How to make your social media content more creative (without just following trends)
Ah, finally. The blog post I’ve been spinning my wheels on for literal weeks. See, I’ve been feeling a restlessness with social media lately, and a level of fatigue when I see certain trends. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but there’s a point where things stop feeling creative and start feeling cookie cutter.
Maybe I’m in desperate need of an algorithm reboot. Or maybe I’ve heard too many leaders say lately, “I just need someone who knows what’s trending and how we can use it, and all that stuff.”
I get it, but the reality is, it’s like we’re starting to confuse ‘trending’ with ‘creative.’ And then we’re completely forgetting “strategic” all together.
So what does creative actually mean on social media?
The best type of creative on social media is the kind that gets people watching—the kind that people look forward to seeing.
It shows your brand in the best possible light.
If finds ways to bake your personality into a trending moment.
It tells a story, educates, or entertains—or a mix of all three.
It’s pulling out tiny details—micromoments that you, as someone close to your brand, can recognize—and putting a spotlight on them. The best way I can think to describe this is something my undergrad fiction professor used to say all the time: particularize. It’s all about particularizing—not being vague, and instead pointing out concrete details.
For social, this means so many things: your team’s personality. The setup of your store. How you source your goods. How you service your customers.
I will always point to No. 14 Boutique on Instagram as someone who does this well. How many times can we watch her stock the racks and not get bored?
It’s because every day is new. She’s always telling a behind-the-scenes story about something we don’t get to do often. She’s relatable. Her team seems fun and positive. And of course we want to see the cool things they’re stocking.
But still, I get that this is one very specific example for a very specific industry. So how else can you make your social more creative?
First, always have an eye out for what makes something social-ready.
Maybe this is just me just coming off a tenure in high-end film production, but there are cues you should watch out for that instantly make content feel more social-ready. And in my opinion, that can instantly make something feel more creative because it just innately belongs.
Trends can be things like like holding onto a lav mic instead of clipping it on your shirt for your talking heads. Or cutting the breaths out of your sentences and using hard cuts, even if it feels a little jumpy. Or being okay with using a messy, handheld POV shot while you show off something you’re talking about.
These are all things that would be a big NO in capital-P Production, but are totally fine for social. In fact, it makes it feel more everyman, not big-budget marketing. And on social, we’re trying to relate and meet people where they’re at.
Sure, there can be exceptions to this, and some brands may require it—but it’s going to feel more like marketing and less human.
Recognize that trending is more than just copying a video
There’s a great quote that I reference far too often: Good artists create, great artists steal. And when you’re first getting into the social content groove, it’s okay to copy trends so you can get a feel for your creativity, how to use editing tools, etc.
But if you really want to make creative content, you’re going to have to figure out how you can continually put your own spin on things. How can you use the template and make it your own?
Creativity = perspective + voice + format, in that order.
Don’t lose sight of a strategic framework
Stop making content just because it looks cool, and start layering in strategy. Can you make this post educate, entertain, tell a story, or show your work?
I’ll bring up a trend that I’ve been seeing so much lately: it’s a simple one-shot video with a headline that says, “Unfortunately I really do love…” And then goes into a list.
Here’s how one social media Instagrammer explains it:
Now…I don’t disagree with why she says it works for a brand, but I would never use this trend straight out of the box this way. At least, not for most brands. A founder account? Sure. But not the brand. It comes off as too navel-gazey otherwise.
Instead, I’d use it as a very specific way to talk up my company’s values.
Let’s assume it’s a restaurant account. I’d probably write something like, “Unfortunately we do love putting dressing on the side, adding french fries on the sandwich, topping cocktails with a lil’ splash of 151, staying open 24 hours, asking if you want a tiramisu to go…”
Talk about particularizing! And talk about sharing details about what makes this place stand out from others. It’s a simple shift in focus, but an impactful one.
Borrow the format, not the content
I always say, “Look on the lateral,” and with social, this is so important. How can you take something from a completely different industry and adapt it to yours?
If you have a retail store, how can you take restaurant content and apply it to your content?
If you have an accounting firm, how can you take SAAS content and apply it to your content?
If you have a SAAS company, how can you take retail content and apply it to your content?
When you find content that makes you say, Man, I wish I could do stuff like this! Go back to the four strategic pillars I outlined above, and run this idea through that lens within the context of your business. Can it work, even if they are two completely different industries?
You’d be surprised at how often it can.
Take what your audience says and apply it to your content
I love trends where people either pull Google reviews or verbal quotes of something a customer (or the boss!) has said. This is such a great way to A) flex your differentiators/expertise, and B) bake in your team’s personality, inside jokes, and particularities that make you, you.
Here’s an example of a flooring company making content based off of comments:
But the reality is, you might not start out getting any comments, or you may be in an industry with a low engagement rate. So what can you do instead?
Here’s an example from a coffee shop:
And another one from a boutique:
And if you’re a service-based industry (again, think accountants, engineers, lawyers, insurance agents…) there’s a ton of ways you can do this as well!
On-screen text could be anything like:
When a client realizes you saved them $2k on their taxes
When a client wins their settlement
When you fixed the CAD model no one else could figure out
…etc, etc.
The more relatable and particular to your industry you can make it, the better. People love an inside joke. And of course, your value prop is in there, too.
Creativity begets creativity
Once you start digging in and putting your perspective and voice into trending formats, don’t be surprised if you find yourself with a million ideas.
It gets easier to learn how to spin out content that aligns to your brand’s specific personality and strategic pillars—and as you get more reactions and engagements, you’ll get a good vibe for what’s working and what’s not.
The hardest part is getting started, but once you do—the floodgates will open!
And if they don’t? Give me a call and I can help you brainstorm.
