, when interacting with content online.
When thinking about content consumption, these are the types of posts your potential customers want to see:
- Sales and discounts (72%)
- Showcasing new products (60%)
- Posts that teach something, instructional (59%)
- Entertaining posts (56%)
- Inspiring posts (49%)
- Company announcements (41%)
- Posts that tell a story (37%)
- Showcasing a company’s personality (23%)
- Showcasing company employees, the crew (13%)
- Posts that are partnerships with influencers (12%)
In exactly this order, your customers are waiting and hungry for you to drop these kinds of posts for them to consume.
What Marketers Usually Post
You may be thinking, “Why is this an issue? I already post these kinds of content pieces.” And if you do, you’re on the right track.
The problem marketers are running into is the ratio in which these posts are being shared. According to the report, 61 percent of marketers post content that teaches something, following by 58 and 53 percent of marketers who post content that tells a story and posts that inspire, respectively.
On the list, these kinds of posts rank at number three, four and five. The top ten content pieces being shared by marketers are posts that:
- Teach something, instructional (61%)
- Tell a story (58%)
- Inspire people (53%)
- Company announcements (51%)
- Entertain, kills time, is funny (47%)
- Are about new products or services (46%)
- Showcase a company’s personality, (44%)
- Highlight employees, the crew (24%)
- Discounts for sales/coupons (18%)
- Influencer partnerships (16%)
It’s a clear determination that marketers just aren’t prioritizing the content their consumers really want to see. But, it’s not at all unfixable.
How Consumers Engage With Posts
Consumers can watch and read your content all day, but what is important is if they engage. The study shows that consumers are more likely to like and share entertaining posts. Of those asked, 51 percent claimed they’d interact with this kind of post with a like. And, 44 percent would share it.
Of the ten, consumers are more likely to interact with posts about sales and discounts and inspirational posts as well.
For consumers, they’ll engage more with content that will help them or someone else. Sixty-Seven percent of them would like content about a sale, 51 percent would share it. Equally, 44 percent of them would like and share inspirational posts.
Where Consumers and Marketers Agree
Marketers are not psychics, they aren’t always going to get it right. But according to this report, there were a few places in which both marketers and consumers agreed on content priority.
Two types of content that were equally prioritized on both sides were instructional videos and posts that entertain. We know from personal experience that people enjoy taking a break from a hectic day and spending time watching how-to videos, hilarious fails and reading funny memes.
As a marketer, you should capitalize on this.
How to Prioritize Content for Consumers
In 2019, instructional videos and entertaining content needs to be at the top of the priority list. Restructuring the way marketers share is essential, so, you’re also going to want to move content about discounts and sales to the top of the list. Consumers care more about how they can save money on their favorite brands and services, give them a way to do so.
Merge Content Pieces
A good idea would be to merge some of these hot content pieces. Pin a coupon code or link to a how-to video for some of the products used in the video.
In-print, some retail brands are following this tactic. In 2018, we’ve seen an increase in published store-focused magazines that feature recipes, style tips and more attached to coupons for the products featured inside. Everyone from TJMaxx to grocery store tycoons are heavily marketing their products this way.
If it’s turning readers into conversions in-print, it will do the same online.
Keep the Logo, Drop the Backstage
It’s clear that customers are not that interested in content about a company’s personality or their employees. It seems harsh, but even if you have an office on a rainbow filled with unicorns working at the desks, customers just want to see what you can give to them that will make them laugh, cry, motivate them or…. help them save money.
Going forward, focus more on branding content with your logo. An example of this is a logo credit at the end of in-house or licensed videos. When scrolling through video feeds, customers are more likely to learn about a brand based on whether they see a logo repeatedly after great videos they watch. They rarely look at who published the video in the profile line.
The same is true for articles they come across. Always remember to remind viewers of who provided the great content at the end of videos and articles. Also, keep team exposure to a minimum unless it’s accompanied by a good story, Buzzfeed style.
Overall, the concept is to fight the urge to post what you think consumers want to see. It’s better to listen to them, watch their reactions to other content and analyze what is already popular within your target audience. Then, provide that style of content to your consumers.