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Finding fresh social media content ideas is harder than ever: the feeds are louder, the competition is bigger, and the bar for great content just keeps rising.
With more than 5 billion people on social media, posting “just to post” won’t work anymore. To grow in 2025, brands need content that’s original, useful, and worth stopping the scroll for.
We’ve put together 40 creative social media post ideas to help you reach your target audience and build your online presence.
What are the best social media ideas for 2025?
The social media ideas that win in 2025 are fast, visual, swipeable, and customer-driven. Here’s why:
Visual storytelling continues to be the star of the (engagement) show. Brands published 71% more short videos this year, and platforms love them. TikTok engagement climbed 35% this year, and Facebook Reels is seeing the same momentum.
Swipeable posts are also having a moment. On Instagram, carousels continue to outperform other formats, pulling in around 10% engagement in recent benchmarks. This format is perfect for ideas that slowly unfold: think before-and-afters, mini tutorials, or multi-part tips.
And then there’s user-generated content. Real customer stories, photos, and testimonials consistently outperform polished brand creative because they feel human and credible. In one recent study, 60% of consumers said they trust what individuals say about a brand more than what the brand says about itself.
40 original social media post ideas
Discover 40 social media content ideas that can help you increase your online reach, build more brand awareness, click with your audience, and improve your social media strategy.
Complete with examples and ways to use each idea; start browsing to gather content creation inspiration below.
One of the best ways to use your brand’s social media platforms is to provide educational content for your target audience. Teach them about your industry, tell them how to make the most of your product, or simply offer relevant content and useful information.
Canva pulled this off nicely in a recent LinkedIn post explaining how its Magic Video tool works. It’s straightforward, visually fun, and genuinely helpful.
Consider what your target audience would like to learn about your business and create content (videos, fun facts, infographics, etc.) that can teach them.
Why use this idea:
- Provide valuable information for your audience
- Position your brand as a trusted authority in your industry
2. Create short-form videos
Short-form videos — i.e., the ones shared on social media channels like TikTok, Instagram Short-form videos — are bite-sized, digestible pieces of content that social media users love to consume. And they can be used in a number of different ways.
Some short-form video ideas include:
- Using trending audio to create a video meme
- Creating humorous video content
- Sharing educational information
- Breaking up a long-form video into bite-sized pieces
Check out this humorous short-form video from Duolingo showcasing the Duo mascot, which ensures users extend their streak even while attending a concert.
Why use this idea:
- Reach social media users where they are — watching short-form videos
- Use many of these social media ideas in short-form video form to create a comprehensive video content strategy
3. Embrace memes and trending content
Memes and trends are goldmines on social media. Our own social team lives in the trenches of TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn, scrolling to spot the next format we can parody or twist into something on-brand.
“Most of my ideas come from scrolling for hours on different social networks to see what we could parody or if there is a trend we could jump on,” says Trish Riswick, Social Media Team Lead at Hootsuite.
The key is spotting something with momentum and making it feel unmistakably you. And yes, if your idea leans spicy… maybe let legal take a peek first (don’t say we didn’t warn you).
A great example: Chipotle’s “Bag Lookalike Contest.”Celebrity lookalike contests have been everywhere the past couple of years. Chipotle jumped in with a flyer calling for people who “look like” a Chipotle takeout bag. It was funny, on-trend, and perfectly aligned with the internet’s love of absurdity.
Why use this idea:
- Gain new followers by cashing in on new, trending memes
- Employ humor that resonates with your online audience
4. Feature customer testimonials
What’s the best way to sell your products or services on social media? Showing, not telling.
Share a testimonial or transformation story from a customer. It goes much further to gain trust than talking about yourself.
This can be as easy as whipping up a testimonial quote graphic or filming a short video interviewing your customer. Edit it into multiple versions and re-share them across TikTok, Reels, Instagram Stories, YouTube videos, and more.
Pro tip 💡: Keep social media videos under 60 seconds for best results.
Or, you can take a page out of Slack’s book. The brand reposted a customer testimonial from a real user on LinkedIn, which is a great way to showcase a happy customer.
