What's the best way to test social media content formats?

Testing social content is like throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. Try a variety of formats - videos, stories, live streams, IGTVs. Play with lengths, visual styles and captions. Repurpose content across platforms to compare engagement. Ask followers to weigh in on what they like best. Check analytics to see which posts gain more traction. Look at what peers and influencers are doing too for inspiration on what works. Not everything will be a hit, and that insight is valuable too. Use learnings to optimize future content. Through ongoing experiments you’ll discover your social media sweet spot and the secret sauce that satisfies your community. Now go get messy and may the spaghetti be ever in your favor!

To choose your format follow the following steps: 1) Audience first: start to think about the audience you want to target. 2) Then based on the audience which social media platform you want to spend your efforts, time and resources on. 3) Once you know the platforms, get to know how the algorithm works. I have seen the most beautiful content flops and the lowest quality content going viral. Emotions first! 4) Once you get a sense of the formats the algorithm may want to push (video?), start and experiment with each platform content best practices

The secret sauce of social media success - testing content formats ?? Test One Variable at a Time: To identify the impact of each content format, test one variable at a time. For example, if you're comparing images and videos, keep the caption, posting time, and audience segment constant for a fair comparison. Leverage A/B Testing: Use A/B testing to compare two versions of the same content, differing only in one element (e.g., image or copy). This method helps you pinpoint which aspect of the content impacts engagement. Consider Platform Differences: Different social media platforms have varying audience preferences and behaviors. Adapt your content formats to suit the unique traits of each platform. #socialmedia #socialmediamarketing

It’s important to test but it’s equally important to brainstorm. Types of content matters but it’s more important to have quality & relevant content. To generate content we need analysis of target audience and their perception of brand.

While it's true you should test ALL formats, a simple survey or poll asking your audience what they want can get you started with the type of content they at least are asking for! ?? NOTE: Anytime a platform offers a NEW type of content, jump on it. Platforms adjust their algorithms to weigh new features more heavily when they are first offered!

The best way to test social media content updates is by: 1. Trial and error and sort of an experimentation to understand what really feels you and how best does it align with your goals 2. Observe from others around you and decide what serves your interests and needs best 3. Get educated on the different social media trends, if what you will be producing is what is well received by students

Best way to test social media content is: 1. Test and Learn Review analytics, pay close attention to engagement rates, reach and conversions, clicks and reactions to comments ratios 2. Refine and repurpose Top performing posts, can be reused and use these as templates to plan future content. 3. Set targets you'd like to beat I started with social posts delivering 300 impressions, 5 reactions and 2 comments and scaled to 100,000 views, over 1.5k reactions and 44 reposts on a viral post. My top social posts on LinkedIn deliver anywhere between 100k-4k impressions. Your analytics data is your King. Your content is your Queen.

Match each goal to the type of content that helps you reach that goal. Ex: More engagement? Try a poll, stories with stickers, or memes. Web traffic? Create an ad for a free download. Do you want more shares? Offer an amazing carousel with educational content and ASK for the save. (CTA)

Test & Track methodology is dynamic and often used with multiple platforms. Improvisation and innovation should be utilised simultaneously to generate better analysis

Top Tip: Before throwing money at new content, test in teh organic feed! Try new pieces and new types of content in your FB group, on IG, on your LI page etc. Testing new content organically is a smart way to get data!

A/B testing, using paid media, is particularly useful. Try a few ad variants, see which one generates the best results, then go all in on that one both organically and via paid media.

Organic testing and paid testing of advertising formats should be separately conducted and done as controlled experiments. Learning of organic testing should be implemented on paid campaigns. This will be more effective and efficient process

Absolutely appropriate example stated above . Goal to be mapped against the performance of each format . Engagement of each format varies and relevance of engagement for each set of target audience is different.

Top Tip: Monitor your competitors at all times - not to copy them, but to see what content works for them. use them as another 'testing ground' - if they have a similar audience to you, analyze what type of content works well for them. Chances are it will work for you as well. Don't reinvent the wheel if you don't have to! ??

Watching everything you do is always a smart move. Sometimes, something random you post can garner thousands of responses out of the blue. Analyse what you did. Look at what commentators picked up on, what resonated. Evaluate the image and the title. Split testing with very different content styles but essentially the same messaging is also an interesting experiment alongside all the other good advice in this article.