Bingo! How to Create Original Content for Social Media

Social media is an essential part of your marketing strategy; it validates your organization, connects you with customers, and grows your sphere of influence. 

Depending on the nature of your business or organization’s social media accounts, consider posting content related to company culture: employee highlights, fun activities in the office, exciting work developments, etc. This humanizes your business to customers and prospects while establishing a relationship and building trust. Nearly 70% of consumers say that authentic and relatable content is more important than polished, high quality content. Plus, posting consistently helps your business or organization stay front-of-mind with your audience. 

Keeping your social media content fresh and engaging can be difficult, but stagnant accounts risk losing follower interest and engagement. By tailoring your content to what consumers want to see, you can breathe new life into your social media. This template offers ideas to help you upgrade your business' content to avoid lulls in activity. Whether you need daily inspiration or a complete content overhaul, these tips can help you connect with your audience in new ways. With a strategy focused on value and relevance, your content can better attract, retain and delight customers.

Use our Social Media Bingo Board to work with your team to brainstorm social media content and actually stick to creating that content. Here’s how it works:

On your own, brainstorm a few examples of social posts you want to create in the near future. If you can’t think of any, provide a few examples of posts you created in the past to help inspire new ideas. This step is important to show your team the voice and tone of your business’ social media presence. Make sure these examples also fit your business’ branding and messaging.

Once you have a few examples, set up a meeting with your team. Place the bingo board in a place where everyone can see (we recommend either casting it on a screen or printing it out and taping it somewhere visible). Explain the purpose of the bingo board and the type of ideas you want them to brainstorm.

Be sure to show a lot of enthusiasm during this step; the rest of your team will match your energy. Show that this is something you care about to inspire great ideas amongst your team!

After you introduce the bingo board, set a timer. Give your team two minutes to brainstorm ideas. Enforce that there are no bad ideas; you don’t want people to hold back because they are nervous their idea is bad. Even “bad” ideas can spark good ones. Tell them that you want them to think outside of the box and come up with post ideas that your socials haven’t seen before.

After the two minutes is up, ask for people to report on ideas. Let the team’s creativity flow from one another. 

Once you fill in every spot on the bingo board, the brainstorm is complete. Take the bingo board back to your desk, print it out if you haven’t already, and keep it close by. Display it on your desk, preferably in a place others can see. This helps keep you and your team members in a social media mindset. You’ll be able to quickly act if a social media opportunity arises.

As you complete each social post, cross them off. Try to get bingo! When you fill out the entire card, pat yourself on the back! You are creating consistent social media content. If you’re looking for new social media ideas, regroup with a fresh bingo board and start the idea generation process from the beginning.

This exercise lets social media managers leverage the expertise of your colleagues to create insightful content that resonates with your audience. Your team members are knowledgeable about their specific roles and functions within the company. Featuring their unique perspectives and behind-the-scenes insights can add dimension and value to your social media content. Soliciting contributions from subject matter experts across departments is an impactful way to diversify the content you share. It provides insider information straight from the source. Audiences appreciate authenticity and a raw look into the inner workings of your organization. By tapping into the talent around you, you can develop content that educates and connects followers in new, genuine ways.

Further, when you're the only one managing your organization's social media, it can feel isolating. While the accounts are your domain, it helps to get the whole team involved in content brainstorming. Their varied perspectives and insights can spark fresh, innovative ideas you may not have considered alone. It also keeps social media top of mind across departments. When colleagues contribute to the ideation process, they will likely feel more invested and continue sharing thoughts with you. This collaborative approach results in a collective effort that takes the pressure off you as the sole community manager. It enables everyone to play a role in social media success, even if you remain the driving force behind executing the strategy. By tapping your team for ideas, you can break out of the solo bubble and foster an engaging, creative social media presence.

At its core, social media presents an opportunity to build genuine connections and community around a brand. While strategy is important, don't lose sight of the fun, human element as well. Maintaining an innovative, lively social media presence will keep you connected to what matters most— your customers and followers.