Why use this idea:
- Highlighting happy customers is a great selling point
- Showcasing different use cases can appeal to potential customers
Motivational quotes related to your industry are an easy and reliable content idea for your social media platforms.
Take this example from planner brand The Day Designer. Relate the quote back to your business, product, or service to help it resonate with your audience.
Why use this idea:
- Fill the gaps in your content calendar with simple motivation
- Create shareable graphics your audience will love
6. Design mini infographics
An infographic is a graphic that shares information. Traditional infographics are big, long designs that share a lot of information at once. But social media is the perfect place for mini infographics that share a single bit of information.
You can then link back to a blog post, report, or webpage that provides more detail. Or you can create a thread of mini infographics that all lend themselves to a bigger picture.
Here’s a great example of what this can look like from UserEvidence. The customer evidence platform put together a flowchart showcasing the buyer’s journey and shared it on LinkedIn to attract its target audience.
Why use this idea:
- Grab attention with beautifully designed educational graphics
- Share important information in a bite-sized, digestible way
7. Participate in a challenge
Challenges are a fun way to boost engagement, potentially get some juicy UGC (user-generated content), and subtly promote yourself at the same time.
For example, Strava, an exercise tracking app, recently teamed up with Universal Pictures to kick off a Wicked-themed fitness challenge.
See if you can create your own challenge like Strava, or find a challenge your business can participate in. By joining in on an already-popular challenge, you can use their hashtag and increase reach for your content.
Why use this idea:
- Increase your reach by jumping on a popular hashtag
- Invite audience members to participate, giving you UGC to share
- Educate or inspire your audience through challenges
Testimonials, success stories, before and afters, yada yada — same-ish, different words for one thing: Demonstrating your capabilities.
B2B buyers are looking for a result, not the hope of a result.
By how much % did your customer’s email open rate increase after using your A/B testing software? Exactly how much money did your solution save your customer?
Pull some key stats out of an existing case study and make a few graphics to post on social media, or edit them into a video for a TikTok or Reel (depending which social media platforms you’re on).
Here’s a video case study example (that also links to a text version on Square’s website) that showcases just how powerful these can be:
Why use this idea:
- Showcase how other users have seen success with your product/service
- Build trust by proving your worth
- Help potential customers understand how your product/service can solve their pain point
9. Create a poll
Polls are one of the easiest ways to spark instant engagement because people love sharing their opinions (with minimal effort).
They’re also a goldmine for quick insights you can actually use — whether you’re validating a content idea, testing a product angle, or learning what your audience cares about right now.
Durable does this well on LinkedIn, asking simple, high-interest questions that get people talking. Yours can be just as lightweight: ask about pain points, preferences, predictions, or anything that helps you understand your audience better.
Why use this idea:
- Create interactive social media content for your audience
- Gather insights and feedback directly from your customers
10. Hire a creator to film a “Get ready with me” video
“Get Ready With Me” videos are basically a staple online. A creator gets ready, tells a story, and somewhere in the middle your product naturally finds its moment.
Hiring a creator to film one of these can be an engaging way to tell a story to your audience or, in the case of this Fenty Beauty, showcase how your products can be used in such instances.
Why use this idea:
- Captivate your audience while you tell a story
- Sell your products (perfect for beauty brands) by showcasing them in action
Original research includes things like survey results, market research, and the like. Gathering information like this can help your brand stand out while also providing both your audience and others in your industry with unique and recent data.
BetterUp does this really well. They take the best nuggets from their leadership reports and turn them into clean, snackable visuals people actually stop to read.
Why use this idea:
- Create shareable content that can help you reach a wider audience
- Generate leads by sharing email-gated links to your research
12. Run a contest or giveaway
Social media contests or giveaways are always a good idea because people love free stuff.
Give away a gift card to your business or something you sell. You want to make sure you’re giving away a product that’s only going to appeal to your target audience. Cash giveaways will entice anyone to enter — but you want to focus on catering your giveaway to your specific audience.
