Content Creation in Social Media - Strategies for 2025

Scrolling through social media can feel like diving into an endless ocean. Everyone’s posting, but only a few truly stand out, and you want ot be one of them.

Social media is the new frontier for marketing. To stay afloat in this ocean of content, businesses must be willing to experiment with different types of content, from engaging blog posts to helpful infographics.

The best way to create great social media content is to research the target market and learn as much as you can about them, because 68% of consumers^[1] expect all experiences to be personalised.

You want to use the right words and create something engaging. However, it's not always easy to figure out what works in social media.

Here are some tips from our experts at GrowthJockey that will get you started on creating great content for your top social media platforms.

Social media content: The foundation to your online presence

Your content serves as the first handshake between your brand and your audience, and first impressions are everything. In as little as 1.7 seconds^[2], mobile users decide whether to engage with or scroll past your content.

You must remember that not all content on social media is necessarily high-quality content. That’s why great social media content must be informative, visually appealing, and emotionally resonant. It needs to speak directly to your target audience and ride the wave of current social media trends.

Master that, and your content becomes more than just posts. It becomes the backbone of your optimised, standout online presence.

8 social media content strategies to create engaging posts

Creating content for social media is challenging, but with the right guidance, stellar content is a few steps away.

Our social media experts at GrowthJockey suggest these 8 tips to create content for social media.

1. Do your research

The process of effective content creation starts with good research. Your social media presence represents your brand, and hence, you must post with an intention.

Your content has to be strategic and well-researched. Find out what kind of content resonates with your audience and form a content strategy accordingly.

Research top players in your industry and analyse the kind of content they are sharing. Identify their strengths, weaknesses, and then fill in the gaps in your own strategy.

2. Brainstorm

After you are done with research, it is time to brainstorm creative content ideas for social media posts. Whether you are a one-man army or a team of social media experts, you need to sit down once in a while and brainstorm ideas for content creation.

Brainstorming can help with:

1. Coming up with new ideas or to take a new angle on an old idea.
2. Getting the creative juices flowing when you feel like you are in a rut.

There are a few different ways that you can go about brainstorming for creating social media content.

One way is to simply sit down with a piece of paper and a pen, and start jotting down any ideas that come to mind.

Another way is to use a mind mapping tool, which helps you to structure your brainstorming session and come up with ideas more efficiently. Whichever method you choose, the important thing is to get started and to keep the ideas flowing.

3. Keep your message crystal clear

The most important aspect of social media content is your message. The idea is to get your message across to your audience.

So, keep your message short, easy to understand, and relevant to your brand. Make sure that you're not making any mistakes in your messaging that could reflect poorly on your brand.

Take the time to craft your message carefully, and you'll be sure to see better results from your social media campaigns!

4. Write copy that triggers emotions

Great content is not just about attractive and well-designed pictures. It is something that touches hearts. To be effective, the content needs to connect with your audience's emotions. Anger, happiness, romance, despair, and joy are all powerful emotions that engage and compel people to share your content.

5. Create eye-catching visuals

Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest are visual platforms. So, for these platforms, you need to create visually appealing content like images, videos, infographics, etc.

Now you know there is a vast ocean of content on social media; so to stand out, you have to create content that appeals to your audience. Eye-catching visuals will help achieve just that. If you don't have in-house support, the experts at GrowthJockey can help you upgrade your existing graphics.

6. Audience first!

Whenever you are brainstorming content ideas for social media posts, always keep your audience in mind. Ask yourself if this is something your audience will like to see and share with their friends and family.

Put yourself in your audience's shoes and see if you would like to engage with that type of content. The purpose of content creation is to communicate your message to the audience; hence, always think of keeping the audience first!

7. Create a content calendar

Creating a social media content calendar helps you visualise your ideas better and stay organised and ahead of time.

We understand that it is superficial to plan and create content for the entire month at once. So to easily manage content creation, we would suggest you create at least one week's worth of content in advance.

8. Analyse your results

The process of content creation doesn't end just after posting content on social media. Once the content is up, keep an eye on its performance. To measure the success of your social media content strategy, you need to analyse your results.

Use your social media analytics and make a note of what is working and what is not. Use your findings to research and plan upcoming content.

Types of social media content

According to GrowthJockey, there are 6 types of social media content that drive the most engagement:

1. Education

Educational content can help you establish yourself as an expert in your niche. You may provide bite-sized nuggets of knowledge and quick tips to help your audience. You can share tips and tricks, industry research, case studies, or informational blog posts in this type of content.

2. Inspiration

Inspirational content is the type of content that motivates people to take action. In this type of content, you can be able to see facts, quote graphics, personal stories of success, etc.

3. Entertainment

People use social media in their free time and when they want to relax. Entertainment content can be the best format to engage your audience. You can share memes, jokes, viral videos, fun stories, puzzles, contests, and more.

4. Conversation

Humans are social beings and love to interact. In fact, 62% of millennials say that they appreciate when a brand engages in a conversation with them. You can use questions, polls, etc., for this type of content.

5. Connection

Connection content aims to establish a personal connection with your audience. People love authenticity in brands, and thus, mastering this type of content will help you develop a devoted fan base. For connection content, you can publish product reviews, behind-the-scenes, employee or customer features, etc.