For entries, you can do anything from the super-simple “like, follow, and comment” format, to more involved contests like asking your followers to share a photo, tag a friend, or fill out a survey.
A good rule of thumb is to keep the effort of entering the contest in line with the prize value. Smaller value prize = less effort to enter, higher value prize = more effort.
Here’s an example of a giveaway from Penguin Random House, a book publisher giving away some banned books to online followers.
Why use this idea:
- Rapidly grow your follower counts and generate potential leads
- Give back to your audience
- Gather content assets you can use for future campaigns (for photo or video submission contests)
13. Collaborate with another brand
Partnerships are one of the easiest ways to get in front of a new audience without reinventing your entire content plan.
In the example below, Sipland partnered with a couple of brands to create this recipe video. One of those brands is an ingredient in this non-alcoholic drink recipe, and the other features as the glass it’s poured into.
This is the perfect example of complementary brands targeting similar audiences together without worrying about competing.
Why use this idea:
- Reach new audiences from complementary brands
- Showcase how different products can be used together as a cross-promotion
14. Go live
Going live is a great way to encourage audience interaction. Live video streaming is authentic, engaging, and creates an unbeatable sense of urgency.
You can go live on nearly any social media platform, from Facebook and Instagram to TikTok and LinkedIn. Live streaming ideas include:
- Announcing new product launches
- Hosting a live shopping event
- Sharing an exciting collaboration
- Giving an educational talk
- Providing a product tutorial
- Holding an AMA (more on this later)
- Creating a sales pitch
Here’s an example of an educational live stream that BambooHR held on LinkedIn, the perfect platform for a B2B software like theirs:
Why use this idea:
- Interact with your audience in real-time
- Create a unique type of social media content
15. Offer exclusive promos and flash sales
Want to build loyalty on social media? Exclusive deals are a great way to make sure you’re making the most of your online audience. Special deals just for your followers also act as a low-stakes reward for your community.
Here’s a great example of what this can look like from Plant Proper. The house plant retailer shares a discount code on its Instagram for a limited-time offer, enticing followers to take advantage of it — and quickly.
Why use this idea:
- Jumpstart sales through your social media
- Track actual ROI through unique discount codes
- Give back to your online followers
16. Spotlight your employees
Besides selling, recruiting top talent is also a common goal in B2B social media marketing plans. Sharing open jobs is part of that, but so is sharing why someone should consider you in the first place.
By spotlighting your employees, showcasing your company culture, and sharing your overall appreciation for your team, you can position your company as a great place to work.
Plus, putting faces behind the brand can help your customers feel more connected to your business. Win-win, am I right?
Here’s a great example of what this could look like from Manychat. The company shared a document that spotlights its staff product designer and some of the amazing work he’s done.
Why use this idea:
- Keep you top of mind when a competitor’s star employee is looking for a change
- Help advance important benefits and protections for employees across your sector or country
- Facilitate better connections between your team and your customers
Joining in on a social media holiday lets you tap into trending topics and showcase your brand’s fun side, making your posts more relatable.
Holidays are a great way to engage with your audience in a lighthearted way, boosting your visibility and attracting new followers — and there are tons of holidays every month.
Psst: We made a handy calendar for you to keep up with all of them.
Check out how Dunkin’ is celebrating National Coffee Day on Instagram Stories. This is a perfect social media holiday for the donut and coffee shop to take part in.
Find holidays that make sense for your brand and offer similar discounts or freebies to have fun with your audience.
Why use this idea:
- Get fun and engaging content ideas easily
- Create limited-time offers to go with your social media holidays
18. Invest in UGC content
UGC, or “user-generated content,” isn’t new, but it’s definitely time to hop on board if you haven’t already. Like influencer marketing, UGC content is created by people instead of the brand, but — traditionally — UGC content comes from unpaid, real customers.
Why bother? Because UGC is seen as more trustworthy. In a recent study, 60% of consumers said they trust what individuals say about a brand more than what the brand says about itself.
To get more UGC, create a hashtag for your customers to use and feature their photos or videos in your feed. You can include that hashtag in your social media bio so users know they have a chance of being featured.
Some brands also turn to UGC creators — content creators who aren’t influencers but instead get paid to create content for brands to share on their pages.
Here’s an example of what an authentic piece of UGC looks like from stroller brand Mockingbird. They shared an image from one of their customers and tagged the customer within the caption to showcase that it’s from a real customer and not their product photography.
Why use this idea:
- UGC is a great form of social proof
- Promote your products without seeming too sales-y
- Gather diverse assets to repost across your social media accounts or use in other content
19. Create how-tos or tutorials
How-tos hook people right away with quick visuals and a specific end result. If you sell a product, show your audience how to use it — either the “regular way” or through a more creative or unique method.
Service providers, share your process or a step-by-step process to achieve a quick win, like your best sales email script or a software tutorial.
Here’s an example of a quick how-to video from baby wrap company Solly Baby. The company has obviously created tons of tutorials around how to use the wrap itself. Still, it has also put together additional tutorials like the one below showcasing different ways to store the wrap.
By creating multiple types of how-to videos, Solly Baby is making their product more accessible and easier to use, which in turn makes it more desirable.
Why use this idea:
- Make your product/service more accessible
- Showcase unique ways to use your product/service
- Help customers make the most out of their purchase/subscription
20. Ask questions
One simple way to engage your audience is by asking them questions. While you can easily do this in the form of a simple text post (like you’ll see in our example) on platforms like LinkedIn and X (Twitter), you can also create a graphic for more visual platforms to facilitate audience social media interaction.
Take a look at how Grammarly used this tactic on its LinkedIn to get an idea of how to use this idea yourself. You can do something as simple as Grammarly or come up with more creative questions that still relate back to your company or product/service.
Why use this idea:
- Increase audience engagement on your social media platforms
- Get feedback directly from your followers/customers
21. Support a cause
Do you support a charity or global mission? Share it on social media! Maybe you’re running a fundraiser for a certain cause or you’re working to hit net zero carbon emissions like Tentree below.
Sharing this on social media can generate awareness while helping people who support that cause become more likely to work with your business.
Why use this idea:
- Give back to a charity or support a cause that means a lot to your business
- Connect with customers who resonate with the same cause
22. Repurpose your content
You probably create a lot of content across your sales, content marketing, and possibly even learning and development teams. But that content doesn’t have to have a one-and-done life span.
Repurposing helps you optimize every asset you create to give it even more life. For example, take a longer podcast episode and cut it into snippets for short-form platforms like TikTok and YouTube Shorts.
Take a look at this example from Ahrefs. The SEO tool’s marketing team took a blog post and broke the main parts of it down into a thread on Twitter, with the last post in the thread linking to the original blog post.
This is a great way to put your content to work for your brand.
Why use this idea:
- Save time by using the same piece of content in multiple formats
- Help your content reach a wider audience
23. Host an AMA
AMA stands for “Ask Me Anything,” and is used as a session where someone from your company answers questions that your customers have asked.
There are a couple of different ways to host this on social media:
- Collect questions ahead of time and record video responses or write out posts on a platform like X/Twitter
- Use the question box on Instagram Stories to collect questions, then record videos or write out responses using the editing tools in your Stories
- Host a live broadcast where you can collect and answer questions in real-time
Whether you plan to collect questions ahead of time or simply want to increase the participation in a live AMA, it’s a good idea to promote it in advance, like we see SEO tool Clearscope’s founder doing below.
Why use this idea:
- Interact directly with your audience
- Provide answers to real questions your audience has
24. Go behind the scenes
Let your audience in on what goes on behind the scenes. For example, showcasing how your products get made, what product packaging looks like, a sneak peek of new product ideas, and more.
Here’s how soap and candle company Sparta Candle Co’s products get made.
Why use this idea:
- Let your audience in on a little secret of what goes on behind the scenes
- Make your company and its products feel more accessible
25. Write a long-form text post
Platforms like X (Twitter) and LinkedIn support long-form text posts. On LinkedIn, you can create a post that’s up to 3,000 characters long. Many brands, like Iconosquare in the example below, take advantage of this to share in-depth tips in a single post.