6. Promotion

Any type of material that advertises your brand, company, or website is considered promotional content. You can add blog posts, freebies, paid goods and services, webinars or other events, discounts, and more. It can also include giveaways you're hosting.

5 free social media content creation tools (from idea to publish)

Social media content marketing isn’t just about writing a caption and hitting post. It’s a step-by-step process: first comes the copy, then visuals, optimisation, and finally scheduling.

Luckily, there are free tools that make each step easier. Here’s the lineup:

1. ChatGPT

Social media content creation with ChatGPT might give out generic content, but if you use it right, it can be a great writing assistant. Try out some of these features:

• Carousel Creator GPT: Spin your raw ideas into Instagram-ready carousel posts with clear slides and captions.
• Tone tweaks: Rewrite the same caption for formal LinkedIn or casual Twitter/X.
• Brainstorm engine: Ask it for hashtag suggestions, hooks, and CTA variations.

2. Canva

Once you’ve got the copy, it’s time to make it pop visually. Canva is the go-to for quick, professional-looking graphics for social media content creation.

• Free stock photos + videos: In-built selection of stock images.
• Templates for every platform: Pre-sized posts for TikTok, Instagram, YouTube thumbnails, even LinkedIn banners.
• Drag-and-drop editing: Add text, stickers, and animations with zero design skills.

Basically, if you can imagine it, Canva probably has a template for it.

3. Adobe Express

Adobe Express is on a more professional level of editing if you want more features than Canva offers. Use it for any Reels or Shorts you’ve recorded.

• AI background remover: Clean up messy product shots instantly.
• Brand kits: Save your logo, fonts, and colors so every post stays on-brand.
• Quick animations: Turn static posts into attention-grabbing motion graphics.

4. SruferSEO

Social media content creation isn’t just about attractive posts; it’s also about discoverability. Adding SEO to your captions and hashtags, even alt texts on images, helps rank better.

• Keyword suggestions: Find terms people are actually searching for on Google.
• Content score: A neat meter that shows if your copy is optimised or still weak.
• Competitor insights: Peek at how similar brands structure their posts and blogs.

5. Buffer

You’ve written, designed, and optimised a social media content strategy; now it’s time to post.

• Multi-platform scheduling: Drop one post and push it to Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter/X, and more.
• Optimal post timing: Get suggestions on the best time to publish for your audience.
• Analytics dashboard: See what’s working (and what isn’t) without digging into each app separately.

Mistakes to look for during social media content creation

No matter how much you stick to a social media content creation strategy, know that there will be some things you cannot control. But you can anticipate them and get ready to deal with them.

Here are some areas you might encounter while running a social media strategy:

1. Chasing every trend

It’s tempting to jump on every viral challenge, meme, or sound. But not every trend fits your brand voice or audience. Forcing yourself into the wrong conversation can make you look out of touch, or worse, try-hard.

2. Growing too fast without a plan

Going viral once is exciting, but if you don’t have a strategy to nurture that audience, you’ll lose momentum just as quickly. Sudden spikes in followers without a content system in place can create unrealistic expectations.

3. Negative feedback spirals

Every brand eventually gets a bad comment or review. Ignoring it - or handling it poorly - can escalate fast. Social media amplifies negativity, and without a clear plan for community management, you risk brand reputation damage.

4. Content fatigue

Posting every day without fresh ideas often leads to burnout for you and your audience. Recycled, repetitive posts will cause engagement to drop, even if you’re consistent. Quality will always beat quantity.

Wrapping up on creating trending social media content

In this post, we've shared key guidelines for digital content creation from leveraging user-generated content to producing blog posts that spotlight top influencers in your industry.

But above all, always keep your audience at the center of your strategy. Great content resonates when it speaks directly to a real issue or idea that matters to a segment of your audience. If you can deliver that message in a digestible, shareable format, you’ve got yourself some powerful social media content.

That said, don’t overlook the obstacles that can derail even the best-laid plans. Be sure to beware of the challenges that often arise and build a bulletproof social media strategy that’s prepared to tackle them head-on.

At GrowthJockey, we go beyond being a digital partner; we act as a venture building firm, helping brands of all sizes unlock the full potential of social media. Whether you’re a growing startup or an established enterprise, we design personalized, high-impact strategies that turn engagement into measurable growth.

Get in touch with us today to elevate your social media presence and fuel your brand’s momentum.

FAQs on creating social media content

1. How do I start content creation?

Start by researching your audience, setting clear goals, and brainstorming ideas. Use a content calendar to plan posts and tools like Canva or ChatGPT to streamline creation.

2. Which content is best for social media?

The best content balances value and engagement. Educational posts, visuals, short videos, carousels, and interactive content like polls perform strongly, provided they align with your audience’s interests and brand voice.

3. What are the 5 Cs of social media?

The 5 Cs are Content, Conversation, Community, Consistency, and Conversion.

Together, they help guide effective social media content creation, ensuring your strategy builds trust, encourages engagement, and drives measurable results.

4. What is the first step in content creation?

The first step is research: understanding your audience, competitors, and trends. This foundation ensures your social media content strategy stays relevant, resonates with users, and aligns with overall marketing goals.

1. 68% of consumers - Link ↑
2. 1.7 seconds - Link ↑