While Twitter only allows up to 280 characters in a single post (more for premium subscribers), it’s common to create threads of interlinked posts to create long-form content.
Even Instagram allows up to 2,200 characters in its captions, allowing users to create long-form captions to accompany their videos or images.
Why use this idea:
- Go in-depth on a topic in a social media post
- Create more valuable content for your audience
26. Create an image carousel
An image carousel is a post that shares multiple images in one. Instagram is a popular platform for this, but you can do the same on Facebook and LinkedIn with up to 10-20 images in a single post. Twitter posts support up to four images in a single post, too.
Take a look at how plant retailer The Sill used an image carousel post to share different images of a new product it’s offering.
Why use this idea:
- There are a number of creative ways to use image carousels
- Showcase different angles of a product in a single post
27. Highlight your products/services
Naturally, showcasing your products/services should be a major part of your marketing strategy. Especially if you run an ecommerce store, building out a social media shop on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok can help you make sales directly from your profile.
Take a look at how comforter brand Buffy tags its products in its Instagram posts, showcasing how they can be used in real life while also making it easy for interested buyers to make a purchase.
Why use this idea:
- Increase your customer base
- Make it easy for shoppers to make a purchase
28. Shout out a milestone
Have a big milestone come up? Five years in business? First million products sold? 10 million users? Share that milestone with your audience to celebrate!
See how Visme shared that its graphic design platform reached 30 million users.
Why use this idea:
- Celebrate with your audience
- Use as a form of social proof, showcasing that others use your products/services
29. Create seasonal content
Have seasonal products to promote? Do so by creating unique, seasonal content. Here’s a great example of what this could look like from Fenty Beauty promoting seasonal product drops.
Why use this idea:
- Create timely content that will relate to your audience
- Promote seasonal products to increase sales
Many social media users are on the platforms to share big life updates. You can do the same thing for your company. For example, sharing anniversaries, awards, and other recognitions your company has earned.
Take a look at how Bumble shared how a campaign was recognized with gold and silver awards by Event Marketer.
Why use this idea:
- Celebrate your company’s big wins
- Showcase why people should trust and work with your company
31. Partner with influencers
Influencer marketing has become a must-have for brands (big and small) because they do something ads can’t: help people see your product in real life, through voices they already trust.
The smartest approach? Think in tiers. Large creators help you break into new audiences fast, while mid-tier and niche creators deliver deeper trust and stronger action.
And you don’t need a blockbuster campaign to make it work. Creator content performs well when it highlights everyday use cases or solves a specific problem your audience cares about.
A great example: Skylight Calendar partnered with micro-influencer Erica Yettew to show exactly how she sets up and uses their product at home. The content feels natural, useful, and instantly relatable.
Why use this idea:
- Reach a new audience of people who trust the influencer that’s introducing you
- Gather high-quality photos or videos you can use in future campaigns
32. Promote upcoming events
Social media is the perfect place to promote upcoming events, whether online or in person. On Facebook and LinkedIn, you can even create event pages to help share more information about your upcoming event.
Either that or create a landing page on your website, just as Zapier did below, to collect registrations for your event.
Why use this idea:
- Increase awareness around your events
- Boost attendance by putting your event in front of even more people
33. Showcase your brand’s humor
Give your brand some personality! This is a great way to use social media — by letting your brand’s hair down and having some fun with it.
Here’s an example of what this can look like from Ryanair — a brand loves to poke fun at itself, its industry, and even its own passengers.
Why use this idea:
- Have fun with your audience
- Make your content more likely to go viral
Whether you’re retweeting, or reposting, sharing other user’s posts can be a great way to keep your feed filled with unique voices and perspectives.
Check out how Notion reposted an interview a user shared with its founder. Alternatively, many platforms will also allow you to add your own thoughts along with your repost.
Why use this idea:
- Share any mentions of your brand so your followers can easily find them
- Interact with people mentioning your brand or your industry
- Share unique perspectives with your audience
35. Link to a recent blog post
You’re creating blog content — why not share it? This is a simple social media post idea, but a powerful one that can easily lead to more website traffic.
Take a look at this simple example from our Twitter account to see just how easy this option can be.
Why use this idea:
- Increase website traffic by sharing blog content across social media
- Fill gaps in your content calendar with this simple post idea
36. Post a long-form video
We talked about short-form videos, but what about long-form videos?
Whether you simply link to a YouTube video or upload a video to your platform directly (perfect for Facebook and LinkedIn), sharing long-form video content helps educate your audience on a topic more in-depth than other types of content can.
Here’s an example from Goldcast — the brand even includes just how much time it’ll take to watch the video as a courtesy to its followers in their caption.
Why use this idea:
- Cross-promote your YouTube videos on your other social media platforms
- Upload long-from videos natively to educate your audience on an in-depth topic
This idea is platform-specific, but it’s still a winner.
LinkedIn allows users to upload PDF files that appear as navigable document carousels within a post. This is a unique post idea for sharing educational information with your followers.
Here’s an example from AskNicely: the brand shared a 10-page document explaining its tip about empowering your team.
Why use this idea:
- Take advantage of a unique content format
- Share detailed information from a document directly to your social media
38. Promote your email list
Do you have an email list? If so, consider promoting it via your social media. You can simply share a link to your email signup list or do one of the following:
- Share what’s going to be in an upcoming newsletter to entice new subscribers (like Carry did in our example below)
- Share a lead magnet like an e-book or cheat sheet that requires an email to download
Why use this idea:
- Generate more leads for your business
- Provide value in exchange for an email address
39. Announce new features
This is a great idea for SaaS companies — share your new features on social media, especially if they’re major updates.
This can let potential customers know if you’ve released something they’re looking for while also keeping existing users informed so they can try out new features.
Here’s a great example of what this could look like from newsletter platform Flodesk.
Why use this idea:
- Appeal to potential customers by sharing features they might be looking for
- Let existing customers know about new features they can try
Sharing industry updates is a powerful way to strengthen your social media presence and position your brand as a trusted source of information.
These types of posts help build trust with your followers, showing that you care about keeping them in the loop.
Plus, exciting news can encourage more conversations and interactions, which will boost your engagement rate (and your reach!).
Here’s a great example of how you can do this from Parentaly. The parenting brand has compiled a number of articles surrounding recent news regarding parental leave and shared them all within a single LinkedIn article to keep their audience in the know.
Why use this idea:
- Show your audience that your finger is always on the pulse of your industry
- Be a valuable source of knowledge and information for your audience
FAQ: Social media post ideas
The posts that earn the most engagement usually teach something, entertain people, or showcase real customer experiences. Short-form videos, quick tips, Carousels, and mini how-tos all perform well because they’re fast to watch and easy to share.
Enterprise teams keep ideas flowing by building repeatable systems. They lean on solid content pillars, repurpose high-performing assets, and tap cross-functional partners – product, sales, etc. – to surface new ideas (e.g., a new customer story or a feature round-up).
A centralized platform like Hootsuite is also essential at the enterprise level. It gives teams one place to plan, collaborate, manage approvals and workflows, monitor trends, and analyze what’s working across regions and channels.
What content ideas work across Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Facebook?
Short-form videos, educational content, and customer stories translate well across nearly every major platform. These formats meet people where they are: quick to watch, easy to understand, and built for sharing.
Multi-slide posts (like Instagram Carousels or LinkedIn document posts) also travel well, especially when they package insights or step-by-step advice. Anything that teaches, inspires, or entertains in under 15 seconds (or 3–5 slides) is typically a safe bet across channels.
Short-form video remains the top performer on most platforms thanks to its speed, clarity, and built-in storytelling potential. Quick demos, transformations, how-tos, and reactive content reliably earn above-average engagement.
UGC also consistently outperforms brand-produced creative because it feels more authentic and trustworthy.
Want to plan all 40 of these post types in one place? Try Hootsuite. Publish and schedule posts, find relevant conversions, engage your audience, measure results, and more — all from one dashboard. Try it free today.
